Subscribe
The latest psychology and neuroscience discoveries.
My Account
  • Mental Health
  • Social Psychology
  • Cognitive Science
  • Psychopharmacology
  • Neuroscience
  • About
No Result
View All Result
PsyPost
PsyPost
No Result
View All Result
Home Exclusive Mental Health Depression

A shiver of hope: The therapeutic potential of aesthetic chills in treating depression

by Eric W. Dolan
April 10, 2024
in Depression
(Photo credit: OpenAI's DALL·E)

(Photo credit: OpenAI's DALL·E)

Share on TwitterShare on Facebook
Stay on top of the latest psychology findings: Subscribe now!

New research suggests that experiencing aesthetic chills — those goosebump-inducing moments triggered by profound stimuli — can positively shift core self-beliefs in individuals with depression. The findings, published in BMC Psychiatry, hint at a promising, non-drug approach to fostering psychological well-being by tapping into the body’s natural response to moving experiences.

Depression, a complex and often debilitating mental health condition, affects millions worldwide. It’s characterized by persistent sadness, lack of interest in life, and a suite of cognitive issues, including harmful self-beliefs. Traditional treatments like medication and psychotherapy focus on altering these negative thought patterns. Recently, interest has spiked in using psychedelic experiences to radically change these core beliefs due to their ability to induce significant emotional and psychological insights.

However, psychedelics’ legality, accessibility, and potential side effects limit their use. Led by Felix Schoeller of the Institute for Advanced Consciousness Studies in Santa Monica and Abhinandan Jain of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a team of researchers aimed to explore whether the profound experience of aesthetic chills could offer similar benefits without the complications associated with drug use.

Participants for the study were recruited through an online platform called Prolific. This platform allowed the researchers to select individuals based on specific criteria, ensuring that all participants had a prior diagnosis of depression. The final cohort consisted of 96 participants, who reported being in therapy and on medication to manage their depression.

The core of the study involved exposing participants to one of two selected videos known to induce aesthetic chills—a physiological response often accompanied by goosebumps and shivers, triggered by deeply moving or profound experiences. These videos were sourced from ChillsDB, a database of audiovisual content previously identified to elicit chills. One video aimed to directly impact self-schema through motivational content, while the other was designed to evoke pro-social feelings, both proven to induce chills in most viewers.

Before and after the video exposure, participants completed assessments using the Emotional Breakthrough Inventory (EBI) and the Young Positive Schema Questionnaire (YPSQ). The EBI measured the participants’ emotional responses, akin to those reported in psychedelic experiences, focusing on breakthroughs in processing difficult emotions. The YPSQ assessed changes in positive beliefs about oneself, specifically looking at factors like self-acceptance and shame.

Approximately half of the participants reported experiencing chills in response to the selected stimuli. This group not only reported a significant emotional breakthrough, as measured by the EBI, but also demonstrated an improvement in self-acceptance, according to the YPSQ.

The relationship between the intensity of the chills experienced and the degree of emotional breakthrough reported by participants was statistically significant. Those who reported stronger chills also described greater emotional insights, suggesting a dose-response-like effect where more intense aesthetic experiences could lead to more profound psychological benefits.

Experiencing chills led to an increase in both emotional valence (the positivity or negativity of the emotional state) and arousal (the level of emotional activation or excitement). This indicates that chills not only elevate mood but also engage the individual at a higher level of emotional intensity.

Importantly, participants’ emotional states before exposure to the stimuli did not predict their likelihood of experiencing chills, suggesting that the capacity for such profound responses is not limited by one’s initial emotional condition.

The findings suggest that the experience of aesthetic chills can mimic some of the psychological benefits of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy without the need for drug ingestion and its associated risks. This opens up a promising avenue for therapeutic interventions that could complement existing treatments for depression, offering a non-invasive, easily accessible method to potentially shift core maladaptive beliefs and enhance emotional well-being.

Despite these promising results, the study includes some important limitations, including the self-reported nature of the data and the relatively small and homogenous sample size. These factors underscore the need for further research to validate and expand upon these findings. Future studies could explore larger, more diverse populations and employ additional objective measures to deepen our understanding of how aesthetic chills might contribute to treating depression and other mental health conditions.

“Aesthetic chills may be a promising avenue for future therapeutic interventions and offer a non-pharmacological and easily accessible means to induce psychoplastogenic states. This preliminary study suggests that chill-inducing stimuli may have the potential to affect the core schema of depressed patients, specifically in terms of shame and self-acceptance,” the researchers concluded.

