Recently, I've been trying to do two things: regulate my sleeping schedule and watch as many of Dodie Clark's YouTube videos as possible. So, imagine my satisfaction when, upon scrolling through her channel one night, I was led to a discovery that would satisfy both goals.
The link between the two is ASMR, or Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response. Basically, it's that tingly feeling you get all over your body when someone brushes your hair or you hear a pleasing sound, like rustling leaves or whispering. I never knew there was a name for that sensation before I found some videos of Dodie's about it, let alone that it is apparently the focus of a whole corner of the Internet.
Yes, believe it or not, there are tons of YouTube channels, Reddit threads and Spotify playlists devoted to triggering the ASMR sensation. With headphones in for the best effect, one can find a volume of odd sounds, from whispered nonsense words to folding towels to snipping scissors, all captured unusually close to a camera or highly sensitive binaural microphone. It may seem very strange, because frankly it is very strange, but wow, is it interesting, and wow, can the effect be surprisingly helpful if you want to relax.
My experience with ASMR is admittedly very limited, but the idea that this singular sensation has attracted a legion of followers is pretty fascinating to me. I wouldn't consider myself an "ASMRtist" (as the YouTubers who devote their channels to the practice want to be called), or even an ASMR devotee, but I have to admit that listening to some recordings before bed one night helped to get my mind off of its usual babbling brook of an inner monologue. Like guided meditations, it was a nice aid for calming down and diverting my mind from stress.
While it doesn't work for everyone, many people experience similarly soothing effects from ASMR media. No matter how strange the focus may seem, or how limited the body of clinical research on the sensation itself, it is certainly apparent that ASMR has the potential to help people, especially those suffering from insomnia or anxiety. As Dodie Clark mentioned in the description of one of her ASMR videos, "LOOK IF IT FEELS GOOD THEN BLOODY ENJOY IT." She may not be a hardcore ASMRtist either, but she has a point there, and she sounds intensely British while saying it, so bonus points, I suppose.
To my amazement, I've found quite a few more articles, both on Odyssey and otherwise, that also explain ASMR—including this great one from the Washington Post that takes a more in-depth look at the whole phenomenon—so I understand that my rambling discovery of it may not be the best. However, I figured it was still a worthwhile topic to discuss anyway (unless my worst fears are true and I'm light years behind on a trend that everyone else knew about already). Regardless, ASMR might be another option for my semi-sleepless self every now and then, so perhaps it could help you too, reader, if you're experiencing similar troubles.
Here's a look at one of Dodie's ASMR videos if you're interested in checking it out.
