Quest magazine, September 7, 2026, by Professor Erik Scherder Found by Ineke, translated by Diana D. Le. Erik Scherder on why you get goosebumps from music: "Music is life" Professor of neuropsychology Erik Scherder and cardiologist Leonard Hofstra have a mission: They want to teach you to live healthier. In this column, they explain to you how. This week Erik Scherder: "Music travels a complex road through our brain and can release deep emotions. Music is life." "You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains; You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas." As soon as I hear the chorus build up in this beautiful song, I get goosebumps on my arms. And that has everything to do with what happens in my brain when I hear that music. Music can evoke deep emotions and strike a chord. One listener told me that he spontaneously got goosebumps when a song he had heard at a funeral, years ago, suddenly came on the radio. This has to do, in part, with association: The music brings back the emotion of that moment and can intensify it. But there’s more going on. Before you’re even aware of what you’re hearing, your brain is already hard at work processing the sound. The sounds travel through various intermediate stations—such as the brain stem and the thalamus—to the auditory cortex. Even during this processing, areas of the brain involved in emotions and memories can become active. Of course, this happens in the blink of an eye, and then you consciously hear the music. But it doesn’t stop there. In fact, many more parts of your brain are involved in listening, including the insula: A region that plays a role in processing deep emotions and perceiving physical sensations. The fact that I wipe away a tear and get goosebumps when I hear “You Raise Me Up”? That has to do with the way my brain processes the music and involves my emotions and body in the experience. Teary eyes, shivers, and goosebumps are physical reactions that can occur when music triggers strong emotions in you. Why Your Hair Stands on End In the past, goosebumps served a very practical purpose. When frightened, our hairy ancestors’ fur would stand on end, making them appear larger and, hopefully, scaring off an enemy. We’ve since lost that thick fur, but goosebumps have remained. And fortunately, we no longer have to come face-to-face with a predator to get them. I find that goosebumps intensify what I’m experiencing, just like a tear of sadness or happiness. I’m glad I can feel that, because it gives my emotions so much more depth. And yes, a song like “You Raise Me Up” really does that for me. It takes me right back to the Vrijthof, where André Rieu, a singer (Anna Majchrzak) and a choir bring the song to a climax. It makes me think about my life’s journey and my gratitude toward the people who saw something in me and gave me opportunities. So be sure to listen to lots of music! It can lift your spirits or, conversely, help you experience and express your emotions. Even for people with Alzheimer’s, music can sometimes still evoke memories or emotions, even in the advanced stages of the disease. To me, that shows just how deeply music is woven into our lives. Music is life.