Whispering, Wrinkling Paper, and Popping Bubble Wrap; Is ASMR Right for You? There are certain sounds that make you feel this warm tingly feeling and gives you a nice sensation. There are millions that are watching all over the country. The question is, what exactly is this experience? What is ASMR? What causes the demand for ASMR to surpass the demand for chocolate and candy?
What is ASMR?
Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response(ASMR) is defined as a feeling of well-being combined with a tingling sensation in the scalp and down the back of the neck as experienced by some people in response to a specific gentle stimulus, often a particular sound. Yes, it’s all backed by science. Most of us are programmed to love it. I think they may know it too!
There are certain “triggers” that cause the sensation to occur such as listening to a person whisper into a microphone, the sound of crinkling paper, or the sound of popping bubble wrap.
| <br> <center><script async=”” src=”https://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-4434149683005795″ crossorigin=”anonymous”></script> <!– Verticle Ad –> <ins class=”adsbygoogle” style=”display:block” data-ad-client=”ca-pub-4434149683005795″ data-ad-slot=”9820396224″ data-ad-format=”auto” data-full-width-responsive=”true”></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); </script></center> <br><br> |
ASMR Has Been Around for Longer Than You Think:
Even though some might think that ASMR is a new trend spreading through social media, it has a bit of history.
- Starting in 2007, a forum thread was posted on steadyhealth.com titled, “Weird sensation feels good.”
- Then in 2008, the term Attention Induced Head Orgasm(AIHO) was first coined. A website was then created by the name.
- In 2009, the first-ever whisper channel appeared on Youtube called WhisperingLife.
- In 2011, the first-ever Reddit thread about ASMR was posted.
- There were official research publications conducted on ASMR
- From 2015-2017, there were official research publications conducted on ASMR to try and better understand what exactly it is. From here on to the present time, ASMR has blown up on multiple social media platforms.
Celebrity ASMR Videos
Due to its popularity, there have been many celebrities that have been a part of an ASMR video. Celebrities from Tinashe to Margot Robbie, to Paris Hilton and everybody in between have partaken in these videos. Following this link leads to a complete list.
W magazine has a series where they invited celebrities to partake in ASMR videos with different objects for them to play with to enlist the ASMR response.
Kate Hudson has a video playing with water in a jar and different fabrics.
“I want you just to calm your mind and listen to sparkles.”
Kate Hudson in her ASMR video.
Even superheroes are jumping on the ASMR train. Supergirl actress Melissa Benoist has a video where she uses Wonder Woman’s bracelets and Catwoman’s claws to show off her ASMR skills. We love to see these celebrities joining in, but there are some top people to watch in the ASMR world.
The ASMR Brands to Watch
Millions are learning about ASMR thanks to some key players on YouTube. Popularity has skyrocketed. There are currently 13 million ASMR videos on Youtube. Additionally, more and more influencers on social media are jumping on the ASMR trends and making different types of ASMR videos.
A popular Youtuber who does ASMR videos is Gibi ASMR. With 3.13 million subscribers, she first learned about ASMR in high school and used it to help her fall asleep and ease her anxiety. She started her channel during a summer in college.
“It was something so personal to me and I never ever talked about it because I didn’t think it was normal to talk about it… So when I found out other people were making content specifically to elicit that feeling, and the fact that it doubled as a perfect sleep aid, I was hooked.”
Gibi said in an interview.
To better answer the question as to why people watch these videos, Gibi’s experiences could hold the answers. Having trouble sleeping is something that plenty of people experience. This is why people use white noise machines at night. Through the rise of these videos on Youtube, people are turning to those videos to help them fall asleep. It can give people a sense of calmness or peace, which is another reason why people like to listen.
Another popular Youtuber Sharon Dubois of ASMR Glow started her channel as a makeup artist and vlogger. She then decided to pursue ASMR, where she makes videos with tapping, whispering. Dubois has 1.41 million subscribers and makes role-playing videos. Dubois stresses the importance of consent for her videos.
In an interview, she said, “It gets the viewer involved and shows them they’re in good hands… The creator is here to respect them and take care of them in the most respectful manner,” Dubois said. “It tells the viewer they’re in a comfortable and safe place.”
As a result, technological advances like virtual reality, bring a whole new experience for people. This partnership could lead to both industries flourishing.
The Study of ASMR
Steven Novella, a neurologist at Yale University School of Medicine, may have a potential lead. On his blog, Novella explains that ASMR could be a form of seizure. He says that some seizures can be pleasurable and triggered by certain sounds or sensations.
Now from these official publications, the public has been able to gain a little bit of knowledge into ASMR, but there still haven’t been any definitive answers, mostly just best-estimated guesses.
The Pleasure Response
Another theory is that it could be a way of activating the pleasure response in our brains. The brain likes to reward a person by sending positive behavioral feedback for experiencing something pleasurable. On the other hand, if the brain experiences something that it doesn’t find to be pleasurable, it’ll send negative feedback. Since no two brains are alike, it can explain why some people find ASMR to be a nice experience while others hate it.
Not only can ASMR make you feel good, but it also improves mood and pain symptoms are other ways that ASMR can be used. This is according to a study done and published in PeerJ.
Now that you delved into the world of ASMR with me, did learn something new? Did you become a fan of ASMR? Let me know in the comments how you feel about this trend. ASMR has so many benefits to it that I didn’t know before writing this. Like I had no idea it can improve pain or help you sleep! If you have your own ASMR channel, make sure you comment that below!
