ASMR (Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response) is the third most popular search term on YouTube worldwide. But in case you haven’t heard of it, it stands for “Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response”.
It is an experiential phenomenon that has captivated millions of people. It is a complex emotional state that only some people experience when they hear, see and feel certain “triggers,” such as whispers, delicate hand movements and a light touch.
Some people perceive a tingling sensation that begins at the crown of the head and may spread to the neck and extremities. The tingling sensation comes in waves and is an immersive “trance-like” state accompanied by feelings of euphoria and relaxation.
Triggers
Common triggers include soft touch, whispering, soft talking, close personal attention, delicate hand movements, and sharp sounds.
Situations that induce ASMR often involve a combination of these triggers, such as getting a haircut or watching someone complete a mundane task like folding laundry. It’s no wonder, then, that the most popular ASMR videos simulate these situations.
Three brain imaging studies have been performed in ASMR. One looked at the areas activated when reported tingling occurs in real time. The study looked at ten participants who experienced ASMR and asked them to watch videos of ASMR on a functional MRI machine.
The study showed that periods of tingling ASMR were associated with increased activation in brain regions involved in emotion, empathy, and affiliative behaviors. These results are preliminary and based on a small sample size, but the authors compare ASMR with attending behaviors, suggesting that ASMR activates neurological pathways involved in socioemotional bonding. This idea is somewhat supported by research showing that ASMR can make those who experience it feel more connected to other people.
Two other brain imaging studies have taken a different approach by examining differences in brain activity in the resting state (when people are simply lying in a scanner) with people who do and do not have ASMR. They found that people with ASMR have less distinct and more combined neural networks, suggesting that ASMR may happen because of a reduced ability to suppress the emotional responses we derive from our senses.
That may sound like a bad thing, but it doesn’t have to be. We all integrate information from our external world (images, sounds, smells) to give rise to emotional experiences. But the way we do this can differ from person to person.
Being less able to inhibit the connections between our inner and outer worlds can mean more intense positive emotional experiences, such as getting goose bumps with our favorite music or experiencing complex emotions, such as awe, in response to art.
In fact, we know that people who experience ASMR are also more likely to experience other complex multisensory experiences such as music-induced chills and *synesthesia. Unfortunately, people with ASMR are also more likely to experience *misophonia (literally meaning “hatred of sound”), which is not pleasant.
Empathy detection
In addition to neural differences, researchers have sought to understand the ways in which people with ASMR differ from those who do not experience it. In general, research suggests that people who experience ASMR have a greater tendency to have more immersive or immersive experiences.
People with ASMR score higher on the personality trait reflecting imagination, intellectual curiosity, and appreciation for art and beauty.
People with ASMR are also more empathetic, at least on two measures of empathy that look at compassion and concern for others, and the ability to immerse oneself in imagination and fiction.
Useful in therapy
A quick glance at the comments on ASMR videos is enough to convince you that ASMR really is helping people: improving mood, relieving insomnia and even counteracting loneliness.
We now have preliminary scientific evidence to support these anecdotal claims. People with ASMR show significant reductions in their heart rate when watching ASMR videos. These stress reductions were comparable to those experienced during mindfulness and music therapy. But whether ASMR can and should be used as an effective form of therapy remains unknown.
This is an exciting time for ASMR research because there is still so much we don’t yet know. Future studies may want to see if everyone has the potential to experience ASMR, if it could be a new form of therapy. Hopefully, research may also one day answer why only some people experience this unique phenomenon.
*Synesthesia: secondary or associated sensation produced in one part of the body as a result of a stimulus applied to another.
*Mysophony: a disproportionate response of the nervous system to certain everyday sounds and its symptoms usually appear in late childhood or early adolescence.