VGP is the ability to consciously cause piloerection, the technical term for the tiny muscles at the base of your hair follicles contracting. Usually, these muscles are controlled automatically by your autonomic nervous system, meaning most people cannot make goosebumps appear on command.
People with VGP report sensations like a tingling or shiver running through their neck, spine, or arms , often starting at the back of the head and spreading outward but before the hairs stand on end. Some even describe a pleasant euphoric feeling, like a tiny thrill running under their skin.
Why Does Our Body Normally Shiver or Get Goosebumps?
Most of the time, piloerection is automatic. It can happen when you’re cold, scared, or emotionally moved. Interestingly, we don’t always get visible goosebumps and sometimes our hairs barely move, or we just shiver. That’s because the response is controlled by tiny smooth muscles, and intensity depends on body temperature, hair density, and genetics.
Shivering and goosebumps are related but not identical:
Shivering is primarily a way to generate heat by making muscles shake.
Goosebumps originally helped our furry ancestors look bigger when threatened and trap heat under their fur.
The Curious Link Between VGP and Yawning
Here’s where things get really intriguing: VGP doesn’t just stop at goosebumps. Some people report a connection with yawning and shivering after yawns.
For most humans, yawning is often followed by a brief shiver, possibly due to changes in brain temperature or muscle activation. For people with VGP, the relationship can go the other way: after inducing goosebumps, they may summon a yawn on purpose. This suggests that the neural circuits controlling VGP might also influence other autonomic responses like yawning.
In other words: VGP might give some people a little “biofeedback superpower” over reflexes normally outside conscious control.
Can VGP Help With Stress?
VGP may also help you relax. Here’s why:
The tingling or shiver sensation associated with VGP can trigger a calming effect on the nervous system, similar to deep breathing or meditation.
By controlling a normally involuntary response, VGP gives the brain a sense of control over stress — like saying, “I can influence my body even when life feels chaotic.”
Some people describe a “reset” feeling, a natural stress release that might explain why spontaneous goosebumps feel satisfying during emotional music, movies, or awe-inspiring moments.
In short, VGP could be nature’s quirky little biohack for mindfulness — a tiny shiver reminding your body it’s okay to relax.
Very few humans can do it; estimates suggest 1 in 1,000 to 1,500 people might have VGP, though no large-scale survey has confirmed that. Early studies show people with this ability often score high on openness to experience, a personality trait linked to imagination, curiosity, and emotional sensitivity.
The neural mechanism is still a mystery. Somehow, the brain bypasses the autonomic nervous system, giving conscious access to a normally involuntary response. Some researchers speculate VGP might even offer clues to mind-body control, biofeedback, or self-regulation techniques.
VGP is a fascinating peek into human biology’s hidden quirks. It’s a rare superpower of the nervous system, connecting goosebumps, shivering, yawning, and even stress relief.
If you think you might have this ability, try it out: focus on the back of your neck or spine, concentrate, and see if you can feel the shiver or tingling. And if it works, congratulations! You just discovered a tiny biohack nature gave you, a shivery reminder of the amazing complexity hiding under our skin.
