December 21, 2022
Félix Schoeller, Abhinandan Jain, Vladimir Adrien et al.
10 citations
preprint
Aesthetic chills—shivers and goosebumps experienced during intense emotional moments—may offer therapeutic potential for depression. In an initial exploratory study, chill-inducing stimuli appeared to influence core depressive schemas, particularly shame and self-acceptance. The mechanism of action may parallel that of psychedelic and psychotherapeutic experiences, leading to similar positive outcomes. Further research is needed to assess feasibility and safety as a clinical intervention.
BMC Psychiatry
January 10, 2024
Abhinandan Jain, Vladimir Adrien, Pattie Maes et al.
9 citations
Depression affects over 300 million people globally, and current treatments have limited effectiveness. Aesthetic chills—peak emotional experiences involving shivers or goosebumps—may shift maladaptive beliefs in depression by influencing reward pathways. In a study of 96 people with major depressive disorder, chill-inducing multimedia positively influenced core self-related beliefs, as measured by the Young Positive Schema Questionnaire. The phenomenology of chills resembled altered states from psychedelics like psilocybin. These preliminary results suggest aesthetic chills could become a non-pharmacological intervention for depression, though more research on neurophysiology, practicality, and safety is needed.
November 22, 2023
Félix Schoeller, Abhinandan Jain, Leonardo Christov‐moore et al.
6 citations
preprint
Aesthetic chills—pleasurable bodily sensations paired with self-transcendent emotions—are linked to greater psychological insight and emotional awareness. In 94 participants exposed to music designed to induce chills, those who experienced chills reported significantly higher insight and emotional awareness than those who did not. The intensity of chills correlated positively with these cognitive-emotional measures. The findings suggest that bodily signals may trigger shifts in cognitive and emotional processing, pointing to the potential role of interoception in such experiences.
Research Square (Research Square)
November 14, 2023
Félix Schoeller, Abhinandan Jain, Vladimir Adrien et al.
2 citations
Aesthetic chills—shivers or goosebumps from music, film, or art—may help shift deep-seated negative self-beliefs in people with depression. In a study of 96 patients with major depressive disorder, those exposed to a validated set of chill-inducing multimedia showed positive changes in core schemas, as measured by the Young Schema Questionnaire, and reported emotional breakthroughs similar to altered states from psychedelic substances like psilocybin. The findings suggest that the biological processes behind aesthetic chills could be developed into a non-pharmacological intervention for depression, though more research is needed on the underlying neurophysiology and on safety and effectiveness.
April 29, 2023
Félix Schoeller
1 citation
preprint
Primary states of consciousness are phylogenetically older than secondary states, which are governed by sociocultural inhibition. The article reviews the concept's history in psychiatry and neurobiology and its relation to consciousness theories. Primary states involve a temporary breakdown of self-control and a merging of action, communication, and emotion (ACE fusion), normally segregated in adults. The neurobiologic basis includes neural dedifferentiation, loss of modularity during altered states, and increased corticostriatal connectivity. The authors propose a gradient from primary to secondary consciousness, with changes in thalamocortical interactions and arousal function, and offer testable hypotheses for distinct phenomenological and neural signatures.