The chill factor: Music’s hidden superpower

Have you ever felt goosebumps or a chill run down your spine while listening to music? Neuroscience is now revealing that those powerful reactions are more than emotional—they’re neurochemical. A new study has shown that when we experience musical chills, our brains may release endogenous opioids, the same natural chemicals that relieve pain and enhance pleasure.

Using the opioid-blocking drug naltrexone, researchers observed that people who usually got strong emotional reactions to music—those shivers, tears, or elation—reported far fewer of these responses after the drug was administered. This strongly suggests that our brain’s opioid system is involved in those peak musical moments.

What’s even more fascinating is how music can access this system without the need for external substances. It confirms what music lovers have long known: music doesn’t just move us emotionally—it changes our brain chemistry.