My name is Dr Emma Gray, and I am the ASMR Psychologist. And, in this video, I am going
to explain what ASMR is. Let me know what you think by giving me an up thumb or a down
thumb, and if you don't like the video, maybe drop me a quick note in the comments to tell
me what you'd like to change, and I'll do my best to make those changes for you.
Okay, so, ASMR stands for Automatic Sensory Meridian Response. And, it describes a spontaneous,
intense, non-sexual euphoria that is usually triggered by an external stimuli.
What does it feel like? So, it starts as a tingle at the back of your head that then
moves down to your neck, to your spine.
Studies have shown that the most common trigger is
a whispering voice. The second most common trigger is receiving personal attention. So,
having your hair cut, your nails painted, maybe your ears cleaned, whilst the service
provider just speaks gently to you. Other triggers include relaxing hand movements;
nail tapping or scratching; brushing sounds; lip-smacking; repetitive, but mundane sounds,
so, one of the most popular is listening to the turning pages of a book.
[TURNING PAGES]
Also, watching someone complete mundane tasks can trigger ASMR, for example, food preparation,
also, eating noises—crunching and chewing can trigger the response.
Now, ASMR can also be triggered by internal stimuli. In particular, meditation can trigger
the response. The benefits are, well, most importantly, most commonly, a very deep relaxation.
But ASMR may also help to lift your mood and reduce pain. But, at the moment, these benefits—of
anecdotal tests—there's no research looking at benefits just yet.
Okay, so, ASMR has been compared to two other phenomena. The first one is something called
Auditory Tactile Synesthesia, and this is where one sensory pathway triggers an automatic
experience in another. For example, someone may hear a word, and then, also, at the same
time, experience a texture. It's also been compared to something called frisson, which
is the French word for shiver. And the best example of this
is when you get goosebumps when you are listening to a piece of music.
Okay, so, let's talk a little bit about the history of ASMR. Now, interestingly, Virginia
Woolf seems to describe it in her 1925 novel, 'Mrs Dalloway', where she describes the way
that the nursemaid talks to a patient. I'll read you the passage now.
"...deeply, softly, like a mellow organ, but with a roughness in her voice like a grasshopper’s,
which rasped his spine deliciously and sent running up into his brain waves of sound..."
In terms of the contemporary history of ASMR, in 2007, there was a post on a health forum,
where someone described an experience that they'd had since childhood, that they compared
to when someone traces their fingers up and down your arm, but they reported that it occurred,
apparently in response to random events like listening to a story being read. And this
post then triggered numerous discussions, which led to the creation of many, many forums
to discuss the experience of ASMR. But, it wasn't until 2016 that ASMR was actually
given the name ASMR, by a woman called Jennifer Allen. And, since then, lots and lots of forums
have sprung up where you can find out about ASMR. Particularly on YouTube, you will find
lots of videos of people whispering, of people brushing their hair, of role-plays, of people
eating. A little bit maybe, now, about the evolutionary
origins of ASMR. It's thought that there might be a connection to the grooming behaviour
that we see in primates, which is very much about bonding, rather than cleaning. And this
is backed up by brain imaging, that shows that the area of the brain that is associated
with social bonding and also sensory experiences is activated when someone is experiencing
ASMR. This very much fits with the most common trigger of ASMR, which is listening to somebody
whisper to you. This is a very intimate, nurturing, personal experience, that creates an atmosphere
where you feel very special and connected to somebody. It's also similar to an aspect
of therapy or counselling, where you experience a very close, connected relationship with
your counsellor or your therapist—that's often referred to as 'reparenting'.
Now, unfortunately, not everybody experiences ASMR, and brain imaging has shown a pattern—there
is actually a difference in the brains of people who experience it, versus people who
don't. There's a part of the brain called the 'default mode network', and this is the
part of the brain that is activated when we are daydreaming, or our mind is wandering,
and this part of the brain behaves very differently in people who experience ASMR, versus those
that don't. So, when I do ASMR, I'm going to try to include
relaxation and meditation techniques, so that even if you don't experience it, you can still
get some benefit from the video. Okay, so, I hope that this was helpful.
If it was, let me know; if it wasn't, let me know. And, maybe, if you aren't already a
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so you don't miss anything good. In the meantime, enjoy the rest of your day.
Thank you for watching, and I will see you soon.