What is ASMR? Meaning, Benefits, and Everything You Need to Know
While using YouTube, almost everyone has seen videos with the tag ASMR. These videos are also very common on Instagram. There are more than 13 million videos available online of ASMR.
These may be tapping, whispering, tickling, or scratching videos about visuals or sound in ASMR clips that may tinkle your videos. Many influencers and bloggers make videos while eating food, and Koreans especially make food-eating ASMR videos.
Marketers mainly use this technique to promote their products. Many new restaurant owners use these videos to show the freshness and tenderness of their food.
This blog will explore ASMR, its meaning, benefits, and everything you need to know.
What is ASMR?
ASMR stands for autonomous sensory meridian response. This term is used for a tingling sound, a static sensation, or goosebumps in response to a specific sound or audio a person hears.
These sensations spread throughout the human body across the skull or down the back of the neck, and for some people, this sound also travels through the spine or limbs.
Some people find these sounds relaxing and calming. They watch these videos to become stress-free and experience a relaxing effect throughout their bodies.
What Can Trigger ASMR?
It remains unclear whether all people have feelings which cause ASMR; some of that information may be true, and some of it is false. Indeed, for the few that reported such feelings, the feeling seems activated in response to diverse stimuli or circumstances relating to vision, touch or hearing.
The strength of particular stimuli can differ for instance, while one individual might react to whispers, another may feel ASMR when:
- Speaking in a whisper or walking quietly
- Tapping or typing
- Closeness of body, especially touching or direct look in the eyes.
- RUB, hair combing or hairdressing
- Humming or chewing
- Light patterns
- Slowly flipping a page or folding paper
- Scratch crisp, s squishing yes no
- Squishing or crunching sounds
- Applying makeup to the face
Interestingly, the videos may elicit an ASMR reaction, partly because ASMR is not always initiated by touch but by visual and auditory cues that create the sense of touch.
What Does ASMR Do To The Brain?
To you, ASMR is a feeling. To researchers, it involves how your brain reacts to a particular signal.
Thirty people were enrolled in a 2023 study using functional MRI to investigate behaviour during ASMR video watching. Whenever the participants felt the ‘classic’ tingle, their brains lit up in regions associated with emotion and empathy.
Research also revealed that the sounds of ASMR may trigger specific neurohormones in the human brain. Respondents admit they fell asleep, felt cozy, and were eased by ASMR, and dopamine, oxytocin, and endorphin strongly connected with these sentiments.
Benefits of ASMR
Although ASMR stands for autonomous sensory meridian response, it has only recently emerged as a trend on social networks. Although ASMR is not a new phenomenon, the development of its neuroscience is proceeding rapidly to keep pace with what millions of people have stated openly:
ASMR has therapeutic value for some individuals.
1. Reduced Anxiety
All ASMR videos and stimuli are significantly effective in alleviating anxiety, and studies have proven that they can lower levels of anxiety. A decrease can reduce stress or tension in cortisol levels, while the brain’s reward system can balance feelings of stress. Of those, many claim that ASMR helps act as an anti-anxiety mechanism, especially before stressful situations.
Although ASMR can be effective in providing a form of relief from stress or anxiety, it should not be used in place of medical treatment to cure anxiety. If you are experiencing these symptoms, seeking help from a professional is advisable.
2. Enhanced Mood
Although giving a pleasurable tingling feeling, dopamine release is associated with mood enhancement due to ASMR. Yet ASMR has been scientifically demonstrated to trigger happiness or even euphoria – just like other similar effects. For some, it is a great asset, especially for those who suffer from a lousy flare of depression.
3. Pain Relief
Existing studies suggest that ASMR can provide an approach to addressing pain. The relaxation response of ASMR could reduce the perceived sensation of pain, making it an adjunct treatment for chronic diseases such as fibromyalgia or the relief of postoperative pain.
However, in critical medical situations, it must be stressed that information on this site should not replace the advice of medical professionals.
4. Flow State
Such experiences trigger a psychological process known as a flow-like state, which involves a complete focus on a particular activity. This flow state has been associated with better productivity and creativity, so ASMR is a performance-enhancing tool.
5. Deep Sleep and Relaxation
Another essential benefit mentioned most frequently was using ASMR to fall asleep. Lower cortisol levels decrease heart rate, and the involvement of areas responsible for the experience of pleasure and relaxation might make ASMR a safe, natural way to address sleep disorders.
Types of ASMR
Here are the types of ASMR :
i. Auditory ASMR
Auditory ASMR is associated with whispers and other soft sounds and can be quickly introduced into the workplace. A quiet and calm melody in the background or the sound of dripping water can help establish a condition favorable for concentration.
Several papers point to the ability of this form of ASMR to consistently reduce heart rate and blood pressure as a means to create a healthier workplace environment.
ii. Visual ASMR
Another of the most preferred ASMRs is visual, right after auditory. Such stimuli usually demonstrate smooth motions, pleasant images, or precise actions that cause relaxation.
In the business environment, visual ASMR can be an office where all work and design aim to create comfort and balance. Calm shades of colour, clean spaces and graphics, and those that inspire a desire for tidiness influence mood and performance.
In other words, beauty may be transformed into a very effective means of enhancing the quality of an employee’s life.
iii. Tactile ASMR
Tactile ASMR occurs when the viewer feels ASMR through actual touch sensations, which provoke the response. Thus, some ASMRs are activated by design, such as incorporating comfortable seat cushions or textured fabric on furniture bodies.
All these stimuli may help deal with physical stress and enhance workplace comfort, resulting in a relaxed and friendly general environment.
Final Words - ASMR
ASMR is a unique phenomenon that offers countless benefits, from stress relief to improved sleep and an enhanced sense of well-being. Its gentle and personalized approach makes it accessible to anyone seeking a moment of calm in an otherwise hectic world.
Whether you’re curious about trying it or considering creating your own ASMR content, there are possibilities to explore.
With its growing presence in media and the vast variety of triggers available, ASMR provides a customizable experience that can cater to your individual needs.
FAQs - ASMR
Q1. What does ASMR feel like?
It’s often described as a tingling sensation starting from the scalp and traveling down the neck and spine.
Q2. Can everyone experience ASMR?
No, not everyone experiences ASMR, as sensitivity to triggers varies widely.
Q3. Is there a downside to ASMR?
Over-reliance on ASMR for relaxation could limit other coping mechanisms.
Q4. How do I find the right ASMR videos for me?
Experiment with different triggers and creators to find what resonates with you.
Q5. Are there professional therapists using ASMR techniques?
Some therapists incorporate ASMR-like techniques, but it’s not yet a mainstream practice.
