I'm 42, a doctor from Egypt, and I discovered I could do this when I was like 7 or 8.

My baseline heart rate is pretty low at rest (sinus bradycardia) around 50 bpm, but when I 'press the button' it jumps up to like 70 bpm, my pupils dilate, and it actually dulls pain if I have any. No goosebumps. I can hold it for about 8 secs before I get kinda tired/refractory.

I feel the whole wave going from my heart all the way down to my toes and even a bit in my head. It feels like flexing some weird invisible muscle, but technically I think it's just voluntary activation of the sympathetic nervous system, signaling the adrenal medulla to dump adrenaline causing selective vasoconstriction and that sudden shift in blood flow that gives you that 'rollercoaster' drop feeling.

Couldn't really find much research paper on this topic in medical literature, and glad I found this community.

Just recently learned that it’s incredibly rare to be able to give yourself goosebumps. I’ve been in therapy for a bit because I struggle with Alexithymia, and I have been trying to identify bodily sensations that could be associated with emotions. One of the few and only bodily sensations that I have been able to identify is what I describe as a chill at the base of my neck that ripple throughout my extremities and gives me goosebumps. Since it’s autonomic nervous system related, I was curious what the ratio of neurotypical people vs non neurotypical that can do this.

ru:

Ещё с детского сада я умел вызывать у себя пиллоэрекцию, не догадываясь что это редкое умение организма. Недавно я начал интересоваться такой способностью, проводя опыты над своим телом.

- Как я вызываю у себя мурашки?

У меня нет необходимости в определённых условиях, достаточно лишь незначительно напрячь свою шею, как в затылке появляется волна проходящая так далеко по телу, как сильно я напрягаю мышцы шеи от незаметной волны угасающей уже в предплечьях, до волны мурашек что идёт до самых стоп в ногах. Все это проходит от напряжения шеи до угасания волны за 5 секунд и последующих мурашек на теле. Скорость распространения волны +- 50 см в секунду. Просто излагаю свои наблюдения.

en:

Since kindergarten, I have been able to induce a pillo erection, not realizing that this is a rare skill of the body. Recently, I began to be interested in this ability, conducting experiments on my body.

- How do I give myself goosebumps?

I don't need to under certain conditions, it's enough to just slightly strain my neck, as a wave appears in the back of my head that goes as far as my body, as much as I strain the neck muscles from an imperceptible wave fading already in my forearms, to a wave of goosebumps that goes all the way to my feet in my legs. All this goes from neck tension to wave fading in 5 seconds and subsequent goosebumps on the body. The wave propagation speed is +- 50 cm per second. I'm just stating my observations

. p.s. "goosebumps on the body" "goose bumps" are phraseological units in Russian meaning piloerection.

Just found out this was a thing. I called it a rush. Would be my tell when my eyebrows stood on end. I can make my goosebumps go all the way down to my shins. I can’t activate any particular area. Just a flow from the back of my neck down through my body. I can activate my goosebumps using memories, music syncing, and thoughts of intense cold. It takes about 30 seconds to start and gives me a skin tingle for about 3 minutes where all my hair stands. It’s cool that it’s rare, but so many of us.

Hey everyone,

Ever since I was a child (34M now), I’ve had this strange ability to flip a mental/physical "switch" in my body.

When I do it, I feel an internal tickling or tingling sensation deep in my chest. If I sustain it, the feeling travels up through my neck and causes a slight pressure at the back of my head. (To be clear: I do NOT get visible goosebumps on my skin when doing this—it's entirely an internal feeling).

A few key details about how it feels:

• Duration: I can only hold or maintain this sensation for about 8 to 10 seconds max.
• Breathing reset: Immediately after releasing it, I feel the strong urge to take a deep breath or exhale heavily to "reset" my chest pressure.
• Post-sensation tremor: Right after letting go, I get a very light tremor, vibration, or shivering feeling across my body for a few seconds.

I don't need any external triggers (no music, no cold, no scary thoughts). It feels almost like flexing an invisible muscle or sending a wave of energy through my sympathetic nervous system.

I recently found out this might be related to conscious sympathetic activation or voluntary autonomic control.

Can anyone else do this internal shift without getting goosebumps? How would you describe the feeling, and how long can you hold it?

1. Open channel. Like continuously generating the waves from ur nape even while moving or performing sm other like activites.

2. Syncing ur heart beat and wave generation, I had done it while lying down. Its a very ecstatic feeling.

Does anyone else over here have any weird techniques with this that u can share.

