[spardanto]

So im  doing my yearly check in and seeing how this thread as progressed.For any scientists or those interested my research since last posting it has led me to some unsetteling places with regards to this ability and dreams.But before that i thought i'd post a summary of this ability and what we know so far collated from this thread and others around the net:

The ability usually coincides with puberty or after
The ability is usually first brought on by a powerful event/expereience and this is often due to music
The ability is usually voluntary once a certain amount of the ability is experienced
The ability tends to differ slightly between individuals but is on the whole explained and experienced the same way.
People describing the ability also tend to use the same/similar words as others.
ESP or some other power/s is often attributed to the developement of the ability (only with Anecdotal evidence,for now at least)
Pregognition and abilities relating to deja vu are experienced by some people with this ability
This ability has been tested within one scientific survey relating to it being induced via music,so far they seem to only be entertaining the idea of testing people based on the premise that it's the music inducing it and are not entertaining the idea that people can go on to do it voluntariliy or as of yet have no plan to test those who can VIG.
VIG is also known as AMSR and suggests essentially that we are tapping into what is normally an autonomic response though lack any explanation as to why and is often seen as a party trick much the same way wiggling ones ears is,sadly is discounts VIG literally as just inducing goosebumps whilst not explaining it's other effects (feel good factor etc)
In a certain percentage of posts people have posted having nerve disorders,being related to someone with a nerve disorder or brain based disorders (whether or nots it's related to over use of the ability or just linked to the ability in general is speculation at this point but i feel the need to mention it)

Those are the facts as i know them,i've left out any mentions of god,super powers and the like etc since it's not a universally experienced thing, as some believe in gods,powers etc whilst others just think it's a cool trick they can do nothing more.

I'll now be posting my own personal experiences with this ability and it's application to dreams,please feel free to disregard what i say but please note the above mentioned points are devoid of bias etc so you may trust them at the very least.

I am not a religious man,in fact if i were to say what religion i follow i would say "science".But science doesn't claim to know all the answers,it's constantly asking the question why? How? Is it a fact? etc and i consider myself an academic studying ancient texts and books in the hopes of finding information the ancient peoples of the earth mistook for other things

So when i explain the next 2 dreams i hope you understand where i'm coming from.

(In these 2 instances the ability was triggered at a constant level peaking at moments of revelation)
The first i dreamt i was in a place called Shangri La (some of you no doubt know of this place)

An ancient city of stone bathed in twilight,i started walking forward and looked up and only then did i realise the piece of land i was on was infact falling as i saw clouds rush past above.But it was literally falling forever,it would never hit anything below it (this is what i knew in my mind)

As i continued forward i came across a Bengal Tiger,it slowly,cautiously approached me and i to it.For a moment we stared into each others eyes and then i sat down and he came closer and we nuzzled each other as one tiger might another in greeting and it was then i realised i was the Tiger,it was me,my soul (so i thought in the dream).The ability intensified and stared at each other again and i awoke.

Dream 2.

There's no good way of putting this so i'll just come out and say it

I dreamt i met god.Big guy,white beard (the silly impression most people have of what he looks like)

He said "You know me don't you?"
Skeptically i said "I know who you your meant to be"
"Who is that" he smiled
"God right?"
He smiled again
Then his expression changed and more seriously said
"You know where we are?"
"Yes" (i knew without being told and it wasn't heaven or anything like that but a different place,it felt like a space in which nothing had yet formed but anything could be created)
"Be careful here your thoughts....." and i interupted him and finished the sentence
"Can shape and change this place right?"

He turned to face me properly and approvingly made a "Hmph" noise

I felt at that moment that thoughts and feelings literally shaped and changed reality and then i awoke

Now as i said im not religious,im open to the idea of the possability of things beyond us,higher planes and unexplained things but i trust in science.Yet i can't help but question the dreams.Do i take them at face value or do i accept that it was in a sense lucid dreaming enforced by the ability.

Im not sure if any of you have had the ability accidentally trigger during sleep but its far far more intense and i can both  voluntariliy and unvoluntarily acitivate it whilst asleep and when it happens the wierder wacky dreams happen.

