Frisson is the French word meaning “shiver”, but in this case, we’re not shivering because we’re cold, we’re shivering because we’re stimulated by music.
When we hear a certain piece of music or view a particular work of art, there may be an intense psychological and physiological reaction. “You have this sudden rush of dopamine,” explains psychologist Dr Rebecca Johnson-Osei. “It’s a similar pathway that gets activated with sex and other things that are rewarding to our brains.”
Filmed and presented by Greg Dukes
Commissioning Editor: Griesham Taan
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