What Is Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR)

What Is Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR) Stress Management Print What Is Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR)? By Lisa M. Gerry Lisa M. Gerry is a freelance writer and editor who has written about mental health, happiness, travel, social activism and more. Learn about our editorial policy Lisa M. Gerry Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Steven Gans, MD on February 25, 2019 Steven Gans, MD is board-certified in psychiatry and is an active supervisor, teacher, and mentor at Massachusetts General Hospital. Learn about our Medical Review Board Steven Gans, MD Updated on February 25, 2019 More in Stress Management Effects on Health Management Techniques Situational Stress Job Stress Household Stress Relationship Stress In This Article Table of Contents Expand Who Experiences It? Is This a New Phenomena? Research Why ASMR Is Unique ASMR Videos What's Next? View All Back To Top ASMR stands for autonomous sensory meridian response. It 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. Not everyone experiences ASMR, but for those who do, they describe a pleasant tingling that starts at the top of their head and sometimes travels down the spine and limbs, accompanied by feelings of blissful  relaxation and drowsiness.   Who Experiences ASMR? Just like not everyone gets chills when they listen to moving music, not everyone experiences ASMR. At this time, there hasn’t been enough research on the experience 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.   Situations that might elicit this response for those that experience ASMR include having their feet measured at a shoe store, someone applying makeup to their face or cutting their hair, watching someone carefully fold a sheet of paper, being checked into a hotel,  or a teacher thoughtfully explaining something to them on a worksheet. Different people have varying ASMR triggers, and people experience them at varying intensity.   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.   Is This a New Phenomena? 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 While certain parts of the internet have been abuzz for quite some time, sharing their experiences with brain tingles or brain orgasms, it wasn’t until 2010 that Jennifer Allen, a frequent contributor to ASMR communities online, decided to elevate the discourse and give the feeling a name. She hoped that by doing so, she would make the condition more credible in the eyes of scientists, researchers, and ASMR-skeptics.   Even with a new name, though, it wasnt until five years later in 2015 that the first peer-reviewed, scientific study was conducted on ASMR.   Viral Videos Meanwhile, more and more people who long thought their experiences with ASMR were an anomaly began  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. The Latest Research Recently, researchers at the University of Sheffield conducted a study to measure the physiological effects of ASMR on people who experience it. I am one of those people who have experienced ASMR for as long as I can remember, said one of the studys authors Guilia Poerio, Ph.D., MSc. But, I didnt realize it was something that other people also experienced until 2013, she continued. As I began to speak to people about it, I realized that quite often people who dont experience it find it really hard to believeâ€"they think its somehow weird or creepy, or that its not a real thing. One of the motivations for this study was to provide an objective test for whether ASMR is a genuine, physiological experience. Hopefully this will  provide support for ASMR and get it into the public domain. Fear of Sharing Experiences For some who experience ASMR, there is trepidation about sharing their experiences for fear that it will be misunderstood as sexually  perverse or deviant. Theres sometimes a lot of shame and guilt associated with the experience of ASMR, said Poerio. Some people feel guilty experiencing this kind of pleasure when they dont know that it’s something that other people have experienced as well.   However, as those who experience ASMR have long attested (and this most recent 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 dont 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 theres no reason that they should. I hope knowing that theyre not alone is useful. Self-Soothing With ASMR What those who experience ASMR do  report feeling is relaxed, calm, and sometimes  sleepy. Some have even said that they use ASMR videos to help them cope with insomnia, anxiety, and depression.  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 and mindfulness.   What Makes ASMR Unique 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. The tingles from ASMR originate at the top of the head, whereas with art and music-induced chills they might start elsewhere, like your limbs or spine.  The tingly, happy feeling people experience with ASMR is also comparable to the feeling that some get when someone massages their head or tickles their arm and they get chills or goosebumps. However, ASMR occurs without any touch. One of the key aspects of ASMR is  that its a stimulus in a different modality triggering a feeling of touch and relaxation, said Poerio. So in some ways its almost like a synesthetic experience. ASMR  is not unlike  a crossing of the senses in that youre 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. About ASMR Videos To those who dont  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 ones 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 ASMR 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 theyre looking for.  In the recent study from Sheffield University, 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.   Whats Next? People continue to discover that the sensations theyve long experienced have a name and that there is a community of other people who experience it, too. Every day, new people learn about the ASMR videos online and people are seeking them out in droves. For as popular as these videos and communities are, not a lot of research has been done on ASMR, though more is underway.   The recent study by Sheffield University was groundbreaking in that it corroborated  the anecdotal reports about ASMR and its relaxing effects through physiological data. For Poerio, she says, this is just the beginning. Next, she would like to research whats happening neurologically and in the  brain when someone is experiencing ASMR, how ASMR affects sleep (people say it helps them fall asleep), what percentage of the population experiences ASMR, and  the therapeutic benefits of ASMR. How could ASMR be used for those who experience it to help alleviate the symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression? Its really interesting, said Poerio, ASMR is a complex emotional experience that some people have and other people dont. 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. Apps for Stress Reduction