I've been encouraging this type of dreaming more as if nothing else im seemingly exploring my psyche.As stated i could likely explain these grand dreams as nothing more than lucid dreams based on historical and mythological things ive read about.Yet a tiny part of me can't help wonder "what if there is more to all of this?"

[Gizem]

Have you guys heard about the Frisson? It's the goosebumps effect people get from musics, movies etc. Similar to ASMR but ASMR omes from a sense of security i think.
Also i don't know if anyone tried this but, i get very strong goosebumps when i keep the hairdryer at the lower back of my head for a while(the same place i activate VIG) or during very hot showers. Just try it (Dont burn yourselves though )
I have this for at least 8 years now and no supernatural powers achieved until now I am not the sportive type and didn't get any improved healing . But I'm good at solving puzzles, people see me as a smart person usually. I don't meditate or do chi stuff. But i am usually silent, lazy not panicked easily, and stable in general. Also, I can't do slow-the-heartbeat thingy. I really want to try that lie machine thing though Share your opinions people! I visit this forum from time to time~

[bugbuck]

Hey guys I'm a Hongkie so please dont tease me if my English sucks [xx(].
I can do the same thing as you guys mentioned-namely creating goosebumps without any external stimuli(I consider music and physical touch as external stimuli).
I'm not sure about the mechanism, but what I can describe is somehow similar to you guys-a kind of weird sensation spreading from the back of my skull to my whole body. I have to use some efforts to create such effect, by holding my breath and doing some tricks at the origin of the sensation(somehow like squeezing it). It seems that I'm using some of my muscles as I may get a bit fatigue after some attempts.

I guess this phenomenon is like moving your ears voluntarily like Mr Bean(In fact I can move my ear voluntarily too), just some silly tricks of no use. (Of course you can do it for fun or to amaze the others)

BTW, there is a journal I can share with you guys, proving that voluntary control of piloerection does exist-Objective and continuous measurement of piloerection(2010) by Mathias Benedek et al in Psychophysiology, volume 47 , 989–993(sorry for omitting other authors' names-they're just too long.).

[DustinWoldt]

I have always been able to use this trick/ability as far back as I can remember. I've even gone so far as to try to move objects with my mind while doing it. I've followed this thread for years, checking back occasionally when the thought of it strikes my curiosity again. I figured I'd post here. I'd love to keep in contact with others who can do it or at least talk to someone else who can. It's hard not being able to talk openly about it and I just have a sense that there is more to it than simply inducing a chill/electrical surge down your body. My name is Dustin Woldt. Add me on Facebook, I'd like to talk to anybody who is able to do this.

[JDoesScience]

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]

Interestingly, this hasn't resulted in much formal research. I can't understand why, though, because I agree with everyone here - this is definitely worth looking into. The first thing which caught my attention was certain threads of similarity which extend through the descriptions given here over the last few years, descriptions which are quite consistent between people:

1) the focal point on the back of the head or neck
2) the 'spreading' sensation down the back to the arms
3) the relatively straightforward control of the goosebumps - you don't imagine scary things, you just 'do' it

You might be interested to know I've collected a few other descriptions of the same phenomenon elsewhere, and they match up fairly closely with what everyone's said here. Why have I done this? Because I'm a physiological psychologist, and I'm particularly interested in physical phenomena which seems to be provoked by (or in turn provoke themselves) emotions. Everyone's heard of the expressions where we express emotions in physical terms: 'he turns my stomach' or 'my stomach had butterflies' or 'i felt like a weight pressing down on me' or 'i felt my heart racing' - it's these sorts of things we use as windows in the the integration between the mind and body. As might be expected, the 'voluntary goosebump' phenomenon might be a fascinating window into strong, positive emotions like intense arousal, joy, or awe... which is where we generally see goosebumps occurring.

I'll speculate a little here: I think somehow what you've all stumbled over is to do with triggering an autonomic nervous system response, for two reasons: firstly, that's the actual 'conduit' between your brain and the little muscles at the bottom of your hairs, and secondly, because it's too fast to be anything else - a few people have described the ability to pop goosebumps up and down over the span of a few seconds. Well, I suspect this wouldn't be possible by a hormonal mechanism or anything like it, they don't work that fast.

