Ever get a tingling sensation when being touched? How about hearing a specific sound? Possibly seeing a bright light or while getting a haircut? What you’re experiencing is ASMR! Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response, or ASMR for short, is the sensation that you feel from outside world stimuli. It is usually explained as a tingling sensation that can be felt from the scalp to the back of the head, down the spine, and possibly throughout the body. Some people describe it as head tingles or brain massages, while others have a sense of relaxation when they experience it.
ASMR is not something to be confused with Misophonia. ASMR is more towards the pleasant side, and people who experience ASMR can find the feeling relaxing and enjoyable. Misophonia, on the other hand, is having a hatred for a specific noise. Most people I know who have Misophonia hate constant tapping of metal on a cup or mouth noises. People who experience Misophonia tend to have an unexplainable rage for a specific noise. However, some people who experience Misophonia can still find ASMR triggers that don't anger them.
I mentioned something earlier about ASMR triggers. Many people who like ASMR have a specific noise, action, or trigger that will give them a much greater feeling of euphoria. For some, it’s crinkling of paper. For others, it’s a bright light or the sound of shaving cream being spread on a surface. Some other examples of triggers include:
A Light Touch on the Arm
Breathing
Clicking, Brushing, Tapping, or Movement
Clicking of a Keyboard
Close Attention
Close Shave on the Back of your Neck
Hand Motions
Light
Painting
Slow Speech or Accents
Two Objects Rubbing or Hitting
Someone Rubbing Your Neck with Cold Hands
There are hundreds of different triggers that can set off ASMR for people. So how can you find out what triggers work for you? YouTube is your best source! There are hundreds of YouTube videos that showcase ASMR and all of its glory. Here’s a great ASMR-ist that goes over 50 different triggers. In this video, ASMR-ist Olivia will show you a bunch of different triggers that may help you find your triggers!
Personally, I believe that ASMR has a bad reputation. Some people believe that it’s sexual, while others find it just plain odd. Many of these people either do not experience the sensation or believe that the whispering and close attention can seem as a sexual outlet. This cannot be farther from the truth. ASMR can be used as a de-stressor and a nice way to end a stressful day and it even helps with sleeping and insomnia. It’s a totally safe and family friendly thing. It’s not something that should be linked with sexy time.
Anyway, Like I said, there are hundreds of different videos and triggers for ASMR. I’ve curated a YouTube playlist with a ton of different ASMR videos for your relaxation pleasure, some serious and shows a massive amount of triggers, while some comical. I hope you find them as relaxing as I do!
