You may not have heard of Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response, but you may have experienced it.
What is Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response?
ASMR is the relaxing, tingly sensation some people feel in their head, neck or back in response to specific auditory or visual triggers. YouTube has over 1.5 million videos devoted to ASMR stimulation, with a thriving community jumping onto the bandwagon. And it’s easy to see why. These aforementioned sensations have been described as a ‘brain massage’ or ‘brain orgasm’. Yep, that’s right, a brain orgasm. Bare with us.
What’s the effect?
Fans claim they ASMR videos help them zone out, and even sleep better. In fact, a study by Swansea University found that 98% of respondents said that watching ASMR videos helped them relax.
With this in mind, we decided to watch one of the videos to see if they really live up to the hype. With over 15 million views, ‘Oh Such A Good 3D-Sound ASMR video’ by Gentle Whispering, is one of the most popular so it seemed like a good option. It features a woman drawing her nails across the bristles of a hairbrush, tickling herself with a feather and whispering into the camera. I tried my best to listen intently and concentrate on the sounds, but…nothing.
While I didn’t get the physical reaction many claim to have, if you can get past some cringe worthy moments these ASMR videos might be a solution for stress heads and insomniacs.
Why don’t you watch it here and judge its effectiveness for yourself. Warning: you might find yourself chuckling to the sexual undertones.