“The mechanism of action during the chills response may resemble the form of insight induced by the psychedelic and psychotherapeutic experience, leading to similar positive outcomes for the subject. However, further research is needed to fully understand the immediate and long-term effects of chills on depression and other reward-related or dopaminergic illnesses.”

The study, “Aesthetic chills mitigate maladaptive cognition in depression,” was authored by Felix Schoeller, Abhinandan Jain, Vladimir Adrien, Pattie Maes, and Nicco Reggente.

TweetSendScanShareSendPin1ShareShareShareShareShare

RELATED

Ketamine repairs reward circuitry to reverse stress-induced anhedonia
Depression

Ketamine repairs reward circuitry to reverse stress-induced anhedonia

July 9, 2025

New research shows a single low, non-anesthetic dose of ketamine revived pleasure seeking in chronically stressed mice by restoring weakened excitatory synapses onto nucleus accumbens dopamine D1 neurons, pinpointing a circuit mechanism for the drug’s rapid antidepressant effect.

Read moreDetails
Psychedelic drug DOI activates specific brain neurons to ease anxiety
Depression

Choline imbalance in the brain linked to with cognitive symptoms in young depression patients

July 8, 2025

Researchers have identified metabolic differences in the brains of young adults with depression who also experience cognitive impairment. The study sheds light on how chemical imbalances in key brain regions may contribute to thinking and memory problems in depression.

Read moreDetails
Study links internalized racism to increased suicidal thoughts in Asian Americans
Depression

Breakfast habits are associated with depressive symptoms, study finds

July 6, 2025

Researchers found that young people in Hong Kong who regularly skip breakfast reported more depressive symptoms and lower attention control. The findings point to a subtle link between morning habits and emotional well-being.

Read moreDetails
Feminine advantage in harm perception obscures male victimization
Depression

People with depression face significantly greater social and health-related challenges

July 5, 2025

New findings reveal that depression is linked to both greater social hardship and increased frailty. People with depression were significantly more likely to report unmet basic needs and physical vulnerability, suggesting a complex relationship between social conditions and mental health.

Read moreDetails
Underweight individuals are at an increased risk of suicide, study finds
Depression

Subjective cognitive struggles strongly linked to social recovery in depression

July 3, 2025

In people with major depression, subjective feelings of cognitive dysfunction—rather than performance on cognitive tests—strongly predicted emotional symptoms and social functioning. The findings suggest that what patients think about their own thinking may be key to long-term recovery.

Read moreDetails
New study claims antidepressant withdrawal is less common than thought. But there’s a big problem
Depression

Longer antidepressant use linked to more severe, long-lasting withdrawal symptoms, study finds

July 1, 2025

A new study finds that the longer people take antidepressants, the more likely they are to face severe, long-lasting withdrawal symptoms—raising questions about current prescribing practices and the support available for those trying to stop the medication.

Read moreDetails
Researchers identify neural mechanism behind memory prioritization
Depression

Older adults who feel criticized by loved ones are more likely to develop depression

June 30, 2025

A new study shows that even mild criticism from loved ones can increase the risk of depression in older adults. The findings suggest that reducing negativity in close relationships may protect mental health in later life—especially for women.

Read moreDetails
Neuroscientists identify a reversible biological mechanism behind drug-induced cognitive deficits
Depression

New study links intermittent fasting to improved mood via brain’s dopamine system

June 27, 2025

A new study suggests that intermittent fasting may reduce symptoms of depression by activating dopamine D1 receptors in the brain’s prefrontal cortex. The findings point to a potential non-drug approach for mood disorders rooted in brain signaling.

Read moreDetails

SUBSCRIBE

Go Ad-Free! Click here to subscribe to PsyPost and support independent science journalism!

STAY CONNECTED

LATEST

Neuroscientists shed new light on how heroin disrupts prefrontal brain function

New research identifies four distinct health pathways linked to Alzheimer’s disease

A surprising body part might provide key insights into schizophrenia risk

Religious belief linked to lower anxiety and better sleep in Israeli Druze study

A common vegetable may counteract brain changes linked to obesity

Massive psychology study reveals disturbing truths about Machiavellian leaders

Dementia: Your lifetime risk may be far greater than previously thought

Psychopathic tendencies may be associated with specific hormonal patterns

         
       
  • Contact us
  • Privacy policy
  • Terms and Conditions
[Do not sell my information]

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

Subscribe
  • My Account
  • Cognitive Science Research
  • Mental Health Research
  • Social Psychology Research
  • Drug Research
  • Relationship Research
  • About PsyPost
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy