goosebumps when contemplating

[1over137]

I have them sometimes when contemplating. I know poeple have them when listening to some music, but do you have them from contemplating, or talking to God?

Btw, why we have them? How evolutionist would explain them?

[Ivellious]

Goosebumps serve a purpose in preserving body heat. Essentially, causing the skin around our hair follicles to bunch up together (contract), causing the bumps. The decrease in surface area reduces heat loss. When you are sweating, the same thing can happen because the sweat cools down the skin, causing the contraction of skin to occur.

In cases where this happens because of an emotional or intense/stressful situation, it is a part of the "fight or flight" bodily response. The nervous system releases adrenaline and causes a sensation called "piloerection," which literally means the erecting of hairs. Biologically, it is the exact same thing that causes porcupines to have their spines stand on end when their "fight or flight" reaction is activated.

In the case of music or other pleasurable experiences, dopamine causes the the same bodily reactions as adrenaline (increased heart rate, the "chills", increased breathing rate, etc.) which can lead to goosebumps in the same fashion.

[Ivellious]

Sorry for sounding so blunt, I just wanted to answer the question haha

[1over137]

This is from wikipedia:
"People often say they feel their "hair standing on end" when they are frightened or in awe. Another intense emotional situation that can cause goosebumps is the "fight or flight" response the body can employ in an extremely stressful situation. As the body prepares itself for either fighting or running, the sympathetic nervous system floods the blood with adrenaline (epinephrine), a hormone that speeds up heart rate, metabolism, and body temperature in the presence of extreme stress. The sympathetic nervous system also causes a reflex called piloerection, which makes the muscles attached to the base of each hair follicle contract and force the hair up. Goose bumps cause the hairs to stand up, just as porcupines raise their quills when threatened. When piloerection occurred in man's ancestors, their plentiful hair made them appear larger to enemies and helped keep them warm. Although man is no longer as hairy, the reflex remains.'

I was not frightened I was in awe. So, the question is why we have it in awe? I found this:
http://www.syncrat.com/7jn
Here's an excerpt from that article:
"Poetry and music -- and even the scariest of movies -- don't make us cold, and aren't physically threatening. Why does our depth of human feeling make us respond like a frightened kitten?
Our automatic response to music or movies or emotion isn't driven by a physical prompt, but by a psychological one. What we see or hear or feel makes us vulnerable in a different -- but just as meaningful -- way. Something that causes severe anxiety causes an adrenaline rush -- but so does something that causes intense pleasure or an emotional "welling up."

So we feel vulnerable but in a different way? Hmmm. Is this true? How can I feel vulnerable when contemplating friendship and God or listening to the webcast from CERN about new particle discovery? I have some ideas but wanne hear ya first

[Ivellious]

Scary movies typically rely on tension and suspense, and if they are effective in creating that feeling, the stress can initiate a "fight or flight" response. In my second and third paragraphs above I cover that. Same goes for emotional or exciting moments (like contemplating big things or things that excite you). The only difference is that the reaction is being caused by adrenaline in one case and dopamine in the other.


The physical reaction to cold is just one possibility, the other is caused by either adrenaline or dopamine. Just because they cause the same physical reaction does not mean they are for the same reason. It's kind of like how I can have stomach pains/feel ill because of physical stimulus (I am hungry or I get punched in the stomach), or I can have stomach pains.feel ill because I see or hear or smell something disgusting. Same physical reaction, very different causes and reasons.

[1over137]

And why dopamine is released when contemplating?

[1over137]

I found on the wikipedia about dopamine this:

"Dopamine is commonly associated with the reward system of the brain, providing feelings of enjoyment and reinforcement to motivate a person to perform certain activities. Dopamine is released (particularly in areas such as the nucleus accumbens and prefrontal cortex) by rewarding experiences such as food, sex, drugs, and neutral stimuli that become associated with them.[31] Recent studies indicate that aggression may also stimulate the release of dopamine in this way"

Why reward in case of contemplating? In case of sex and food it is obvious. We have to eat an reproduce to survive as a species.