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🦆 CHILL THE DUCK OUT

Volume 013: The Good Kind of Goosebumps

💭 Cold Open

Ever get goosebumps on a hot day? I did.

There I was, stretched out at the pool, soaking up enough sun to melt my face off, headphones on, feeling about as physically relaxed as a human puddle can get.

And then it happened.

A song I hadn’t heard in a looooooooong time came on. You know the kind: one of those tracks that’s wired straight to a memory, a feeling, a version of you that still knows every beat by heart.

Boom. Goosebumps.

Not from the water (hadn’t touched it yet). Not from the breeze (none to be found). Just pure, unfiltered frisson. That little brain thrill that hits when something moves you so deeply your nervous system throws a joy party.

And it got me thinking:
We chase a lot of things — productivity, fitness, a zero inbox. But how often do we chase that feeling? That tingly, beautiful reminder that life still has the power to surprise us in the best ways?

This week, we’re diving into the science of those magical little chills and why your brain loves them.

Because sometimes, the most refreshing part of your day isn’t the pool, it’s the goosebumps you didn’t see coming.

🧠 The Science Bit

Here’s the science of getting goosebumps (or: why your body has excellent taste)

Meet frisson (pronounced free-son, because apparently scientists can make anything sound fancy). It's the official term for those delicious goosebumps or chills you get from emotional or aesthetic experiences, like when a song hits just right, a sunset stops you mid-scroll, or you read a sentence so perfect you want to frame it.

Basically, frisson is your body's way of saying, "This! This right here is the good stuff!"

Your brain on beauty.

This is what's happening when you get those spine-tingling moments:

Your reward system throws a party. Brain imaging studies show that frisson activates the same reward pathways involved in dopamine release, which is the neurotransmitter that makes everything feel worthwhile. It's like your brain is giving you a high-five for having good taste.

Your hair follicles get dramatic. The actual goosebumps happen when tiny muscles around your hair follicles contract, making your arm hairs stand at attention like they're saluting something beautiful. It's an ancient response that probably helped our ancestors stay warm, but now it's basically your body's way of applauding.

Multiple brain regions light up like a Christmas tree. Research shows frisson activates areas related to emotion processing (hello, amygdala), reward (striatum), and even motor control, which explains why sometimes you get the urge to dance, conduct an invisible orchestra, or dramatically throw your hand to your forehead like you're in a Victorian novel.

The perfect storm of feels.

Scientists have figured out the frisson formula: emotional peaks + unexpected changes = magic. Think about it. You're most likely to get chills during:

• A surprise key change in your favorite song

• When the orchestra suddenly swells just right

• That plot twist that makes you gasp out loud

• The moment in a movie when everything clicks into place

Your brain loves patterns, but it also loves when those patterns get beautifully disrupted. It's like being pleasantly surprised by your own emotions.

Why this matters (beyond just feeling good).

Regular experiences of awe and beauty, the kind that trigger frisson, aren't just nice-to-haves. Research by scientists like Dacher Keltner shows they're linked to:

• Reduced stress and lower inflammation

• Increased feelings of well-being and life satisfaction

• More prosocial behavior (you're literally more likely to be kind after experiencing awe)

• Greater sense of connection to something larger than yourself

In other words, that tiny physical reaction is doing some seriously big emotional work. Your goosebumps aren't just random. They're your body's built-in appreciation detector, helping you recognize and respond to beauty, meaning, and transcendence.

🍟 This Week’s Happytizer: Chase the Chill

Your challenge this week: Go out of your way to chase one moment of frisson.

Here are some ideas:

• Put on headphones and listen to a song that always gives you chills (pro tip: movie soundtracks, like The Greatest Showman, are frisson gold).

• Visit an art exhibit or museum and pause when something moves you.

• Read a poem or book passage slowly, letting it sink in.

• Stand outside and really see a sunrise, sunset, or a big sky moment.

It’s about giving your brain the opportunity to be awed.
And the best part? You can train yourself to notice and savor these moments more often.

✨ Unsolicited Joy of the Week

We’ve talked about frisson, those chills that hit you when beauty or emotion takes you by surprise.

And sometimes? That surprise comes in a beige trench coat and a glorious 1980s beat.

So, this week’s unsolicited joy is simple: a good ol’ fashioned Rickroll. Yes, Rick Astley’s 1987 gem, Never Gonna Give You Up, is the song that did it for me. There’s no reason that it should have popped up on my Ray J, Sexy Can I playlist, but I’m glad it did because sometimes pure nostalgia, goofy dance moves, and a song that has been living rent-free in the internet’s brain for decades is exactly the unexpected delight your nervous system needs.

Who knows? Maybe that first beat drop will give you the goosebumps you didn’t know you wanted today.

🎵 Click here if you’re brave enough

💬 Tell Me…

What’s YOUR guaranteed frisson trigger?
A song? A movie moment? A scene from nature? Let me know.

📩 [email protected]

And hey, if this newsletter gave you even 1% more chill (pun intended), forward it to a friend… or I’ll start randomly sending you my personal Top 5 Christmas Rom-Com movie playlist because they pack all the feel-good moments.

🫶 Duckin’ Done

That’s Volume 013.
Here’s to more shivers, more goosebumps, and more moments that remind you how beautiful the world can be.

Until next time, chase joy, catch chills, and chill the duck out.

Jason

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🧐 Behind the Curtain
Because the internet is full of myths, and I prefer my goosebumps fact-checked:

• Salimpoor, V. N., Benovoy, M., Larcher, K., Dagher, A., & Zatorre, R. J. (2011). "Anatomically distinct dopamine release during anticipation and experience of peak emotion to music." Nature Neuroscience, 14(2), 257-262.

• Grewe, O., Nagel, F., Kopiez, R., & Altenmüller, E. (2007). "Listening to music as a re-creative process: Physiological, psychological, and psychoacoustical correlates of chills and strong emotions." Music Perception, 24(3), 297-314.

• Keltner, D., & Haidt, J. (2003). "Approaching awe, a moral, spiritual, and aesthetic emotion." Cognition & Emotion, 17(2), 297-314.