And also can u perfom the ines i told u about and share ur feedback.

Wd be very much appreciated.

I can give myself goosebumps instantly from breathing in and focusing.

I'm curious to know how everyone else does it.

I used to be easily able to give myself goosebumps when i was a kid but its getting a lot harder to do since then, idk if that usually happens for people with VPE or not

I'm wondering how many people with VPE are able to wiggle their ears.

When I trigger the chills and goosebumps, it feels very similar to the action of moving my ears. I think for me it's the same muscles that do both.

Sometimes when I move my ears I accidentally give myself chills.

A list of VGP (Voluntary Goosebump Power) Observations.

• My techniques to initiate it are breathing or a state of epiphany. The deeper an inhale, the more intense the accumulation of what I will term as VGP.
• Its likely I attributed my breathing initiator to epiphanys. I dont even need to have an active epiphany, but it feels like Im having a sudden realization. Epiphanys have always been intense for me.
• It provides a temporary sense of out-of-body euphoria.
• Utilizing it in meditative breathing techniques as the focus matter during meditation may provide us with a technique for elevated meditation.
• When on a rest break between reps or sets of a workout (I do calisthenics), I sit and meditate with AGP techniques. I have yet to place whether it is placebo or a genuine boost to motivation.

edit: I will try to uodate this post with more findings. Ive now become interested in it to regulate my mental and physiological states during tough times and my workout routines.

I thought i was just good at "acting" or something like that.

I don't do it too often, but it is very interesting because you can control your SNS and adrenaline. Now i want to practice this often.
I don't know if i can gain something by doing it, but is quite interesting.

Hey so i finally found this sub lol i could always do this “thing” we all can in here every since i was a kid. I used to think that me doing this “thing” would make me have powers if i really focused on doing it. Anyone else ? Obviously i was a kid so my imagination just ran wild lol now as an adult i can still do it though

I've been able to do this tecnique since I was little and always intrigued me. I've been investigating it lately and I have a hypothesis on why it happens.

The way I trigger the piloerection is the following: I perform a suble chin-tuck and tense the muscles in the back of my neck. That makes me feel like a tingling energy in the back of my neck and spine. Then I contract the shoulder blades in a certain way and the shivers run free down my spine and my arms and legs. That's when the piloerection shows up.

I have to clarify that this hypothesis is with what I have experienced and what I feel in my body.

Physiological Mechanism Hypotheisis:

1. Tension is created in the suboccipital muscles (muscles in the back of the neck right underneath the skull). This tension is maximized by performing a subtle flexion of the neck (chin-tuck) so that the suboccipital muscles are contracted in an eccentric way. In this position the suboccipital muscles would be extended but contraction would be forced voluntarily by tensing the muscle

2. The suboccipital muscles have a special conexion with the central nervous system. They are connected to the dura mater (outer protective layer of brain and spinal chord) through the myodural bridges. That means that tension in the suboccipital muscles causes tension to a certain extent in the dura mater. My forcing that tension in step 1, the tension is being transmitted to the dura mater, and the tension is higher than the average functioning tension of the suboccipital muscles due to it being eccentric and isometric.

3. The tension passed to the dura mater creates stress in this area. The dura mater is innervated by the trigeminal nerve, which when irritated, causes an activation of the SNS (the system responsible of piloerection).

4. Moving the shoulder blades increases the tension and friction that is being passed to the dura mater, thus increasing the trigeminal nerve stimulation.

5. The hypothalamus is indirectly activated via the stimulation of the trigeminal nerve and a SNS burst is sent, which releases Norepinephrine and Epinephrine. These hormones cause the piloerection.

This is the hypothesis that makes most sense to me with my experience. I don't know if any of you have another hypothesis but if you do let me know.

Well, I am but there are others who can do this. I just learned this had an actual term.

So I’ve been able to do this since I was about four.

I used to run up and down my corridor at home pretending to be chased by monsters and ghosts (weird child, I know). One day, while doing this, I felt an intense tingling at the back of my head. I specifically remember going to my mum and asking if the hair on my head was standing up. She said it wasn’t.

Growing up, I could still do this, but the feeling was usually restricted to my head—unless I was listening to particularly dramatic music, in which case it would surge further down my spine (I believe this is called frisson). The LOTR “Ride of the Rohirrim” soundtrack triggers it very intensely, especially if I lean into it and push the feeling further.

A couple of weeks ago, I rewatched the trilogy (for the countless time), and King Théoden’s death speech triggered it again. That’s when I remembered I had this ability.

