ADHD and autistic ‘Frisson’

1. APAlex Partridge0:00

   People with ADHD and autism are more likely to get goosebumps when they listen to music. They get the chills, their hair stands up on end, and this sensation actually has a name. It's called frisson, and research shows that people with ADHD and autism experience it more than neurotypical people. And the reason behind this really took me by surprise. I used to think that everyone got goosebumps when they listened to music, but it's a phenomenon that we see more commonly in people who have a brain that feels things more deeply. And people with ADHD and autism, they process sound and emotion more intensely than a neurotypical. They're also hypersensitive to sound, but when the sound connects with them on an emotional level, it's an overwhelmingly positive experience. When the music hits, they don't just hear it, they feel it, and it can create an intense amount of emotion which triggers a physical response. The hairs stand up, the chills happen, and then come the tears, and it's the best feeling in the world

Episode duration: 1:04