To ask if you’re one of the 1 in 1499 people that can do this?

[SoniaFouler]

It’s called Voluntarily Generated Piloerection (VGP)—the ability to consciously give one’s self goosebumps. I’ve never met anybody else in real life that can do this so thought surely there must be at least one other person on here who can! If you can, how do you trigger yours? Mine is a form of what I can only describe as electric energy at the back of my head which I force down the entire length of my spine, I do it about two or three times rapidly one after the other and the skin on my arms, legs and chest immediately flare up with really strong visible goosebumps - almost like a plucked chicken The example given in the article says the guy moves his head from side to side to trigger it but i do it completely still, just concentrating on making my muscles send the sensation down my back.

Please join me, fellow freaks of nature:

A mammal’s hair follicle clings to the skin via a tiny muscle. When this muscle contracts, the hair will stand, the skin around it will undergo bump-shaped distortion, and voila—goosebumps.

For the 1499 people in this statistical metaphor, goosebumps are completely involuntary. The tiny muscle, called the arrector pili, is made of smooth muscle fibers. And like other smooth muscles of the body—those that handle digestion, blood flow, respiration, and so on—they are unconsciously regulated. The nerves attached to them lie in the autonomic nervous system, the part of the nervous system dedicated to managing bodily functions you aren’t supposed to control consciously, like heart rate or pupil dilation.

www.mentalfloss.com/article/622399/people-can-control-their-goosebumps

@IHateCoronavirus

I don’t think so. I can make myself go a bit tingly / hairs stand on end but not goosebumps.

@Ariela

I can do it, it's like a feeling of pouring them down from the neck.

I can also match a colour from memory. I didn't realise this was unusual, I thought everybody could do it. I've an excellent local fabric shop, and I'd pop the 2 or 3 rolls on the counter to be measured out, then wander down the shop, collect the correct rolls of thread to match, and plonk them on the counter. The shop owner pointed it out, that I always could pick the correct colour to match without holding the fabric next to it - I had no idea. Checked with a friend who is a professional dress maker as I thought surely she'd be able to do it too, but she can't! I've done it several times with wall paint, or cushions, or buying a matching hat/cardigan/top etc without taking in the thing I'm trying to match.

Do you know if this has a particular name? I’m not sure I match things as specifically as you but I’m always very specific with the difference in shades of colours & others don’t seem to notice as much. I always thought I was just being a bit picky!

No but I can force a sort of internal shiver that gives me goosebumps.

Or is that the same thing?!

I've just done it.

Maybe it's not that rare, just that not many people try.

I can do this, rumble my ears and perfectly colour match. I can also remember smells. I assumed most people could do all of these things.

I can't burp though, either voluntarily or involuntarily.

DH thinks I'm weird already so will tell him later. Clocks stop around me, I can't get automatic doors to open half the time and have to ask for help, touch screens either don't respond to me at all regardless of me jabbing at them repeatedly or they go mad when I'm near them but not touching them. I also set alarms off in shops all the time but can't work out why.

Next time there’s a solar eclipse you’re all going to develop super powers

I think the ‘colour match’ thing is just having a good eye. I do it too, I paint a lot ( study not decorative) so just put it down to that.

I can't.

But @ShowOfHands I also set off shop alarms, and automatic water taps don't always work for me. Not the best party trick I know.

@Peggytheredhen if it's a super power then it's a bit crap isn't it? I can't tell you the times I've had to stand there waving my hands under a tap until a child comes and activates the flipping thing for me.

I tried to use a McDonalds self service thing the other day whilst looking after a gaggle of children and had to ask them to press the buttons. It's like the invisibility of a middle aged woman made tech.

Just tried to do it, didn't know I could, but I can!! I just think about getting them and sort of shiver a bit and hey presto!! 😀

Nope can't do this. Didn't even know it was a thing so have spent ages trying this morning.

I can deliberately unfocus my eyes - though it's harder to do now that I'm middle aged and becoming long sighted!

I can also perfectly colour match as can DD1. We're both artistic (her much more than me, she's now at art school) and there's been several artists in my family history, so it might be inherited?

Bizarrely, if I gently poke a cotton bud into my left ear canal it causes very intense, pleasurable shuddering

I can deliberately unfocus my eyes - though it's harder to do now that I'm middle aged and becoming long sighted!

Surely that's the norm?! The ability to unfocus I mean? You just consciously relax your eyes.

I agree @ShowofHands, I do not feel blessed

I can do the shudder down my spine, but no goosebumps.

@mumsiedarlingrevolta I'm relieved it's not just me! Also, like you my sense of smell is very strong too. Definitely a curse (although useful). I also have strong reactions to taste and touch- what about you?

It's a bit awkward because people think it's a bit dramatic and yes, it is, but the reactions are involuntary- there's not much I can do!

@ShowOfHands Quite. I can stick out my tongue and turn it into a tube but I don't boast about it since finding out it wasn't the rare skill I thought it was. Plus it looks obscene.

[quote limitedperiodonly]@ShowOfHands Quite. I can stick out my tongue and turn it into a tube but I don't boast about it since finding out it wasn't the rare skill I thought it was. Plus it looks obscene.[/quote]
Roll your tongue? Yeah it's not rare but it's supposed to be genetic, something you can do or you can't. It's used (or was) as an example in year 8 or 9 genetics lessons. My biology teacher set us a challenge at the beginning of the school year for all non-rollers to teach themselves to roll their tongue, the theory being that you can't. She'd been teaching 18 years. I'm the only child in that 18years who ever taught themselves to do it. Took me ages and ages!

@RacketeerRalph I taught myself to raise one eyebrow by staring into the mirror and raising both but holding one of them down with my finger. It's the left. I can still raise both eyebrows but can't do the right one on its own. I could probably learn but I have so many more pressing calls on my time these days. I was inspired by Lauren Bacall not Roger Moore.

I can do the goosebumps/shudder in both directions up and down the spine.

Huh, how weird- I know I can "will" goosebumps away, like if its very cold and I'm goosepimply and shivering I can think warm and they'll go away in about 3 seconds- never tried it the other way round. Off to try now!

...nope

Haha, who else could possibly 'Whoregasm' with a cotton bud gently poked in their left ear?

I just did it to myself!