I went to the Gold Coast recently to meet with a man who says you can get high, even reach altered states, simply by watching a strange sort of YouTube video.

I'd noticed some of his videos and became fascinated with this slightly odd character, whispering role plays such as haircuts, wood tapping and quasi medical examinations.

His name is Dr Dmitri and he's not a real doctor.

Using his bespectacled alter ego, Dmitri hosts a bewildering range of "trigger" videos on his YouTube channel MassageASMR now with over 7 million views, making him Australia's most viewed AMSR video creator.

Auto Sensory Meridian Response, "braingaisms" or simply the "tingles" have become an internet cult for makers and viewers, all claiming they feel a deep, pleasurable scalp-tingling sensation when triggered by certain sounds and vision.

Some of the descriptions include the tingling sensation you feel when you have a haircut or the buzz you feel when you finally relive yourself after holding it in all day.

But imagine being able to set off and maintain that sensation for minutes, even hours on end.

It's undeniable popularity (some channels like GentleWhispering with over 40 million views) has pushed ASMR into the mainstream solely through these "ASMRists" and their homemade videos.

Dr Dmitri is unique for being a male ASMRist, many of the most popular creators are female but the community strenuously maintains it's not necessarily a sexual phenomena.

Claims that ASMR can cure insomnia, anxiety and depression, for example, are pretty wild.

There's no credible scientific or medical studies I can find to properly authenticate what ASMRists say they feel.

With an open mind, I met Dr Dmitri outside a craft shop where he'd agreed to take me on a shopping trip to buy the things he needs to make a new ASMR video.

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