What Is ASMR?

You might have heard the word “ASMR” a lot recently, especially if you watch a lot of YouTube or Instagram videos. You might think to yourself: “What is ASMR?” In the last few days I saw several videos with the hashtag “ASMR” and I was confused so I decided to dig into it and it blew my mind. Keep reading to find out what ASMR is and believe me, you won’t be sorry! It can help you while you are in quarantine!

What Does ASMR Stand for?

ASMR stands for Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response, which is a very fancy description for it. In other words, or as how Cardi B puts it, ASMR is a “tingling sensation”. Some people also refer to it as a “Brain Orgasm”. The term ASMR was first coined by Jennifer Allen back in 2010. By listening to certain sounds, you might feel a tingling sensation starting from your scalp and moving down to your neck and spine. I would like to describe it as a feeling of relaxation, as if someone was gently stroking your hair and massaging your spine. Doesn’t it sound amazing?

Now, think. You probably have experienced this feeling at least once in your life. I’m going to mention the most common ASMR triggers, it might help you in remembering your first ASMR experience.

Most Common ASMR Triggers

1. Whispers

Remember back in school, while you were taking an exam, some of the students would be whispering the questions very quietly as they were reading them? Or they might have whispered while they were trying to calculate something. Or when you were a kid, did your mom use to whisper lullabies in your ears? If you remember feeling relaxed by these sounds, you have experienced ASMR without even knowing what it was.

2. Eating Sounds

I know, that sounds weird. listening to someone eat something in their mouth might sound disgusting but for some people, it can be relaxing and tingly (well, if you don’t picture the food in their mouth). If you have “misophonia“, this is probably not the trigger for you but if not, next time if someone is chewing gum next to you, pay a closer attention to the sound and see if it gives you tingles or not.

3. Tapping sounds

Try to remember the sound of someone texting on their phone, especially if they have long nails. Yeah, that tapping sound can be a trigger for some people. Tapping on wood, glassware, phone and practically anything, is very popular in the ASMR world. just pick something up randomly and tap on it, and that might be a trigger and relax someone.

4. Slime

Slime is a polymer substance that acts as both solid and liquid. It is like a more satisfying version of play dough. It’s softer and easier to play with. They suddenly became popular back in 2016 and lots of slime making videos went viral on YouTube. In addition to the visual satisfaction it gives you, the sound of playing with slime can be relaxing and satisfying for some people. It’s not a coincidence that they are so popular these days!

5. Page Turning and Writing Sounds

Have you ever felt relaxed and sleepy in a library? If yes, then you have experienced ASMR. Libraries are extremely quiet (at least that’s what they are supposed to be) and the only sound you can hear in them, is the sound of people turning pages of their book or taking notes in their notebook and that can trigger your brain into feeling safe and relaxed. So you might fall asleep and fall behind on whatever you were doing in the library!

6. Bob Ross

Yes, and I am not joking. Bob Ross himself can be a whole distinct category of ASMR triggers. His videos offer both visual and auditory satisfaction which will immediately relax you and make you forget all about your stress and anxiety.

Never Experienced ASMR?

If ASMR is still an unknown concept for you, there are million of videos on the internet that can help you. Listen to a bunch of videos, try to find your favorite trigger and then you won’t be able to stop. There is also a chance that you are not able to experience ASMR at all. Not all people are able to feel those tingles rushing down their head to spine. If this is your case, then I am really sorry. But even if you don’t get tingles, you can still feel relaxed and relieved by listening to ASMR.

ASMR Immunity

ASMR is addictive. If ASMR puts you to sleep once, then you are going to want your phone and earphones every time you go to bed. So you start watching ASMR every night and then all of a sudden, you realize that you are not getting tingles anymore. Wow this ASMR thing keeps getting weirder and weirder. This condition is called ASMR immunity. The one and only definite cure is to stop watching ASMR for a while, and the tingles will come back to you after a few days. It might also be useful to start looking into triggers other than your usual favourite or search for “ASMR Immunity” videos on the internet, they might help you.

ASMR In Quarantine

Recently, more and more people are listening to ASMR videos or podcasts to fall asleep and relax. We are experiencing an unusually difficult time, with all the news about the coronavirus and the death tolls. Try ASMR while you are staying at home, it might help you with your stress and help you relax. Stay safe everyone!