It is a late summer evening, you are outside enjoying a cup of tea, a wind blows and your body shivers a bit. You get goosebumps. So you decide to grab a soft blanket to cover yourself up and play some music. You are all nice and warm now, but on the radio comes a song which reminds you of a loving childhood memory. Again, you get goosebumps.
One might ask, why do such seemingly unrelated events manifest the same body reaction? The reason for this is the physiology of emotions.
Goosebumps are a physiological phenomenon inherited from our animal ancestors, which was useful to them but are not of much help to us. Goosebumps are tiny elevations of the skin that resemble the skin of poultry after the feathers have been plucked (from where the name goose-bumps comes.) These bumps are caused by a contraction of miniature muscles that are attached to each hair. The contraction also causes the hair to stand up whenever the body feels cold. In animals with a thick hair coat, this rising of hair expands the layer of air that serves as insulation. The thicker the hair layer, the more heat is retained. In people, this reaction is useless because we do not have a hair coat, but goosebumps persist nevertheless.
People experience goosebumps during emotional situations, such as seeing someone after a long time, their wedding day, during an exam, when they are proud of someone, or…when they get scared of something. One can get goosebumps just thinking of events in the past which make you emotional.
The reason for all these responses is the subconscious release of a stress hormone called adrenaline. In humans, adrenaline is often released when we feel cold or afraid, but also if we are under stress and feel strong emotions, such as anger or excitement. Other signs of adrenaline release include tears, sweaty palms, trembling hands, an increase in blood pressure, a racing heart or the feeling of ‘butterflies’ in the stomach.
While they are completely unnecessary now, scientists think that goosebumps were practical for our ancestors. Homo sapiens were pretty hairy. And goosebumps provided early humans with some extra protection from the cold.
