Jun 7, 2019

ASMR or Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response is a tingling sensation accompanied by a sense of calm and wellbeing.  This reaction that is experienced by some individuals has become a YouTube goldmine.

ASMR

ASMR noun: ASMR1. a feeling of well-being combined with a tingling sensation in the scalp and down the back of the neck, as experienced by some people in response to a specific gentle stimulus, often a particular sound."ASMR is triggered by things like whispering voices, paper tearing, and scalp massage"Origin
early 21st century: abbreviation of autonomous sensory meridian response.

https://asmruniversity.com/about-asmr/what-is-asmr/

The ASMR sensations can be categorized into:• Physical sensations:  light and pleasurable tingles, sparkles, fuzziness, or waves in the head, neck, spine, and throughout the rest of the body.• Psychological sensations: deep and soothing feelings of relaxation, calmness, comfort, peacefulness, restfulness, or sleepiness.

https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/12/how-to-have-a-brain-orgasm/282356/

Atlantic article: searches for ASMR started in 2011 and exploded in 2013

 
https://www.theguardian.com/science/head-quarters/2016/jan/08/asmr-and-head-orgasms-whats-the-science-behind-it

Guardian article that talks about the only published article as of 2016

https://peerj.com/articles/851.pdf

Percentage of participants that reported induction of tingling sensations from each trigger type.     Trigger type Percentage of participants triggered 

Whispering 75%

Personal attention 69% 

Crisp sounds (metallic foil, tapping fingernails, etc.) 64%

 Slow movements 53% 

Repetitive movements 36% 

Smiling 13%

 Airplane noise 3%

 Vacuum cleaner noise 2% 

Laughing 2%

On page 9 at the top is a chart of improved mood from before, during and after exposure to ASMR.

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17470919.2016.1188851?scroll=top&needAccess=true

Since 2016 ASMR has become a favorite of research investigators and multiple studies have been published. • Appears to decrease the inhibition of sensory-emotional experiences • Found association between the stimulus of ASMR and activity in the Default Mode Network (DMN). The DMN is an area of the brain that blocks out extraneous information• This type of action has also been associated with psychedelic experiences