Have you ever heard that goosebumps are a psychic sign someone is thinking of you?
Goosebumps are involuntary shivers that are often caused by emotional responses.
But where does this idea come from that they can signal to us when we’re in someone’s thoughts? And is there any truth to it?
What are goosebumps?
Before we dive into the deeper meaning of goosebumps, let’s quickly delve into what exactly they are.
Goosebumps occur when the hairs on your body stand up straight. As they do so they pull on the hair follicle and create that familiar little bump on the skin.
So that’s what happens in the body, but what causes goosebumps?
They commonly occur whenever we’re cold, and sometimes when we are physically exerting ourselves. But perhaps most interestingly they are also linked to our emotions.
It’s this that gives goosebumps a psychic and spiritual meaning for some people.
Do you get goosebumps when someone is thinking of you?
Getting goosebumps out of the blue has been said to be a telepathic sign that someone is thinking of you.
The idea is that their thoughts of you create an energetic pulse.
Your conscious mind cannot read this, but your subconscious picks up on those subtle thought waves and responds. Your goosebumps are your way of picking up that energetic frequency.
But how could this even be possible?
It might sound far-fetched, but there have been scientific studies that have looked at whether we can communicate with one another through our minds.
One such study found that there could be a “limbic basis” for telepathy and concluded that the idea certainly warrants further research.
Our limbic system is the area in the brain that is involved in our behavioral and emotional responses. It comes into play, particularly for behaviors we rely on for our survival.
In the research, an MRI scan found that this side of the brain lit up in someone performing a telepathic task. Whereas it didn’t in someone who showed no telepathic abilities.
The truth is that science is often discovering new explanations for phenomena that people have experienced for centuries.
Although psychic energy is not something that is widely recognized in the science world, that doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.
And there certainly are scientists who do believe it’s real or are at least open to the possibility.
Goosebumps are linked to our emotions
One thing is for sure, getting goosebumps is often linked to an emotional response.
In this sense, goosebumps are physical manifestations of our emotions. They happen when we feel fear, excitement, and intense connection.
When we experience these feelings, our bodies respond by producing adrenaline which triggers goosebumps.
The muscles attached to our hair follicles are linked to our sympathetic nervous system — which controls the body’s instinctive response to certain situations.
And this system has input from lots of different areas of the brain, which is why you probably experience goosebumps from a wide range of emotional cues.
What does it mean if you always get goosebumps when you think about someone?
It stands to reason that if thinking of someone gives you goosebumps, you are having an intense emotional response to that person.
This could suggest that you are particularly emotionally sensitive.
One study cited in ‘Psychology of Music’ found a link between getting aesthetic chills (shivers down the spine, goosebumps, and tingling sensations) and being more open to experience.
They looked at five factors of personality in 100 college students — openness, extraversion, neuroticism, agreeableness, and conscientiousness.
Participants had to listen to different music tracks that commonly create aesthetic chills. They found that people who were more emotionally open were more likely to have this response.
The suggestion here is that people who are more in touch with their feelings and open are also more likely to experience the sensation of goosebumps.
You’re experiencing Kama muta
When you find yourself stirred by emotion and experience goosebumps as a result, you are experiencing something known as Kama muta.
This Sanskrit expression refers to an emotion that creates the sensation of ‘being moved’.
Researchers looking at social emotions have been trying to better understand this emotional state.
They explain kama muta as:
“the sudden feeling of oneness, love, belonging, or union with an individual person, a family, a team, a nation, nature, the cosmos, God, or a kitten.”
It essentially provides us with a deeper connection beyond ourselves. And goosebumps are one of its hallmarks.
Researchers noted that study participants were more likely to report goosebumps, when they said they felt “moved” or “touched”.
Their work has found links between physiological phenomena like goosebumps and social closeness.
So perhaps the goosebumps you experience when you think of someone, or maybe even when they think of you, could point to a closeness between you and this person.
How can you tell if goosebumps mean someone is thinking of you?
This article has already looked at any evidence that could suggest a potential link between goosebumps and when someone is thinking of you.
But the truth is that it isn’t possible to ever truly know conclusively.
That’s why it can be helpful to also look out for other psychic signs someone is thinking of you:
1) Knowing when they’re about to call you
Has the phone ever rang, or pinged with a message, and before you even look — you just know it’s a certain person contacting you?
This suggests some sort of psychic or strong connection between you.
2) They randomly come to mind
If you’re waiting to hear from a crush or you’ve been thinking about someone nonstop for a week, it’s understandable they would be on your mind.
But if you suddenly think about someone for no particular reason it’s more unusual. It could be that they’ve been thinking of you and you are sensing this.
3) Reminders of them appear everywhere
Everywhere you look there seems to be something you see that brings a certain person to mind.
It’s almost as though they are trying to reach you through your environment.
4) Tarot cards
A lot of people turn to tarot cards as a psychic and spiritual way to get guidance.
Sometimes we want to know things that are unknowable using logic. Tarot cards can reveal the answers.
5) Sudden changes in energy
Drastic mood changes for no reason at all could be a psychic sign that you are picking up on someone else’s thoughts.
For example, if you get hit with a sudden surge of feel-good energy, it might mean someone is thinking positive things about you and sending good vibes your way.
6) You ask the Universe for a sign and then receive it
Many people believe in and look out for signs all around them. It could be angel numbers or other repeating patterns.
You may ask the Universe to send you a sign that a certain person is thinking of you, and then turn on the radio and hear “your song”.
7) Strange coincidences and synchronicities
If you’ve ever thought of someone you haven’t seen in a while, only to bump into them randomly soon after — maybe it’s not just a coincidence.
To many people, these life coincidences are actually the Universe conspiring behind the scenes to make things happen.
8) You get a strong gut feeling
Intuition isn’t just a hunch, it’s something that is scientifically recognized.
It can be relied upon to send us powerful clues and cues. So if you get a strong knowing deep inside that someone is thinking of you, it could be that they really are.