Musical chills induce psychological insight

Aesthetic chills involve pleasurable bodily sensations co-occurring with self-transcendent emotions. In this study, 94 participants were exposed to pre-validated musical stimuli with chills-inducing potential. Participants experiencing chills reported significantly greater psychological insight and emotional awareness compared to non-chills controls. Chills intensity positively correlated with insight and emotional awareness. These results suggest that interoceptive signals may precipitate cognitive-emotional shifts. Further research should explore the role of bodily manipulations across altered states.