Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWho Experiences It?HistorySignsTypesHow to PracticeImpactTips and TricksPotential PitfallsWhat’s Next?
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Who Experiences It?
History
Signs
Types
How to Practice
Impact
Tips and Tricks
Potential Pitfalls
What’s Next?
Close
ASMR is the term used to describe a tingling, calming sensation some people report experiencing in response to close personal attention or certain audio or visual stimuli. ASMR stands for autonomous sensory meridian response.Autonomousmeans that the feeling is in your body,sensorymeans that your senses perceive the feeling,meridianrefers to the energy of the feeling in your body, andresponseindicates that the feeling is a response to stimuli.
This article covers the ASMR definition, how ASMR feels, as well as the physiological impact of this phenomenon.
Who Experiences ASMR?
Just like not everyonegets chills when they listen to emotional music, not everyone experiences ASMR. At this time, there hasn’t been enough research on the phenomenon to estimate what percentage of the population has it.
For many who experience ASMR, they first notice this happy, calming sensation in their youth in response to someone paying close personal attention to them or watching someone carefully perform a task.
The best way to know if you experience ASMR is to think of whether you get “chills” or a shivery sensation in response to certain stimuli. If you experience this pleasurable sensation when you hear, see, smell, or touch something, then you probably do experience ASMR.
It is important to note, however, that everyone responds to triggers differently. One person might experience the feeling in response to the sound of whispering, while another person might feel it when someone plays with their hair.
Research also suggests that people who experience ASMR may also be more likely to also experience synesthesia, a perceptual phenomenon in which one sensation triggers a separate perceptual response such as seeing sounds or tasting colors, for example.
Living With Synesthesia
History of ASMR
For people who experience ASMR, the realization that they feel these pleasant sensations when exposed to certain stimuli is not new. However, for many, the fact that there is a name for this experience and that others experience it as well is new information.
Naming the Experience
Different online forums have been abuzz for quite some time with people sharing their experiences with “brain tingles” or “brain orgasms.” But it wasn’t until 2010 that Jennifer Allen, a frequent contributor to these internet communities, decided to elevate the discourse and give the feeling a name.
Spreading the Word
Craig Richard, a professor of physiology at Shenandoah University in Virginia, reached out to Jennifer Allen in 2013. The two collaborated to make an online survey about ASMR, which would go on to receive more than 30,000 replies. The survey asked questions about what types of sensations people experience during ASMR, what type of ASMR experience they prefer, and more.
The goal of having people fill out the survey was to collect data for an eventual global study on ASMR. Richard went on to found ASMR University, an online resource that educates, informs, and collects information on ASMR experiences.
Viral Videos
Research on ASMR may still be limited, but meanwhile, more and more people who long thought their experiences with ASMR were an anomaly have been finding comfort in like-minded communities of “tingleheads” online.
Over the past decade, creators of ASMR videos, or “ASMRtists,” have become incredibly popular, with fan-favorites like GibiASMR, GentleWhispering ASMR, and ASMR Darling amassing millions of followers on YouTube.
ASMR video creators use high-definition microphones that pick up every mouth noise, whisper, and finger flutter (a popular trigger) to try to stimulate an ASMR reaction in listeners and viewers.
Signs of ASMR
While ASMR shares some similarities between the chills some people experience when looking at an incredible painting or listening to a moving speech or piece of music, physiologically the phenomena are different.
The effects of ASMR are understood to be calming and somewhat sedating, while chills are more physiologically arousing.
However, ASMR can occur without any touch. “One of the key aspects of ASMR is that it’s a stimulus in a different modality triggering a feeling of touch and relaxation,” said Dr. Giulia Poerio, a professor of psychology at the University of Essex who wrote a peer-reviewed research article on ASMR. “So in some ways, it’s almost like a synesthetic experience.
Mindful MomentNeed a breather? Take this free9-minute meditation focused on awakening your senses—or choose from ourguided meditation libraryto find another one that will help you feel your best.
Mindful Moment
Need a breather? Take this free9-minute meditation focused on awakening your senses—or choose from ourguided meditation libraryto find another one that will help you feel your best.
ASMR is not unlike a crossing of the senses in that you’re receiving visual and auditory triggers that stimulate an almost tactile sensation. You experience a similar feeling to being massaged on the back of your head, but without actually being touched.”
People who experience ASMR report feeling:
Through their research, Poerio and her colleagues determined that people who experience ASMR had a significant reduction in their heart rate while watching ASMR-inducing videos, compared to participants who do not experience ASMR.
In fact, on average, those who experience ASMR had a heart rate decrease of 3.14 beats per minute while watching ASMR videos.
This rate is comparable to reductions seen in clinical trials for other relaxation methods including music andmindfulness.
Types of ASMR
Situations that might elicit this response for those who experience ASMR include having their feet measured at a shoe store, someone applying makeup to their face, having their hair brushed or cut, watching someone carefully fold a sheet of paper, being checked into a hotel, or a teacher thoughtfully explaining something to them on a worksheet.
