Why do sounds tickle my back?

People refer to getting a chill or shivering when they hear some sounds, or something being “spine-tingling”, so I don’t suppose it’s just you that has this sensation. I do not know the biological mechanism or evolutionary reason for the development of this reflex, though.

I think there is a thing called aphasia. If its what I’m thinking of the brain is wired a hair off & people can taste sounds, or see colours instead of smells. Of course it could also be just a hypersensitive nerve thing.Interesting thing to have though!

@hearkat I understand what you mean by spine tingling, but I have had a spine tingling feeling before and this feels different. It only happens on my right back where my ribs end. And it literally tickles. Like my back arches and everything.

@tacres I don’t taste sounds or anything, but I have always associated words with colors; like the months of the year. When I see word February or hear it, I visualize a dark magenta. I am not sure if that is a normal thing to do. I have asked if others do it, but I always get weird stares. Also, the word science has to be green. I am not sure why, but it has to be.

Ah, you have synesthesia! Seems like it could be related to the tickle issue, too.

This is so weird! I never knew it had a name!

I get that sensation a lot – always have. My husband will whisper close to my neck and it sends a tickling sensation down my back to my butt. Definitely not a “spine tingling” like nails on a chalkboard though. It makes my back arch and my whole body wiggle.

I don’t do the color or smells thing though, so not sure if it could be related.

@augustlan Good ,I knew someone would know the right term.! Just couldn’t come up with the right one. Ah the joys of getting older. I have a few strange little hiccups too.Nothing extreme but it is interesting of what unique little glitches our brains can have. .

Thank you for your help! Now I am asking practically all my family members if they experience some of the things I do. I asked my sister about the color thing I do and she replied, “everyone doesn’t do that?”

I can’t find anyone in my family who has the ear tickling thing though. Although when I asked my sister about synethesia, she said that when my oldest brother and her were kids, he told her to put a battery to her tongue because it, “tasted blue”. So I am going to have to ask him to!

@amazingme Ha, that’s kind of cool actually – to do something for so long that you don’t even realize that not everyone does that. And I didn’t realize that not many people have that back tickle sensation. I know my husband doesn’t have it, but he’s not ticklish anywhere. I just assumed only particularly ticklish people have it. I’m ticklish EVERYWHERE.

@livelaughlove21 What I find funny is that I hate being tickled (as probably most people do), but I don’t mind the tickling in my back as a response to sound. I am so happy to have found this out! Now on to find out why I unconsciously mimic people’s movements! :D

@amazingme I don’t mind it either! It feels good to me. It’s not like someone tickling my sides until I can’t breathe and I want to kill them. :)

I occasionally find myself doing things that probably aren’t “normal” – like how some of my movements have to balance out (hard to explain, sounds a little like mild OCD) or thinking “If this happens, then….” regarding two totally unrelated things. I doubt that makes any sense to someone reading this, but I guess we all have strange things like that.

@livelaughlove21 My movements never balance out. In fact, I am always running into things ans stumbling! But I guess it’s just my lack of coordination.

I love the little quirks. I think that is what adds to our individuality as people! Also kinda explains why if a person loses one sense another becomes stronger.

I also have this condition in regards to the sounds tickling my back.
Words have colors and patterns have sounds.
Shapes want to be animated. I don’t know if that is part of this or not.

You have ASMR. Google it. I have it, too, and thousands of other people do as well. There are hundreds of ASMR trigger videos on YouTube.

I have this same answer but it happens with both ears. Also when I am sleeping I can hear the electricity going through the walls in my room. I think it might just be sensitive hearing.

I've had this sensation since I was a kid. My kidney would unpleasantly shiver whenever I heard a high pitch sound or a close sound. I don’t know what it is or what is the cause of it, but it's really disturbing sometimes. I can kind of activate it whenever I want to.

I didn’t know it was unusual to experience this. I have the exact same thing—since I was a kid whenever I had my hair cut, someone whisper in my ear behind me, etc. I will involuntarily get an extreme tickle sensation immediately and it’s on my right lower back under my rib cage. My back will arch immediately in that tickle spasm.

It was always embarrassing when my hair was getting cut because you can’t control it. And the person behind you doesn’t even have to be touching you—just feeling how close they are and bam you get that tickle sensation.

Gawd!!!!! I thought I was the only one experiencing this back tickling thing even my family and doctor don’t believe me and look at me as if I’m crazy. It’s a weird feeling and I hate it when it happens, it’s so uncomfortable and I just want it to stop. It happens when Someone whispers in my right ear, talk right behind me, use an hair dryer, or listen to slow and low sounds. People chewing and talking amongst themselves too trigger it and it makes me feel angry and disgusted. I’m Highly sensitive too and believe it’s not the best feeling in the world.