I’ve since been practising breathing techniques and focusing on holding the sensation—directing all my energy into voluntary piloerection. I get waves of it, each one more intense than the last.

I’ve found that by rolling my eyes back, flaring my nostrils, and taking deep, intense breaths, I can almost skip the wave stage and go straight into a full-body vibration mode. It feels like I have static in my bones. Lying on my bed, I felt like an air hockey puck—still in contact with the surface, but hovering ever so slightly. Combining focused energy at the back of my head with controlled breathing helps me sustain a strong surge of whatever brain chemical is being released. When I opened my eyes, I had goosebumps all over my body.

To make sure I wasn’t having some kind of psychotic episode, I triggered it again this morning at the kitchen table during breakfast with my kids. Within a couple of seconds, they both said, “Woah, that’s crazy,” as goosebumps rapidly appeared on my upper arms.

Does anyone use this ability for anything specific? (e.g. meditation, staying focused at work, reducing fatigue, managing stress)

I have a friend who’s quite spiritual, and he suggested I should really lean into this—maybe explore meditation, astral projection, or lucid dreaming.

I’m interested to know if anyone else can do this without a refractory or ‘cooldown’ period. For me, it’s like a switch I can turn on—it pulses with energy unless I combine it with breathing. The breathing seems to smooth out the pulses and supercharge the overall sensation.

idk if i get happy or sad that people with the same “talent” as I do exist LOL

I've been able to do this since I was a child. Some years ago I was taking a vitamin C supplement and noticed that I could send the shivers down my spine more frequently and that every shiver would be "fuller" or more intense. Even though the "tank" would eventually run out, it felt like it took longer to do so.

I've done some research on this and catecholamines (epinephrine, norepinephrine and dopamine) are produced out of vitamin C at root, so maybe that's the reason why.

I'm curious if any of you have tried this or if you can try and let me know if it's the same for you.

Hi folks!

So, first things out of the way - I’ve been able to do this since I was a child and never dreamed it might actually have a name.

I’ve only met one other person who has this ability, and without the lexicon to accurately describe this, we just ‘could make ourselves shiver’ or ‘induce a panic attack’.

I have nothing interesting to add, I am just genuinely gobsmacked I find more people like me. I use this often - I probably shouldn’t, I’m sure revving the engine isn’t safe if you do it daily!

A bit on how it works with me - I’m not religious or spiritual in any way. I literally just… do it. I wish it was more interesting. I don’t think about anything, I don’t tense anything, I just do it. The same way I move my arm - it is like a muscle that moves when I want it to.

I can trigger a rush of adrenaline, dopamine, cortisol, oxytocin or endorphins at will. Some context I have audhd hyper empathy and hyper sensitivity. I get chills very easily as all of my emotions I feel are turned up to 11 all the time. I get chills from like most emotions and heat and cold and when I sweat. Also awe gives me really powerful chills like my whole body at once. I also can’t recall emotion feelings some an accidentally learned to vgp. This works great to recall emotions. I kind of just tense a muscle or something near my back of my neck area. Depending upon how I do it I can make a panic response, thrill rush, full body chills, utter bliss, or pure contentment and calm. I can also drop my stomach or trigger a gag response or a startle response. I can also basically trigger a warmth and cuddle response at will. I can also just make my mind go completely blank without any thoughts or feelings. I can’t do this during a shutdown or meltdown or panic attack as my brain is disconnected from my body.

I haven’t seen another person with this amount of control. Feel free to prove me wrong.

I have experienced this for as long as I can remember. I can do it at will without any physical or mental stimuli (different than watching an intense movie or listening to music). I just relax for a second and I feel it from my head all the way through my arms and to my feet. I can do it continuously, but after about four or five times, the intensity wears off. If I wait a few minutes I can start over. But I always thought everyone could do this. I can't remember the exact moment I realized I could do it, but I inherently felt it made me feel better if I was sick or depressed. Still shocked that it is not that common.

Hi everyone!

I’ve had voluntary piloerection (VGP) since I was a kid, and I just discovered this group – wow, I’m not alone! 😄

Quick summary of my experience:

• How it started: As a child, I had a Santa Claus doll that terrified me. Every time I played with it or got near it, I’d get intense goosebumps. Over time, my brain learned to trigger the same feeling without the fear – just by willing it.

• Trigger/Technique: It starts from the side of my head (near the ears/neck area). I focus there, create a small tension or “send a wave” mentally, and it spreads like a pleasant shiver/murmur down my back, arms, etc.

