# What's the accurate term for "brain massage"?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-accurate-term-for-brain-massage/263332>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 6, 2004, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-accurate-term-for-brain-massage/263332 "2004-09-06T14:43:04Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Certainly\_If\_You\_Please](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@Certainly\_If\_You\_Please](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Certainly_If_You_Please)\
**Post date:** [September 6, 2004, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-accurate-term-for-brain-massage/263332/1 "2004-09-06T14:43:04Z")

</div>

Have you ever been talking with someone (such as over the phone) and suddenly feel a pleasant tingling in your head or scalp? I call it a “brain massage” because it feels like a gentle tingling coming from within my head. It seems to happen when I talk with certain people and I am in a neutral or happy mood.

Have you ever felt it too and what’s the scientific name for it?

thanks!

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Reeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)\
**Post date:** [September 6, 2004, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-accurate-term-for-brain-massage/263332/2 "2004-09-06T15:12:25Z")

</div>

I know it’s not scientific, but we used to call it a “rush”.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Strainger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/strainger/32/244_2.png) [@Strainger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Strainger)\
**Post date:** [September 6, 2004, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-accurate-term-for-brain-massage/263332/3 "2004-09-06T17:06:03Z")

</div>

[Here’s](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=114053) another related thread from some time back (I still can’t find the thread I started). I get the same sensation, usually when I’m watching someone engaging in some sort of task who’s not regarding my presence. **bmerton** describes it pretty well.

Unfortunately, this question has never been resolved, although, having experienced both sensations, I can say for certain that it isn’t “piss shiver.”