Do you like getting goosebumps when you listen to music? Do you get them when you make your own music? That’s my favorite! 

Let’s talk about how to maximize your chances of getting that feeling!

 [Watch today’s live video, where I talk about this feeling and give you the recipe to set the conditions to make it happen, as outlined below.] 

I recently read an article from Collective Evolution titled ”If Music Gives You Goosebumps, Here’s What It May Say About Your Brain”. I found it very interesting. Here’s a small sample of the article:

“Matthew Sachs, a former undergraduate at Harvard, decided he wanted to find out why people got chills when they would listen to music and what might be triggering this feeling.

His research experiment took a look at 20 students and their feelings when listening to music. 10 students admitted to feeling chills or having goosebumps when they hear music. The other 10 did not. Brain scans were taken of all 20 students and the results were analyzed.

Of the 10 who had stated they experience strong emotional connection to music and felt ‘chills’ when listening, displayed a different brain structure than those who claimed to not experience ‘chills’ when listening to music.

The area of the brain in question here is that of the auditory cortex and those that process emotions. What was found was that those who experienced the feeling of ‘chills’ while listening to music had denser or stronger fibres connecting the areas of the brain in question. This means that the two areas can communicate better.”

Sachs’s published his findings on Oxford Academic but he is quoted by Neuroscience as saying:

“The idea being that more fibers and increased efficiency between two regions means that you have more efficient processing between them.”

Basically, this means your auditory cortex and emotional areas of the brain are communicating very well when you get goosebumps. There’s a lot of activity happening in the brain – lots of connection between those billions of neurons!

What does this mean, practically? This is what really piques my interest.

To me, getting goosebumps means I’m inspired by something, and I believe that special feeling of being inspired is what ultimately drives us to be artists. It’s just magical when the conditions are set up and you suddenly have an other-worldly, heavenly experience that gives you a bigger perspective on life. 

It’s not just about having a fun feeling; it’s about depth of purpose and the meaning of life. Goosebumps are actually just the icing on the cake. Somehow, I know everything is right in the world and in me when that magical moment happens. Can you relate to that?

If you want to maximize your chances of experiencing Inspiration goosebumps, here are some key elements to keep in mind:

1. Open Mind
   Let yourself be vulnerable and open to receiving inspiration in the form of something beautiful, something moving, or something emotionally raw and intense. Something that touches you to the core of the heart and you are moved. Be prepared to be momentarily stunned out of your everyday existence.
   
2. Open to Surprise
   There is a surprise element to getting goosebumps, and you can set the stage for that to happen, even though you can’t actually make it happen. When I talk about a recipe for goosebumps, I’m talking about a recipe for setting the stage and optimizing the chances that it’s going to happen. When you really know how to do that, you can almost make the goosebumps happen on purpose.
   
3. Open Body
   If you have a tense body that isn’t very flexible or responsive, you’re less likely to be moved by your experience by getting goosebumps or chills. You can be inspired, of course, but I think you’re less likely to have that full-bodied feeling when your body is tight with excess tension or stiffness.
   
4. Open Heart
   If your heart isn’t open to experiencing strong emotions, I doubt you’re going to be struck by something so deeply that you burst out into sparkling goosebumps. You need to be open to feeling deep emotions throughout your body to fully engage with your experiences in life. As a musician, you’ll want to work on this intentionally when you practice because it will allow you to make much better music when you’re not blocking your feelings.

When you consciously free yourself in mind, body, soul, and spirit, you’re automatically freeing up your music. Be open to feeling and receiving the unexpected, and you’ll maximize your chances of getting goosebumps and thoroughly  ENJOY listening to music or playing your instrument.

I hope these suggestions help, and I’d love your feedback. Let me know what works best for YOU!

Love,

Jennifer xo

p.s. If you need help getting inspired for better music-making, send me a message. I’d love to chat and offer you some individualized solutions. Be well!

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