# Why do we get the chills?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-get-the-chills/532430>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [March 14, 2010, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-get-the-chills/532430 "2010-03-14T06:01:24Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![melonheadbr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3be4f8/32.png) [@melonheadbr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/melonheadbr)\
**Post date:** [March 14, 2010, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-get-the-chills/532430/1 "2010-03-14T06:01:24Z")

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Why do we get the chills when we watch a movie, or hear a song that we feel is particularly deep?

Thanks in advance.

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**Author:** ![Chief\_Pedant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@Chief\_Pedant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chief_Pedant)\
**Post date:** [March 14, 2010, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-get-the-chills/532430/2 "2010-03-14T13:20:27Z")

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It’s part of a vestigial reflex tied to the flight/fright/fight set of responses.

The “chills” part is related to piloerection for most people, because exposure to cold can trigger a similar pilomotor response.

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**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\
**Post date:** [March 14, 2010, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-get-the-chills/532430/3 "2010-03-14T17:14:23Z")

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> [@Chief\_Pedant](#):
>
> It’s part of a vestigial reflex tied to the flight/fright/fight set of responses.

I have also heard it said that when (for example) we hear the sound of chalk screeching on a blackboard, it is “mistaken” by your brain as the screech of an attacking predator and thus causes your hair to stand up on end to make you look bigger and, so, more formidable. YMMV.

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**Author:** ![Visual\_Purple](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/5daacb/32.png) [@Visual\_Purple](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Visual_Purple)\
**Post date:** [March 14, 2010, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-get-the-chills/532430/4 "2010-03-14T17:50:06Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> I have also heard it said that when (for example) we hear the sound of chalk screeching on a blackboard, it is “mistaken” by your brain as the screech of an attacking predator and thus causes your hair to stand up on end to make you look bigger and, so, more formidable.

I thought the sound was supposed to resemble monkey alarm cries. I’ve heard recordings of some that do have a nails-on-chalkboard effect.

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**Author:** ![\_cc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/_/e19b73/32.png) [@\_cc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/_cc)\
**Post date:** [March 15, 2010, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-get-the-chills/532430/5 "2010-03-15T17:49:20Z")

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This question has been asked frequently, but in my opinion it still has not been sufficiently answered. People always mention the pilomotor reflex, but fail to explain why it should occur due to certain emotional/musical stimuli that aren’t at all frightful or surprising.