We’ve all experienced the goosebumps and shiver down our spines that come when we hear a song that hits all the right chords. In English they call them “musical chills”, and they are the signal that your brain is activating the reward system, reacting with intense pleasure to the notes. It is known to be a physiological reaction that reduces stress and produces psychological benefits. But so far, unleashing it on command, or finding the right song to induce shivers and goosebumps for each of us, has proven difficult. However, a group of Japanese researchers believe they have found the solution: smart earphones that read brain activity and can choose a personalized playlist in real time, which maximizes the chances of experiencing musical thrills.
The center of pleasure
As we were saying, goosebumps induced by music are much more than a simple skin reaction. In fact, it is produced by a profound neurological event: when music resonates perfectly with our emotions, the brain’s reward system is activated, releasing chemical substances in a similar way to what happens when eating tasty food, or spending time with friends and relatives to whom we are particularly close. It is the signal that our brain is experiencing a moment of absolute pleasure. And it produces beneficial effects on mood and psyche. So much so that many have attempted to find a reliable way to induce this feeling of “musical well-being”, and exploit its effects for therapeutic purposes.
To date, however, it has proven to be an extremely difficult undertaking. Not that there is a lack of music on offer, on the contrary: with platforms like Spotify we have enough songs available to produce shivers and goosebumps in any listener. The problem, if anything, is finding a way to identify the right songs for each of us. Obviously you can base this on musical tastes and past experiences, but the same songs do not always produce the desired effects in every situation. So even the best algorithm can’t give us goosebumps with every playlist. This is where the new Japanese invention comes into play.
Headphones that read minds
Researchers at Keio University have developed a technology called Chill Brain-Music Interface (or C-Bmi), which was presented in a recent article published in the journal iScience. It is basically a system that uses special electroencephalogram (EEG) sensors integrated directly into a pair of earphones, which by reading brain activity in real time are able to recognize which songs are giving the listener goosebumps, and based on this information it plans a personalized playlist.
The algorithm used is relatively complex, it takes into consideration the acoustic characteristics of the songs and the states of pleasure identified with the EEG, and combines them to personalize the musical proposal in order to maximize the shivers of pleasure. The researchers’ tests demonstrate that the system, after a period of training on the user, is actually able to drastically increase the chances of experiencing goosebumps and shivers of pleasure. A success that could find applications both in the purely scientific field and in that of entertainment.
“The use of an EEG device integrated into earphones represents a practical, comfortable and accessible alternative – underlines Shinya Fujii, a neuroscientist from Keio University who participated in the research – which opens up new possibilities not only for neuroscientific research investigating the link between music and the brain, fundamental for understanding human nature, but also for future daily applications in entertainment and human-computer interaction”.
A hand against stress
According to Japanese scientists, the ability to reliably induce these states of deep pleasure also has potential therapeutic benefits. Indeed, study participants reported a strong reduction in stress and even a feeling of being closer to finding their “life purpose” after listening sessions guided by EEG headphones.
The researchers’ idea is that this technology can be integrated into the common earphones we use every day. And in this way, in the future, normal streaming apps will be transformed into powerful tools dedicated to psychological well-being, capable of perceiving when we need a rush of endorphins or a moment of deep relaxation by reading our brain directly, and providing them to us with the choice of the most suitable song.