Stimuli that evoke an ASMR response can involve certain situations or the sense of sight, touch, or sound. Some of the most common ASMR triggers include:
Different people have varying ASMR triggers, and people experience them at varying intensities.
One way to see if you experience ASMR is to watch one of the more than 13 million videos on YouTube that were created to simulate experiences that might trigger ASMR.
About ASMR Videos
To those who don’t experience ASMR, the videos might seem unorthodox. ASMRtists whisper quietly, accentuate mouth noises, and pop their consonants.
Video creators will roleplay ASMR-inducing social situations like having one’s hair washed, checking out a book at the library, or even receiving a tattoo. Some videos feature someone tapping their fingernails on different surfaces, like the back of a brush, a Tupperware container, or a remote control.
Scratching is also a popular trigger, so someone might scratch their nails along the cover of a book, a coaster, or a wicker basket. There are ASMR videos with talking and videos without. There are ASMR videos devoted solely to eating and some dedicated to the squishing of slime.
Often, the creators of these videos are people who say they also experience ASMR and were introduced to the community that way.
To those who experience ASMR and are in pursuit of tingles, these videos are just what they’re looking for. According to Poerio’s study published in the journalPLOS One, in a survey of 1,002 participants, some of the most popular ASMR triggers were people speaking softly, people using crisp sounds, slow movements, close personal attention, and getting a haircut.
Impact of ASMR
A 2018 study performed functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scans onASMR-sensitive participantswhile they watched different types of ASMR videos. The researchers found that the following areas of the brain were activated:
The mPFC and NAcc, along with the insular cortex and left inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), were parts of the brain activated in participants while they watched ASMR videos. This is significant because they’re also parts of the brain that are known to activate when people engage in affiliate behaviors, which are care-receiving or caregiving acts.
When people engage in these affiliate behaviors, the brain releasesdopamine,oxytocin, andendorphins, which promote comfort, relaxation, and sleepiness. This could explain why ASMR-sensitive people report less anxiety andstressas well asbetter sleepas a result of watching ASMR videos.
Previous research also suggested that people who experience ASMR may have higher levels ofempathythan those who don’t.This likely relates to the fact that the parts of the brain linked with social cognition and social behaviors are activated during ASMR experiences.
Parts of the Brain
If you want to try and experience ASMR or reap some of the potential relaxation benefits, there are some things that you can do that may help:
For some who experience ASMR, there is trepidation about sharing their experiences for fear that it will be misunderstood as sexually perverse or deviant.
“There’s sometimes a lot ofshameandguiltassociated with the experience of ASMR,” said Poerio. “Some people feel guilty experiencing this kind of pleasure when they don’t know that it’s something that other people have experienced as well.”
However, as those who experience ASMR have long attested (and Poerio’s 2018 study confirmed), ASMR is not about sexual arousal.
“Something that I really do hope comes out of this research, as well as more widespread recognition of ASMR as an experience, is that people don’t have to feel like they have to hide [their ASMR experiences] or be ashamed of [them],” said Poerio. “I still see people who feel like that, and there’s no reason that they should. I hope knowing that they’re not alone is useful.”
Every day, new people learn about the ASMR videos online. But as popular as these videos and communities are, not a lot of research has been done on ASMR—though more is underway.
Next, she would like to research what’s happening in the brain when someone is experiencing ASMR, how ASMR affects sleep, what percentage of the population experiences ASMR, and its potential therapeutic benefits. For example, how could ASMR be used to help alleviate the symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression?
“It’s really interesting,” said Poerio, “ASMR is a complex emotional experience that some people have and other people don’t.” She would like to get to the bottom of that as well.
A Word From Verywell
If you are someone who experiences ASMR, this is an exciting time. Not only is there an abundance of ASMR-inducing content available to you, but so much is being discovered about this experience, and how it manifests physiologically in the body every day.
As more research is carried out, we may also learn more about the therapeutic potential of ASMR to help relieve symptoms of insomnia, stress, depression, and anxiety.
Apps for Stress Reduction
7 Sources
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Barratt EL, Davis NJ.Autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR): A flow-like mental state.PeerJ. 2015;3:e851. doi:10.7717/peerj.851
ASMR University.ASMR research project.
ASMR University.About the founder — Dr. Richard.
Lochte BC, Guillory SA, Richard CAH, Kelley WM.An fMRI investigation of the neural correlates underlying the autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR).Bioimpacts. 2018;8(4):295-304. doi:10.15171/bi.2018.32
Janik McErlean AB, Banissy MJ.Assessing individual variation in personality and empathy traits in self-reported autonomous sensory meridian response.Multisens Res. 2017;30(6):601-613. doi:10.1163/22134808-00002571
Lloyd JV, Ashdown TPO, Jawad LR.Autonomous sensory meridian response: What is it? And why should we care?.Indian J Psychol Med. 2017;39(2):214-215. doi:10.4103/0253-7176.203116
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