A recent phenomenon that took off especially in the last two years of the pandemic is that of ASMR. YouTube videos with specific auditory and visual triggers suddenly mushroomed and millions are resorting to them to alleviate moods, experience sensations that aid relaxation and combat insomnia, to name but a few of its benefits.

It is a movement, a philosophy and an art form. These YouTube artists with thousands of followers are known as ASMRtists. Plenty of such videos will come up when inserting ASMR in the YouTube Search box.

It was in 2010 that Jennifer Allen ran across a group of people on a forum who described sensations she herself had always experienced, but which no one seemed to understand well. She was referring to the pleasurable tingling sensations on the scalp and neck in response to particular auditory and/or visual triggers. Such triggers could be whispering, personal attention, crisp sounds and slow movements.

Most of us love to hear the wind howling among the trees, stormy waves pounding on the shore or the rain splashing against the window.

Allen tried various words to find an appropriate term to describe these sensations and set up a community of like-minded people where discussions on this matter could take place. She eventually came up with ‘Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response’ – ASMR for short.

These sensations had always been experienced but nobody had a name for them. The famous late painter Bob Ross, with his calming soft-spoken words and sounds of his brushstrokes in his Joy of Painting videos, are a case in point. Everyone who followed him was mesmerised by his soothing and calming voice. His videos are currently being revived and enjoyed by the ASMR followers.

A recently popular unintentional ASMRtist is an 84-year-old farmer who talks about ‘spiritual enfoldment’ and his journey into silence. His name is John Butler and the way he speaks is truly arresting. He is followed by thousands.

John Butler’s videos have been watched by millions after he became popular with the ASMR community. He was a farmer and now, at 84, is an accidental ASMRtist.

Other popular samples are the Barber Shop ASMR ones where you hear the clicking of the scissors and the various sounds created in a barber shop which often also offer intensive Turkish massages.

A few that I came across recently and which I found very effective are ‘Solo camping in thunderstorms’ of which there are quite a few –no words are spoken in most of them, they just get us to experience a storm from inside a tent while cooking a hearty meal or enjoying a warm cup of coffee cosily inside. It’s very fascinating to hear the sounds of crackling food on a stove while in a tent and watching a storm pounding outside the tent.

However, it must be said that not everyone is affected by ASMR sensations. A sensitive person with a curious open-minded disposition can be more responsive to such triggers. Some may not be affected at all!

There are six types of triggers to experiencing ASMR.

1. Sounds: such as gentle whispering, tapping fingernails against something, crinkling paper and typing on a keyboard. Blowing, scratching and turning the pages of a book are also popular ASMR sounds.

2. Visuals of people mixing paint, performing gentle hand movements or neatly slicing soft objects can trigger and stimulate viewers.

3. Role play consists of personal attention by making prolonged eye contact with the camera and petting the lens as if the ASMRtist is gently touching the viewer. It could be a medical check-up or some sort of consultation. This intimate attention can provide watchers a feeling of safety which can be relaxing and therapeutic.

4. Crushing of sponges or slime being squished can provide a satisfactory sensation too.

5. Eating. By watching somebody eat in a certain way and listening to the slurping or chewing sounds can prove relaxing for some people.

6. Tactile triggers are caused physically outside the video-streaming platforms and websites. These can involve touch like tickling the arm, humming through the nose or use of fingers drawing on somebody’s back.

According to various studies, the health benefits of ASMR are various, namely:

• Sleep: a study showed that 41 per cent of people who watch ASMR state that it helps them with insomnia due to their intense relaxing feelings that calms people down.

• Pain relief: individuals with chronic pain reported that ASMR improved their symptoms, that they saw a significant reduction in their discomfort for several hours following an ASMR session.

• Improved mood: One study also shows that around 11 per cent of people watch ASMR videos to reduce their anxiety. Many also experience feelings of increased well-being after watching ASMR videos, as well as a temporary relief in mood for those who have depression – provided they have a predisposition to ASMR.

• Mindfulness: It is possible that spending time engaging in ASMR could be a form of mindfulness. By watching ASMR material, one is taking the time to focus on positive emotions triggered by different stimuli and focusing on the task at hand, which can be similar to a mindfulness practice and a sense of heightened awareness.

• Lower stress: Through watching ASMR videos, people reported increased levels of calmness and decreased levels of stress which significantly lowers the heart rate of people who experience ASMR.

ASMR research is still ongoing. This site https://asmruniversity.com/ can provide more information on the topic. Meanwhile, people in the ASMR community are constantly finding new ways to create this audio and visual phenomenon and use it as a possible safe hack to enhance a viewer’s pleasurable experience of life.

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