What actually happens when 'someone walks over your grave'?

Question

I know that people say that it's meant to be someone walking over your future grave but does anyone know the scientific reason that this happens.

ie what actually happens in the body that makes you suddenly shake/shudder. It doesn't seem to be linked to temperature

Answer 1

There are several twitch responses. The myoclonic twitch or sleep jerk is the spasm as the brain disengages muscle control when you fall asleep so your dreams are not fully enacted physically.
A hiccup is another.
So the shudder is a myoclonus or sudden muscle contraction followed by relaxation. It can be very local or it begins in one region of the body and progress along the muscles. Hence the shudder crawls down the spine. It is easy to feel how the grave connection originated to explain the shared but eerie sensation.

I have a palatal myoclonus that happens at night usually. The soft palate vibrates enough to produce an audible and annoying clicking.

Answer 2

There is no scientific reasoning. I don't even know what you're asking. Sounds like a vestige of superstitions past.

*After seeing added thing*

The person is just freaked out. Are you saying that Person A walks over Person B's grave and shudders? Or does Person A walk over Person B's grave and Person B shudders? Is Person B alive or dead?

*After reading other answers*
Oh, I see now. You're describing the superstition that when you get a shiver on your spine, they say someone is walking on your grave? You could have just asked about when shivers run down ur spine in the first place. I thought u were asking why shivers run down your spine when someone walks over your grave, which makes no sense.

Anyway, i think it happens when something aggravates the top nerve of the spinal cord, and since the whole spine is connected, it shivers to tell you something is up, and so does the rest of the spine. Thus, chills down ur spine. I get it a lot when I'm getting a haircut and they're working on the back of the neck with that buzzer thing.

And as for the grave-walking thing, that's just like the Japanese superstition that if you sneeze it means someone is talking about you.

Answer 3

its just when a shiver/shudder runs up your spine its just a saying theres no hidden meaning

Answer 4

You shiver.

Answer 5

probably just an involuntary nerve spasm...

Answer 6

nothing happens