What's really cool about this whole thing is this is the autonomic nervous system we're talking about - you're not supposed to be able to control it! Or if you can, you're not supposed to be able to turn it on and off at will. There's a big mystery at the center of how everyone's 'skill' works, and not one that I've readily found an answer to. And research into questions like this is my job.

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.

Lots more to follow, but I want to see if anyone sees this first.

[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]

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.

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]

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]

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.

[copperking]

I found this forum discussion searching google online for an explanation for my current "ability" to control a goosebump phenomena at will and various other "abilities". Like others have mentioned, I am able to do this without external stimuli (E.G.-cold, scary thoughts, etc.). It is sort of like a concentration technique by stressing the muscles at the back of the neck. I can slow and speed up my heart rate as well but only in small increments (by 10 to 15 bpm in either direction.) and is strenuous to my body, my chest usually hurts the rest of the day afterward and have even gone as far as getting a cheap cuff type digital bpm monitor and borrowed a stethoscope to find out how much to an extent I can actually control it. I can do this by kind of "feeling" so to speak, my heart in my chest, and forcefully preventing the heart beat in my mind if I want to decrease bpm or imagining me forcefully squeezing to increase bpm. I am also able to sort of "imagine" what is about to happen before it happens but usually only a few seconds ahead of present time.( E.G. - knowing that the phone is about to ring, knowing someone is about to drop something, knowing what someone is about to say more or less word for word, etc.). It only occurs as a split second visualization or cryptic thoughts, more like a dejavu but the dejavu happens before the actual act, then I guess you would say it is an actual dejavu after it happens, but it is sort of reversed. Also it's hard to explain but I am able to sense my surroundings on a much higher level than normal. I can tell if there is someone hiding around the corner and am extremely accurate in this sense, like being able to tell if there is someone or a large animal on my property and I live on 65 acres of land. I am sort of afraid to go into detail about these things because every time I have tried to explain it to others they think I'm lying or worse, crazy. I've actually lost friends over this and had health professionals try to admit me into a mental health facility for evaluation over me simply trying to get some answers on this. I have actually lost friends because I would alienate them from me by calling out something that is going to happen before the action. I am very skeptical of religion and spiritual things and have a hard time tolerating things I cannot understand but am not closed minded. This may be the wrong place to describe these things but I just wanted to mention that this is the first time I have found out that others are in fact capable of controlling physically what happens to their bodies and that I am relieved that this is actually a little more common than I had originally thought. Is this some sort of self control that I have been able to hone in on since I was a child or is it more biological like described in previous posts? If it is biological, is there currently any studies in the US going on that I could possibly participate in to maybe get some more answers to this frustrating and sort of annoying itch that I have to understand this.

[RD]

I am also able to sort of "imagine" what is about to happen before it happens but usually only a few seconds ahead of present time. ...  If it is biological, is there currently any studies in the US going on that I could possibly participate in to maybe get some more answers to this frustrating and sort of annoying itch that I have to understand this.

Neurological conditions like epilepsy can result in seizures which can cause a range of weird sensations and very-frequent déjà vu , which some sufferers misinterpret as being able to predict the future , which no-one can, as the future hasn’t happened yet.

NB: seizures do not necessarily involve loss of consciousness , it is also possible to deliberately trigger seizures by thinking in a particular way.   

Focal seizures (also called partial seizures and localized seizures) are seizures which affect initially only one hemisphere of the brain. ... In partial seizures the seizure is generated in and affects just one part of the brain – the whole hemisphere or part of a lobe. Symptoms will vary according to where the seizure occurs. In the frontal lobe symptoms may include a wave-like sensation in the head; in the temporal lobe, a feeling of déjà vu; in the parietal lobe, a numbness or tingling; and in the occipital lobe, visual disturbance or hallucination.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Focal_seizures

[beatyouonce]

I've been able to control the goosebumps for 20 years now. The goosebumps are the begining of something more, now adays I can store "heat" in my chest and move it around slightly. Though my skin feels cool, inside I feel really hot. Its weird, I keep playing with this. Started with music doing it for me, then I learned how to close my eyes and bring the goosebumps on my own, then to make it feel "stronger" (some will know what i mean) trying to intensify the feeling and it does work.

