Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR)

[Arkane 270]

Taken from http://www.asmr-research.org/

 

  Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR) is a physical sensation characterized by a pleasurable tingling that typically begins in the head and scalp, and often moves down the spine and through the limbs.

Most ASMR episodes begin by an external or internal trigger, and are so divided for classification. Type A episodes are elicited by the experiencer using no external stimuli, and are typically achieved by specific thought patterns unique to the individual. Type B episodes are triggered involuntarily by an external trigger, via one or more senses, and may also involve specific thought patterns associated with the triggering event. Both types of triggers vary between individuals, but many are common to a large portion of ASMR enjoyers.

 

Anyone here have em? Share your experiences! Tell us what made you have Brain Tingles! What triggers it? What do you feel?

 

As for me, I enjoy it. Helps me calm down. The sounds that I prefer are soft whispers accompanied by brushstroke sounds.

Here's a video I frequently go to.

 

What I feel everytime.

Edited April 20, 2013 by Artemis
Added some tags.

[Mephala 2,633]

I get these all the time, but people usually think I'm having a muscle spasm

 

It's music for me, or water sounds. And burning sounds (I'm a pyro at heart )

Normally it's just nothing, though.

Edited December 30, 2012 by Nicolas Cage

[Jessper 735]

Huh. It has a name. I always thought it was just a nerdgasm. What do you know.

 

This may sound stupid, but space battles, or great battles in general. Like for example ME3, when the fleets enter Sol system and the Ascension flies around the camera (maybe it's the engine sound sound, huh?). Or the intro sequence in Heroes VI when the new duke fights. Or the big battles in Babylon 5. Or many of those in the new Star Wars. ...

Ok, now you see why would I call it a nerdgasm.

[WarGrowlmon1990 94]

I didn't realise this sensation had a name til last year when I did some research on it. The earliest memories I have of getting ASMR triggers are of when Bob Ross was still on TV in the early '90s. Recently people have been calling Bob Ross the king of ASMR, which makes sense:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqZ6dhLlEgI

 

Another common trigger I used to get when I was little was whenever a teacher would start writing on the chalkboard. I ended up paying more attention to the trigger than the notes I was supposed to be copying:

 

 

 

 

As I got older, foreign languages and accents became a major ASMR trigger for me:

 

 

 

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4OohU3P_60

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AufuFIH3iGs

 

And recently I've discovered something. Andrea Libman's real voice gives me ASMR triggers. I was watching some interviews of hers a few months ago and nearly fell asleep cause her voice was so soothing. ^-^

[Banul 3,831]

ASMR Stands for autonomous sensory meridian response

 

Here is a real sciencey explanation for that from Wikipedia:

 

Autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR) is a neologism for a perceptual phenomenon characterized as a distinct, pleasurable tingling sensation in the head, scalp, back, or peripheral regions of the body in response to visual, auditory, tactile, olfactory, and/or cognitive stimuli. The nature and classification of the ASMR phenomenon is controversial,^[1] though there is a considerable cult following and strong anecdotal evidence to support the phenomenon despite the lack of verifiable data.^[2]

 

Basically, some people can hear certain sounds or be in certain situations that makes their head tingle. I used to get it all the time from doctor appointments. Still do, actually. It feels a little bit like goosebumps.

 

What I do to experience it is to watch ASMR youtube videos. There are tons of them. Heres an example:

 

I find them pretty relaxing, so I'll play them in the background while I do something else.

 

This is something I've been into recently, and I was wondering if anybody on the forums has had similar experiences with this. Its my understanding that it doesn't work for anybody, but hopeful that video above will work for some of you. If anyone else is into it, you can share the videos that you like.

 

 

 

[hip-indeed 304]

I had no idea this was a thing.  I've had it all my life, though I've always thought it was just some weird bizarre "I'm probably the only person in the universe who has this" thing that's intrinsically tied to my various other 'nerve-related things' like tics and various OCD habits.  

 

I used to have stuff like "I need to get light shined in specific parts of my eye to feel satisfied!' which i'd achieve with a window or TV or whatever, and these days I often feel like "I need to hear a specific sound or repeat specific things kinda to myself to feel satisfied!" a lot.  If any of you have ever watched the TV show "The Middle", the youngest family member Brick has a lot of these same exact tics like I always had (and interestingly enough I was considered a genius as a kid like he is [though that sadly didn't go much of anywhere past middle school], so maybe it's ind of a 'thing' that's known about enough for a character in a sitcom like that to exhibit such symptoms and be so similar in so many ways to me as a kid?)... I do very strongly feel that these tics (and many others besides the ones described.. they kinda come and go at whims throughout my life) are very strongly tied to this "ASMR" sensation, this kind of 'need' to satisfy these weird, bizarre, very specific things does elicit a feeling very much like described, though briefly.