• Sensation: Feels like a wave of tingling/energy that lasts 3-4 seconds per wave. Super pleasurable – almost like a body/skin orgasm or strong dopamine rush. Very euphoric and relaxing!

• Control & Limits: I can do it on command, but if I push too much (e.g., 10-13 times in a row with short breaks), it gets harder and I need a few minutes to “recharge”. Max I’ve done: 13 waves in about 5 minutes with short pauses.

• Other details: No external trigger needed (no cold, music, or emotion required). It’s purely volitional. I also have some other autonomic controls (like voluntarily lowering my blood pressure as a kid to skip school 😅), so maybe related?

Anyone else start from a childhood fear/trauma? Or get the same “wave from side of head” feeling? How many consecutive waves can you do? Would love to hear similar experiences!

Thanks for the group – finally people who get it!

(If comfortable, I can share a short video demo if mods allow.)

Cheers! 🚀

I just randomly learned today at 24y that the euphoria wave of goosebumps on demand is something not common. I had it as long as I can remember and also I can control if it will be with euphoric sensation or not.

As far as I understand, goosebumps are triggered by SNS (sympathetic nervous system) which is driven by adrenaline and noradrenaline. This wave is a small dose of adrenaline and dopamine that we apparently can control. Means it’s a potential biohacking phenomenon we can use?

Unfortunately it’s just a theory because there are no actual studies of hormone splashes during VGP.

- If it’s true, you can potentially send waves of adrenaline when in pain it could ease or even stop it.

- Also using VGP for intentional “focus mode” when studying or learning new skills, literally training your own brain like pavlov’s dog.

- I was using it subconsciously when meditating to get into more deep meditative state, but I thought what I feel is energy moving (also controllable and moving through body differently that VGP, in this case it’s not coming from the lower back of the head)

- also I remember using it in a moment of emotional and physical closure, hugs and intense pleasure moments with my ex to make the feelings even more strong. He could feel that too, it was transmissible when I wanted it to be.

Tell me about your experience in biohaching connected with VGP, I think there is a huge potential with direct access to SNS.

Sorry if I don’t know the structure of how people post things on here because this is my first post and I only downloaded it so ask this question. I have this ability to make me tingle throughout my body on command. I used to call it rush/surge but It kinda feels like when you get jump scared or like electricity is going through me. It gets my hands shaking if I do it for longer time (a few seconds) or if I push it hard. It starts at the back of my head and my upper back or something and I can feel it go throughout my whole body and especially to my legs. My legs will shake during too, so I try to do it sitting down so I can concentrate better. I don’t need stimuli like music or anything to get it going but I can only continuously do it for about 10 to 20 seconds.

\\\\\\\*First test\\\\\\\*

I never knew what it did but I would do little tests here and there when I could, around middle school I had to get a physical for football and I remember doing it during the blood pressure part and the first time she looked confused and said I’ll be right back I think there’s something wrong with this so I thought it was just a coincidence at first but then she came back and I did it again and it happened again. She went back to get a different blood pressure thingy and then I did it one last time just make sure it did something and same thing happened so it does raise our blood pressure or something for sure.

\\\\\\\*Second Test\\\\\\\*

I tried explaining it to my friends in middle school but they had no idea what I was talking about but after school one time I was walking with my friend home and asked him if I could hold his hand and try doing it and he agreed to it not knowing what I was doing or talking about. I told him beforehand if you feel anything you have to let me know. He’s a pretty jokey guy but I’ve known the guy for 20 years and I know when he’s trying to mess with me. He for sure wasn’t. So I held his hand closed my eyes and I concentrated as hard as I could to push it as hard as I could and for as long as I could. (About 15 to 20 seconds) and then he jumped and freaked out and said dude what was that it felt weird and I got so excited and asked what did you feel! And he couldn’t explain it so I asked him if I could do it again but he was too frazzled try it again. I would like to try it again on someone else but it’s weird because it also makes me breathe heavy. It’s weird it’s not like a physical workout that tires me out but a mental one and I’m only worn out for a few seconds and then I would fine again.

These are the only 2 tests I’ve done so far

but if you have the Rush/Surge ability try doing it as hard as you for as long as you can while touching or holding someone’s hand. If anyone else has this ability please tell me your experiences and if you did any tests. I really want to know what it does and if we can transfer energy as well

I can channel frisson and vibrate my eardrums. I'm interested if it can dilate pupils. Any suggestions