Have yet to figure out what any of this does, I will try this winter to see if I can keep myself warm with this. Let me know if anyone knows what I'm talking about or is on this level.   Must be able to control and not just get it involuntarily from music and such (stuffs for lvl 1s HAHAHAHA)

[Pecos_Bill]

I recently saw a BBC show in which a man in Northumberland swam in the sea to demonstrate the difference between the human body and that of a grey seal.

That has me wondering if one of your ancestors may have been seduced by a Selkie - as they are known to possess great powers of seduction.

I urge you to have your DNA examined to look for any suspicious trace of seal genes.

[Brian_in_Olympia]

WOW.... Ok.. Lets see here.
First of all I just wanted to say that I always figured this was something that everyone did to some degree.  I have been able to do this as long as I can remember, Its almost chilling to read everyone's posts and find they are using the exact same words to describe what they are doing and experiencing as I do.

I always thought of it like a pulse of energy going down my spine, starting somewhere at the base of my brain. I can do it multiple times and I don't think I have "ran out" of juice. and had to wait to get more. although each time I can do it, its only a short pulse not constant. Also I am able to start the "Pulse" from other places it seams, such as chest, and now that I think about it and while im typing this im playing around with the sensation it almost feels like it can be pushed out from anywhere if you focus hard enough. its just that the base of the brain appears to be the original spot this was discovered. I also seem to get this same pulse "goosebump" thing when I listen to a really amazing song and a part comes up iin the song that just just rips it outa me. Like a musical orgasm haha. I also have ringing in my ears and many many other symptoms other people have posted.

 Anyway I feel this is something that science needs to get more into and we are in a unique position on this forum to start this new "science" in motion. This thing needs a few things
A Name. What will we call this, I have read many other peoples posts about what other medical things It could be or acts like and personally I dont think this fits into any of them. some of the symptoms are very similar but not exact.

Anyway, I am just really happy I found other people who are having this same insane thing going on with them.

[Brian_in_Olympia]

I just posted but I forgot to add . It would be cool to see what we all have in common. Such as I have have a rare blood type. Maybe that has something to do with it. Or maybe we were all born in a month.. something. We just need to figure it out.
My blood type is AB Negative.
im left handed
born May 14 1982
I have ringing in my ears
Can control "pulse" without external stimuli and without being tired or laying down

[Becks76]

When the internet First came into being I tried to find out if anyone could do, as I have done since I was about 10 or even maybe younger, give themselves goosebumps.. I didn't at that time and only knew what it was when I went to a healer. Instinctively, I did my goosebumps and no sooner as I did then the healer said "oh, you can connect to your inner self." This actually ties in with what I believe the universe to be... A mass of connections which we can all access.. myself being part of the universe is just the doorway in which to transcend the physical world and touch the universal energy.
I just wrote about my experiences and had to delete.. they sound mad. So I will just leave you with what I know it to be.. and hopefully it willmake sense to you.

[society]

I've been able to do this at will for over 20 years and still can.  I used to get the same reaction after a particularly good bong hit.  I think it has something to do with breathing/brain states.  Its super relaxing basically when i meditate I cultivate the feeling for as long as possible and escalate it on inhalation and try to retain it on exhalation.

Have their been any brain wave/state studies on this phenomena? Like the whole Beta, Alpha, Theta, and Delta thing. I'm sure it changes, might make for an interesting thesis.

[Gffhffxchhb Hhfgcgiog]

I learned how to send this energy wave from back of my head, to my feet just by closing my eyes and breathing today, but I haven't figured out how to control it.  Can anyone guide me?  I want to develop this energy to a higher level like dynamo jack. Im 29 years old and a male...I read qi gong has 5 levels, and the last level you can heal people with this power.  It sounds crazy, but I believe that we can unlock powers if enough training is done. Anyone that has practiced this for years let me know..I feel like the air I breath turns into electricity and flows all the way down my body

[Gffhffxchhb Hhfgcgiog]

Has anyone done this in water?