 

But other than that, I absolutely have this kind of thing in the exact way described as well, separately.  Like watching that video and seeing him shine the light around and talk in that ultra-soothing voice and the fact he just has a soothing-looking face, it gives me those sensations very strongly, and in fact I do get it in similar situations (like going to the doctor or even the dentist depending on what's being done that visit) etc.  It's actually something I only very rarely experience in so strong a way but I assumed that kind of feeling was one that EVERY human being got in certain situations like that.  It's very intriguing that that's apparently not the case, and now I have a video I can watch to achieve such a unique and awesome stimulus at will pretty much.  Kind of mind-blowing, actually.

[Banul 3,831]

I had no idea this was a thing.  I've had it all my life, though I've always thought it was just some weird bizarre "I'm probably the only person in the universe who has this" thing that's intrinsically tied to my various other 'nerve-related things' like tics and various OCD habits.  

 

I used to have stuff like "I need to get light shined in specific parts of my eye to feel satisfied!' which i'd achieve with a window or TV or whatever, and these days I often feel like "I need to hear a specific sound or repeat specific things kinda to myself to feel satisfied!" a lot.  If any of you have ever watched the TV show "The Middle", the youngest family member Brick has a lot of these same exact tics like I always had (and interestingly enough I was considered a genius as a kid like he is [though that sadly didn't go much of anywhere past middle school], so maybe it's ind of a 'thing' that's known about enough for a character in a sitcom like that to exhibit such symptoms and be so similar in so many ways to me as a kid?)... I do very strongly feel that these tics (and many others besides the ones described.. they kinda come and go at whims throughout my life) are very strongly tied to this "ASMR" sensation, this kind of 'need' to satisfy these weird, bizarre, very specific things does elicit a feeling very much like described, though briefly.

 

But other than that, I absolutely have this kind of thing in the exact way described as well, separately.  Like watching that video and seeing him shine the light around and talk in that ultra-soothing voice and the fact he just has a soothing-looking face, it gives me those sensations very strongly, and in fact I do get it in similar situations (like going to the doctor or even the dentist depending on what's being done that visit) etc.  It's actually something I only very rarely experience in so strong a way but I assumed that kind of feeling was one that EVERY human being got in certain situations like that.  It's very intriguing that that's apparently not the case, and now I have a video I can watch to achieve such a unique and awesome stimulus at will pretty much.  Kind of mind-blowing, actually.

Yeah, I didn't realize it was a thing until maybe a year ago. I used to get it all the time growing up, but people didn't seem to know what it was so I kept it to myself. One of my earliest experiences that I can remember is this one scene from Harry Potter. Harry gets a wand from the wand shop, and the sound the clerk makes when he pulls the wand box from the middle of the other boxes used to give me a really big reaction. People would look at me funny when I told them that the scene made me feel awesome, or they would assume that I just REALLY liked that scene.

 

It's interesting because nobody seems to know exactly what the hell this thing is. It's understandable, as I'm sure "weird tingly feeling" isn't high on the priority list for medical studies. I've heard some people say it's a kind of leftover sensation from childhood where you would get a positive sensation when being touched, but I have no way of verifying that.

[Princess Periwinkle 3,775]

I love ASMR. It's one of the most relaxing things ever. I first experienced it listening to none other than Bob Ross. I've spent hours of my life relaxing to it... It really takes the stress off.

[King 5,625]

Just a heads up @Banul, merged your thread with an already existing topic on this.

[Nuke87654 1,849]

I love watching some ASMR vids to relax. It's probably the next best thing to a massage for me.

[Henny Penny Benny 936]

Dunno if it's a legit ASMR, as I wouldn't really describe it as a "tingle," but I do find myself severely mellowed out by the sound of someone practicing acoustic guitar.

Edited August 14, 2014 by Henny Penny Benny

[Hovershy 3,814]

I freaking love ASMR. I used to feel like such a weirdo for getting that feeling, but when I learned it was actually a real thing, I was happy. 

[Invincible 2,091]

I had this one time when i was listening to music. The song started out good, and then it got REALLY good.... i wish i could remember which song it was. I loved that sensation though.

[Sunny Fox 5,950]

So, basically, "shivers down the spine"? Yes, I get that frequently. Music, a really good line in a TV Show or Movie can trigger it.

[Guest90210 3,568]

I've been thinking about this recently. Here's the first video which caught my interest in the whole ASMR thing.

 

[Passion 3,484]

It's not just about the "shiver down the spine", it's something more...

 

I'm actually terrible at remembering stuff like that, but I know that I get that "reaction" each time I'm outside, in a calm, sunny (but not hot) weather, and there's a sudden temperature change on just a slightly cooler one accompanied by a slight breeze. Makes me literally tremble. It's like majority of my less vital muscles saying: "Five seconds break guys!". Really, but really pleasant experience.

 

Food for thought now:

 

Was Spiderman having an ASMR each time he said his senses were tingling ? (Rhetorical question ^^)

[Arylett Charnoa 4,919]

ASMR Stands for autonomous sensory meridian response

 

Here is a real sciencey explanation for that from Wikipedia:

 

Autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR) is a neologism for a perceptual phenomenon characterized as a distinct, pleasurable tingling sensation in the head, scalp, back, or peripheral regions of the body in response to visual, auditory, tactile, olfactory, and/or cognitive stimuli. The nature and classification of the ASMR phenomenon is controversial,^[1] though there is a considerable cult following and strong anecdotal evidence to support the phenomenon despite the lack of verifiable data.^[2]

 

Basically, some people can hear certain sounds or be in certain situations that makes their head tingle. I used to get it all the time from doctor appointments. Still do, actually. It feels a little bit like goosebumps.

