Life Sciences > Physiology & Medicine
Is it common or useful to be able to control goosebumps, and pulse, at will?
adodge:
Just an update, It has been a couple of years since I first posted on here but I have also noticed some practical uses for this, it gives me complete and immediate relief if I feel a headache coming on (with the exception of being hung over and dehydrated, only water seems to help there). It also provides an escape for any kind of stress that I may be feeling, though I suppose most headaches are caused by stress so that would make perfect sense. I have considered what it would be like to do it while dreaming, but often I forget I have the ability even while awake so that would definitely take some persistence. I have only touched on this once while dreaming myself, and it was an otherwise normal dream where I was in my grandma's house, and for no particular reason I got the tingles, it didn't last very long because everything got extremely bright as the feeling intensified and then I woke up. I have even had a few times where I have even been able to control and extend orgasms, which is especially awesome. They say tantric sex is based on meditation, so it seems like there may be a link there as well. For me, it really boils down to a certain amount of self-awareness, this can of course be triggered by external stimuli (ASMR, Frisson), but the best ones for me are the kind that are triggered internally. These normally start out fairly mild, but by simply recognizing that I am actually doing it myself in turn creates a kind of feedback loop where I can amplify each successive "wave" until it becomes quite intense. It is always very pleasurable, and it occurred to me as well that this could even promote a healing response simply because I felt so relaxed and rejuvenated but objectively testing such a thing poses other challenges. Either way, if what they say is true about stress killing you (which of course it does) then this MUST be good for your health, if nothing else because it gives me so much relief from any stress that I may be feeling, no matter how bad my day is going. As I said in one of my previous posts, I discovered I could do this at will after getting clean from pills, and since then I have had some relapses and this actually gives me profound, albeit temporary relief from withdrawal symptoms, it seems to act as a shortcut to a meditative state. All I need to consistently trigger this is to simply remember that I can, that I have the ability. From there it is a matter of focusing and amplifying the sensation until I feel better. It's very calming and rejuvenating at the same time, and works wonders whenever I am feeling helpless or overwhelmed. My strongest and earliest memory of ASMR by external stimuli was when the movie Stigmata came out, and one particularly striking line, said to be taken from the dead sea scrolls, still gives me some of the strongest goosebumps to this day:
The Kingdom of God is inside you, and all around you, not in mansions of wood and stone. Split a piece of wood... and I am there, lift a stone... and you will find me.
It's very empowering, and even just the first bit, "the Kingdom of God is inside you" is all it takes anymore...
OmarAlB:
I've never met anyone who is able to do this beside myself. anyway I noticed that you cant talk while doing that trigger thing, or is it just that my mind cant focus while talking?
yogi007:
I also have this ability, and likewise find the origination point at the base of the skull on the back of the neck. The following may be of interest to others here:
newbielink:http://www.emotion.uni-kiel.de/fileadmin/emotion/team/kaernbach/publications/2010_ben_al_psychophysiol.pdf [nonactive]
BRIEF REPORT
Objective and continuous measurement of piloerection
MATHIAS BENEDEK,a,b BARBARA WILFLING,b REINGARD LUKAS-WOLFBAUER,b
BJO¨RN H. KATZUR,a and CHRISTIAN KAERNBACHa
a: Institut fu¨r Psychologie, Christian-Albrechts-Universita¨t zu Kiel, Kiel, Germany
b: Institut fu¨r Psychologie, Karl-Franzens-Universita¨t Graz, Graz, Austria
Abstract
Increasing attention is drawn to the investigation of piloerection (or goose bumps) in response to strong emotional
experiences. This research is complicated by the need to rely on self-report measures. This article proposes an efficient
method for the objective and continuous measurement of piloerection. It is based on an optical recording device
combined with a discrete Fourier transform analysis quantifying the frequency power related to visible piloerection.
The validity of the method was demonstrated in a proof-of-principle experiment involving a person with the exceptional
ability to control the erection of his hair. The method reliably mapped all occurrences of visible piloerection and
provided insight into the temporal dynamics of the underlying physiological process. It thus proved suitable for future
experimental investigation of human piloerection.
This research tool also, curoiusly, real: newbielink:http://www.goosecam.de/gooselab.html [nonactive]
JDoesScience:
--- Quote from: JDoesScience on 02/05/2015 00:12:45 ---So, here's what would be fantastic:
1. If you can do the conscious control of goosebumps thing, send me a private message through this site so we can talk about it... I have lots of questions, and you might be able to help. Don't worry about me missing your message, I WILL check them regularly.
2. If you're reading this because you figured out you could do this, but haven't signed up for this site yet, sign up! - it's quick, I promise - and leave your experiences here. We'd all be very curious to know your thoughts and experiences.
3. If you know of any other resources on this, any explanations, or anyone else that can do this, send them here.
--- End quote ---
Just wanted to stop back in and say thank you to the half-dozen people who've contacted me in the last fortnight. The above offer still stands!
Arjunadawn:
--- Quote from: JDoesScience on 02/05/2015 00:12:45 ---Hello everyone - strap yourselves in, this is going to be a long one.
First of all, a few people have asked where the scientific interest is on this. Well, there isn't much in that vein, but what everyone's describing here has been described at least THREE times in published journal articles (at least, three times that I've found - there may be more). These references are:
Maxwell, 1902. newbielink:http://ajplegacy.physiology.org/content/7/4/369 [nonactive]
Lindsley and Sassman, 1938. newbielink:http://jn.physiology.org/content/1/4/342 [nonactive]
Benedek et.al., 2010. newbielink:http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20233341 [nonactive]
--- End quote ---
Thank you; (Yes, the 2nd link seems to be spot on). Unless I missed something 2 of 3 of these reports above also have triggers or actions that result in the outcome. Frequently, very frequently, we slide into this situation and that is the reason that this and other forums that have similar posts have slid into a hybrid forum for discussing triggers that result in xyz and people who are the trigger resulting in xyz- manifest, measurable, objective phenomena. The result is having to currently sift through the posts and discern the bona fides that posters who actually experience this ability from those who are having sensorial responses well known in the literature. Hearing sounds that provoke physical responses was known considerably further back than even the Oracle of Delphi. Humans have known this.. always. It is the foundation of Om and chanting. It is... cymatics acting on the human body and provocative. I [we] do not have this as the issue. It is beyond question that there are two or more very different phenomena discussed here; One of mild curiosity and one in profound conflict with medically accepted rules of physiology.
From the original post, to various posters, and myself, here is the issue for us: We can control our heart rate at will- immediately, now, instantaneously and without thought, emotion, breath or contraction. We control our blood pressure equally, our eye pupils and variously piloerection. Goosebumps cannot, for me, happen without concurrent heart rate increase, etc. It is a package deal though I can adjust the level for effect. With biofeedback people like me can hit any desired goal from heart rate normal to 160, 180, 200, 210, and this is about my limit. Curiously the pulse pressure widens with the diastolic remaining changes by roughly 10mmhg and the systolic rising upwards of 100mmhg!
We can breath, walk, talk, fart, and smile while we do it and do so without any exterior grasp of what is happening until the HR reaches roughly 180bpm, where the trembling begins (dont ask how I determined all the above :-). I have explored the assertion that others find it aids this, helps that, heals quickly, does this, does that, but I have not discovered this.
I read your entire post and find myself secretly hoping you can find answers that would enable me to accept this thing in my life. Until then it remains a party trick. Thank you for your interest.
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