The ASMR Appeal

Were you that person in class who would actually enjoy it when someone else was constantly clicking their pen, when everyone else would be irritated and shushing them? Or that person, who is always tapping their phone during a conversation because you love that ‘click-click’ sound? If you are, then boy, are you in the right place! Let me introduce you to the biggest trend you’ve probably never heard of- ASMR.

ASMR stands for Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response, a term coined by Jennifer Allen in 2010. The general adopted explanation of ASMR was first penned down by Barrat and Davis (2015) as,

A previously unstudied sensory phenomenon, in which individuals experience a tingling, static-like sensation across the scalp, back of the neck and at times further areas in response to specific triggering audio and visual stimuli.

ASMR has absolutely blown up, so to speak, within social media communities. The strength and reach of the desire to feel ‘tingles’ can be seen across platforms, where ASMR channels have amassed millions of followers as seen with popular ASMRtists like Gibi ASMR, ASMR Zeitgeist, Gentle Whispering ASMR and Jojo’s ASMR. It is advisable to distinguish between the overlapping concepts of ASMR and Mukbang, words commonly lumped together these days. Mukbang involves individuals consuming large amounts of food while live-streaming themselves on media platforms like Twitch, AfreecaTV and YouTube. While individuals may experience ASMR while watching Mukbang, they are not actually interchangeable words, nor do they mean the same thing!

ASMRtists, apart from just having a cleverly framed name, possess the ability to relax and release the stress of their followers. They create videos to induce ASMR amongst their viewers. As goes with all trends, the simple and trusted methods go out of style soon and are replaced with novel ideas like salon role-plays. That surge of warmth and relaxation you might get while getting your hair cut, is an example of experiencing ASMR. In fact, over 24 million individuals who viewed the video, ‘Sleep-inducing Haircut ASMR | Shampoo | Page Flipping | Scissors’ felt that same surge of warmth, and watched said video to feel that way again.

Now why would anyone decide to spend an hour watching a woman whisper and pretend to give them a haircut, however friendly she may look? The answer is pretty simple really, to escape. The temptation of receiving personal attention and affection, even though through a screen, is too strong to resist if it helps insomniacs find their way to sleep; if it helps that student awake at 3 am with their mind filled with assignments and deadlines, to find a way to relax and reduce their stress. People are increasingly using ASMR for therapeutic benefits including sleep and mood disorders, and using ASMR to treat symptoms of conditions where other routes of treatment have not worked or been lacking. For some, ASMR is simply a way to unwind and relax, and for others, it is just a source of enjoyment with no real benefits. ASMR is an escape to those whose lives are already filled with constant noise, and so, a little whispering from a stranger does do them good.

ASMR is a fairly unexplored aspect of social behaviour, thus rigorous academic research is lacking in this area. In fact, the first peer reviewed study on ASMR was published only in 2015, but has since led the way to fellow researchers to investigate this fascinating phenomenon. However, empirical research is not needed to determine that ASMR is often induced by triggers. Triggers can be personal and different for each individual, and can span across sensations being auditory, visual, tactile, and/or olfactory in nature. A study done on 475 individuals showed that the most common triggers to induce ASMR were whispering, personal attention, crisp sounds and slow movements. Thus, the videos that ASMRtists create involve a variety of triggers, ranging from tapping sounds on phones, fabric, common household items to enacting role play situations in a doctor’s office, a salon and other relaxing locations like spas. These videos are often shot from the point of view of the viewer, making it seem as though the viewer is actually placed in that situation and receiving that attention personally.

Research by Poerio et al. (2018) found that experiencing ASMR leads to an increased pleasant affect and positive emotions and is even associated with reduced levels of heart rate. This study provided empirical evidence to the longstanding anecdotal claims that ASMR can help reduce stress, and to put it simply, make you happy. Their participants reported increased levels of excitement and calmness, and decreased levels of stress and sadness after experiencing ASMR.

Another aspect investigated in relation to ASMR is feelings of connectedness; videos like ‘Caring Friend Does Your Makeup’ and ‘Mom Comforts You!’, suggest that watching another person whisper positive affirmations and show a genuine desire in your well-being is a strong comforter. This phenomenon is supported by research that an additional benefit of ASMR is that of increased connectedness, which is seen in the social and interpersonal contexts embedded within these video concepts. Poerio suggests that watching such videos stimulates a form of social grooming which facilitates well-being and interpersonal bonding.

Lochte et al. (2018) investigated the neural correlates behind ASMR and wanted to understand which parts of the brain were being activated while experiencing this ‘tingling’ sensation. Using an fMRI-based methodology, they observed significant brain activation in the mPFC (medial prefrontal cortex) during ASMR. This region of the brain is famous for being associated with self-awareness, social cognition, and social behaviours including grooming. This finding implies that despite the fact that participants were watching ASMR videos while inside an fMRI scanner (not the comfiest place to be), the area in the brain that was activated was similar to experiencing actual social engagement! Their explanation for these results is that,

ASMR may be activating the brain regions and releasing neurochemicals normally associated with affiliative behaviours. This may help to explain why ASMR is reported to help individuals to relax, deal with stress, decrease their anxiety, and fall asleep more easily.

There are many people out there who still believe that the feelings of ASMR are fake, or just a passing fad, although recent empirical research screams to disagree. As for a personal opinion, it is no surprise to me that ASMR plays such a big role in my life now. Even as a child I was always drawn to sounds, remembering particular scenes in movies or TV shows simply because the sounds were enticing enough. ASMR has always been a part of my life, but it was only in the last 3 years that I was able to put a name to my experiences. I believe that it is this reason, this explosion of media attention that is now allowing all of those who have felt this ‘tingling’ sensation, to know what it means, and how it happens.

My words can be perfectly summed up by Giulia Poerio, researcher at the University of Sheffield’s department of Psychology, who wrote

Many people report experiencing ASMR since childhood but typically assume that ASMR is either a universal experience or one unique to them.

With conclusive research and more on its way confirming the benefits of ASMR, it is time for all of us who feel embarrassed to mention to our friends and therapists that hearing someone tap their nails on a phone is what relaxes us, to be open and vocal. For some of us, there is a new answer to the question ‘How do you sleep at night?’, through ASMR.

It would be hard to end this blog without giving the readers a sense of what is being spoken of here. Whether you just want to dip your toes into the expansive world of ASMR, or are ready to throw yourself deep into this relaxing community, a number of links are attached ranging from low to high intensity ASMR for you to experience. Happy tingling!

Rain Sounds by ASMRMagic; Gentle Tapping by Gentle Whispering ASMR; Positive Affirmations by Gracev; Hand Movements by Karlie Flowz ASMR; Barbershop Role-Play by Marno ASMR; Unpredictable Triggers by Bloop ASMR.