Listen to or Watch Some ASMR

Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR) is all the rage on YouTube. ASMR is a tingling sensation caused by audio and visual stimulation. It’s a pleasant sensation that can help its followers get better sleep and stress-relief.

ASMR has sometimes been compared with having goose bumps, but since goose bumps can also be uncomfortable – like nails against a chalkboard – that’s not considered a very good comparison.

The sensation is more like a pleasant feeling you have when you experience something beautiful, like someone giving you a massage – or thinking something beautiful, like memories with loved ones.

The feelings have always been there, but the term, ASMR came into being in 2010.  Now, ASMR is known as a brain orgasm because it provides gratification, but without any sexual connection.

Some people say it’s a tingling sensation that begins in the neck and head area and can also move to the arms and legs. They may come in pulse-like tinglings or waves that are like chills (but pleasant).

One study broke down the words in ASMR to refer to certain meanings. Autonomous (A) means that the sensation is spontaneous and that the recipient of the sensation could not control the feeling.

Sensory (S) in ASMR refers to the sensation or the reaction of the senses to the stimulation. Meridian (M) signifies the highest point that the sensation reaches or the peak of the feeling.

Response (R) is the response you have as a reaction to something happening externally or internally. These explanations for the words in ASMR are widely used now when discussing this type of therapy.

One person may react more to sights and sounds while others get ASMR feelings from smells or textures. Everyone is different, but they all seem to work when they are silent and repetitive.

If you’ve ever gotten chills from someone whispering in your ear, that was ASMR. Rain or brushing your hair can also cause the sensations as can soft tapping or doing something repetitive such as folding clothes.

Many followers of ASMR use it for relaxation purposes while others may use it for sleep inducement and stress relief. You may remember when listening to various sounds on CDs were all the rage as a relaxation technique.

Such peaceful founds as crashing ocean waves and gentle breezes through the trees have lulled people to sleep for years. Now, videos – especially those on YouTube have become popular to use for ephemeral purposes.

The sensation of ASMR lets people become lost in the moment, without cares and worries and totally concentrating on the sensations they’re hearing and seeing. All the videos feature soft and soothing sounds and the person in the video only moves slowly, if at all.

After most people experience the beauty and feelings of ASMR, they tend to explore their options even more. That’s the reason for its high popularity on YouTube and many are making great money from producing the videos.

While ASMR is considered only a temporary fix by experts, it does help to relieve symptoms of depression for a while and the relief does help promote a sense of well-being.

Scientists are now studying how ASMR could be used as a tool to treat conditions like panic/anxiety disorders, stress and insomnia. Since everyone experiences ASMR triggers differently, a study of the brain is necessary to see if it’s a viable treatment.

Although the ASMR triggers vary, the most popular ones are white noise, whispers, lips smacking, gentle brush sounds and tapping. The ASMR videos on YouTube are made up mostly of women who may be playacting that they’re giving you a massage.

Running a soft-bristled brush over the microphone is also a popular ASMR and whispering softly is another. One particular YouTube video – featuring a woman eating pickles – was viewed over five million times.

When people were asked why they chose to watch ASMR videos, most replied they enjoy the relaxation it provides and some said it helps them sleep. A small percentage viewed the videos for sexual stimulation.

Even though there isn’t a lot of information and facts about ASMR, most agree that based on what we already know, more investigative studies should be done to find out if it’s a viable therapy tool.