ASMR

So ASMR is short for Autonomous sensory meridian response.  People who experience it have described it as a tingling sensation that usually begins on the scalp and moves down the back of the neck and upper spine; which triggers feelings of relaxation. It is described as: “A pleasant form of paresthesia, it has been compared with auditory-tactile synesthesia and may overlap with frisson.”

Still sound odd? Well people who experience ASMR often recall their first experience of it as a young child; maybe during story time at school or when friends were playing with their hair.  As individuals came together to share their experiences of ASMR online they discovered these sensations that they had in common, in response to certain triggers.  Common triggers include someone reading or speaking softly, tapping or other sounds; visual triggers like gentle hand movements.

Gradually this community formed on YouTube to create videos that would depict those scenarios in which ASMR feelings were triggered. Common videos might be of someone doing a whispered reading or hairstyling tutorial/role-plays, although ASMR artists have become so varied now that literally anything with the sole purpose to trigger feelings of relaxation and wellbeing for viewers.