We’ve all felt it—the sudden wave of goosebumps when a song swells, the shiver when words hit just right, the quiet awe standing in nature. This sensation is called frisson, a fleeting yet powerful reminder that beauty often lives in the body as much as in the mind.

For me, living with aphantasia means I don’t picture these moments in my head. My mind’s eye is blank. But when frisson comes, I feel it fully—chills up my spine, a lump in my throat, sometimes even tears. Science links frisson to dopamine and the brain’s reward system, but I can’t help wondering: without mental imagery, does the body step in and amplify the experience?