How to Give Someone the Chills

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: January 13, 2020

The chills are a tingling sensation that can happen to someone when they feel certain sensations or hear certain sounds. Therefore, you can give someone the chills by giving them a massage, playing with their hair, whispering in their ear, or by playing them a song, to name a few. You can also give someone the chills by scaring them. Jump out from behind the door in a dark room or tell someone a scary story to induce chills.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Using Touch

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Give them a massage. Give your friend or partner a back, foot, or head massage to induce chills. Alternatively, writing letters, numbers, and/or messages on someone’s back can give them the chills as well.^{[1]
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- Lightly running your fingers over someone’s arms or other body parts can also induce chills.
2
Play with their hair. Try brushing or combing your friend’s hair to give them the chills. Styling someone’s hair can also give them chills; for example, you can try braiding a friend’s hair to induce chills.^{[2]
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- Gently pulling at the ends of someone’s hair can also give them the chills.
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3
Blow air in their ear. Softly blowing air in your friend’s ears or on their neck can cause them to break out in chills. You can also try blowing air on other body parts such as their back, arms, and stomach.^{[3]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Using Sounds

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Play a song. Try playing music that involves a variety of instruments like classical or techno music to induce chills. Somber music is also known to give people chills. You can also try playing your friend or partner’s favorite song to give them the chills. If you know of a song that has a story that resonates with a friend or partner’s current life situation, playing this song may give them the chills as well.^{[4]
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- For example, if there is a song about rediscovering love after a break up and you have a friend going through a similar situation, then playing this song may give them the chills.
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Play crisp sounds. Crisp sounds like a pen writing on a piece of paper, fire crackling, vegetables being cut, or paper crumpling can give people chills. Play a recording of one of these sounds or make the sounds yourself to give someone the chills.^{[5]
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- Additionally, sounds like running water, ocean waves, and white noise can also give someone the chills.
- Rubbing two different textures together can also give someone chills, like nails on a chalkboard.
3
Speak in a soft voice. Soft or slow speech patterns can also give someone the chills. Think of a massage therapist’s voice or the voice of a practitioner doing guided meditation. You can also try whispering in someone’s ear to induce chills.^{[6]
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- For example, whispering in a low voice, "I am watching you" or, "I am right behind you" could give someone the chills.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Scaring Someone

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Make a loud noise. Making a sudden loud noise can startle someone and give them the chills. Slam some books on a table or the ground, scream, clap loudly, or make another loud sound to induce the chills in someone.^{[7]
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- For example, while your friend is quietly reading, blow a whistle.
2
Jump out and surprise them. Hide in the closet, behind the door, or in a dark room. When the person enters the area, jump out and scream. This will most likely scare them and give them the chills.^{[8]
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Tell a scary story. You can either create your own scary story, or personalize an existing scary story for the target person. If you decide to create a story, make sure the plot is believable and relatable to the person. Let them know from the beginning that the story is real, and tell the story in a low, husky voice.^{[9]
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- You can personalize an existing scary story by switching out minor details to make the story seem more real. For example, make the setting the same city where your friend grew up, or develop a protagonist that is similar to the person you are telling the story to.
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Play a scary movie. Like scary stories, scary movies can also give people the chills. Put on a horror movie or a psychological thriller, turn the lights down (or off), and watch your friend get the chills.^{[10]
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- Some examples of scary movies you and your friend can watch are The Ring, The Bad Seed, Psycho, Paranormal Activity, The Shining, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, and The Blair Witch Project, to name a few.