 

What I do to experience it is to watch ASMR youtube videos. There are tons of them. Heres an example:

 

I find them pretty relaxing, so I'll play them in the background while I do something else.

 

This is something I've been into recently, and I was wondering if anybody on the forums has had similar experiences with this. Its my understanding that it doesn't work for anybody, but hopeful that video above will work for some of you. If anyone else is into it, you can share the videos that you like.

Just two minutes of that video, and you already triggered it in me. Wow. I must find more like this, because it feels... well, I guess I discovered that soft voices are one of my triggers.

 

Like a lot of other people here, I didn't know this was an actual thing. I kind of assumed it was just me being weird and didn't really speak of it much. I'm affected by it quite profoundly though. Bad things could be happening externally from me, and it shapes my perception of them. It makes me not care too much about bad things and make incidental things just feel very good. I always just assumed it was something I couldn't actually control. It just happened like a lucky random treat in some moments. I could only kind of trigger it through rubbing my feet on corners. Yes, that's one way to get me to do it that I absolutely know of.

 

Also, touching my scalp and massaging my hair always did the trick back when I was younger. I'm sure it still does. But someone else has to be doing that. I can't just trigger it myself in that case.

 

Since I'm very sensitive to being touched by other people in general, it isn't really hard for others to get this feeling going in me. Voices, particularly male ones, are also another thing I am sensitive to. And sometimes, it just happens on random thoughts. They trigger it too.

 

Still, I'm glad I found out this has a name and that I can maybe control it a bit... this could be very useful to me in the future once I harness its power.

[Bright Bastion 241]

Hey everyone! I really enjoy ASMR and even though this is a relatively old thread, I really want people to know about it and so I've come here to post some content creators that I watch.
 
My first experience was with Lucahjin, a youtuber that does let's plays oddly enough. She has a channel that she hasn't updated at all recently called relaxajin, and I loved it. There are a couple of lets plays on her channel that are reminiscent of that also. Her videos on Journey is my main example. Her Ico playthrough was pretty good at first but it turns comedic somepart through, which isn't bad but it doesn't exactly pretain to this discussion.
 
Relaxajin:
https://www.youtube.com/user/Relaxajin

 

Journey:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6FCB779DA20D237C
 
Then my next experience was watching Heather Feather, and Heather Feather is just sooo good at triggering my ASMR. She does all sorts of stuff and I'll let her intro video talk about what exactly she does.
 

 
Her video's tend to be a bit long so Usually I'm either on my computer doing something akin to work (hahaha yeah right) or I'm trying to go to sleep when I'm listening to her videos.
 
And if ASMR is the kind of thing you want to explore but find it too ... let's say ordinary, I have a rather unique channel you could try out. It's called Ephemeral Rift and Most of the time, i just watch his videos because they are just so bizarre. It's exactly my kind of weird.
 

 
And if that plague doctor talking about ASMR and that shot of Margaret trying to encase you up in bubble wrap didn't really pique your interest there are also far more normal videos on his channel that are just as unique, like this mind-screwy video.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Gx1SI6LnfY

[Banul 3,831]

 

And if ASMR is the kind of thing you want to explore but find it too ... let's say ordinary, I have a rather unique channel you could try out. It's called Ephemeral Rift and Most of the time, i just watch his videos because they are just so bizarre. It's exactly my kind of weird.

 

 

And if that plague doctor talking about ASMR and that shot of Margaret trying to encase you up in bubble wrap didn't really pique your interest there are also far more normal videos on his channel that are just as unique, like this mind-screwy video.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Gx1SI6LnfY

 

I did Ephemeral  Rift because of how weird his videos are, but I think its for that same reason that I cant get any tingles off most his videos

[Bright Bastion 241]

Yes I know, but his beer reviews are cool for the glass tapping. There is also a manly asmr that's totally over the top. But I feel you. I love his videos but the crazy ones like with margaret are just especially fun to watch. There's a video that's just completely jiberish that sort of sets me off. I can't really link to it right this second (I'm on my phone) but type in gnol ephemeral rift in youtube search and you should get it.

[Noei 718]

asmr is basically the pleasant tingling sensation you feel- or don't feel >:3 - when being exposed in certain situations, such as in this video below:

 

 

Did you feel the tingling ? Discuss.

 

Edited March 29, 2015 by Nicholas

[~TheGammy~ 112]

I idn't get a tingly sensation or anything. But I thought that was still so cool to watch! Hearing things you can't usually hear due to vocals or music.

Awesome~

[Banul 3,831]

I remember watching that as a kid and not knowing what that sensation was. Now I watch ASMR videos all the time.

[Sceethe 704]

i am not sure if i get it. the sound is awesome. is that what you are referring to?

[repsol rave 2,963]

nope, i didn't feel it. does this make me heartless or something now?