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Musical chills induce psychological insight

Félix Schoeller, Abhinandan Jain, Leonardo Christov-Moore, Nicco Reggente

November 22, 2023 preprint DOI: 10.31234/osf.io/m9ea5 (opens in new tab)

Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Observational cohort
Sample size 94
Population Participants exposed to pre-validated musical stimuli
Keywords Chills Cognition Closeness Cognitive psychology
Citations 6
Key findings Participants who experienced aesthetic chills reported greater psychological insight and emotional awareness, with chills intensity positively correlating with these outcomes.

Abstract

Aesthetic chills involve pleasurable bodily sensations co-occurring with self-transcendent emotions. In this study, 94 participants were exposed to pre-validated musical stimuli with chills-inducing potential. Participants experiencing chills reported significantly greater psychological insight and emotional awareness compared to non-chills controls. Chills intensity positively correlated with insight and emotional awareness. These results suggest that interoceptive signals may precipitate cognitive-emotional shifts. Further research should explore the role of bodily manipulations across altered states.