Why does chills run down our spines when chalk squeaks?

Whether it’s chalk squeaking on a blackboard, fingernails scraping Styrofoam, or a fork sliding across a plate, there are sounds that make most people flinch and feel an icy shiver down the back of their neck. The noise is perceived as unbearable, the hair on the back stands up and goosebumps appear on the arms. But why do we actually get frightened by such harmless noises? And where does the shiver in the neck come from?

Goose bumps in response to sound

This response is a  relic from prehistoric times that  is innate in most mammals. A loud, shrill noise used to mean danger. And in order to protect themselves from this, the body hair automatically stood up to make the body appear larger and more threatening, thus putting the attacker to flight.

This reaction is controlled by the limbic system, which is responsible for processing emotions in the brain. It is directly connected to the nerves, which in turn are responsible for raising the hair. Humans may no longer have fur today, but the remaining fine body hair still stands up when they hear unpleasant noises, giving them goosebumps. This actually creates the feeling of a cold shiver running down your spine.

Response to squeaky chalk varied

This protective mechanism may be essential for survival in the animal world, but it has now become superfluous in humans. However, nothing can be done about this reaction. 

However, it is remarkable that not all people react sensitively to the same sounds. While some cringe at the squeak of chalk, others shudder at the sound of filing fingernails.

result of individual experiences

Scientists suspect that this is related to the experiences that a person has accumulated over the course of his life. For example, the squeaking of the chalk may be associated with a nasty teacher at school, the scratching of the fork on the plate with the parents’ instruction to finish the meal.

These unpleasant experiences are stored in the limbic system and henceforth associated with the sounds. That’s why small children rarely show such reactions to certain sounds, because they usually don’t have that much experience stored in the limbic system.