What is ASMR and how does it work as a relaxation technique

ASMR, autonomic sensory meridian response in English, or the sensory meridian of autonomous responsefalls into the category of phenomena involved in obtaining positive emotions and moods. ASMR promotes subjective well-being and happiness, therefore implicitly, mental and emotional health, through the psychological effects of sounds.

Lived experiences come as a response to certain triggers, audio or audiovisual stimuli. Essentially, exposure to ASMR videos produces a pleasant sensation, a tingling sensation in the scalp, which slides down the neck and down the spine, and is also called brain massage. The autonomous response of the sensory meridian occurs involuntarily, independently of the user’s will, and the intensity of the sensations experienced varies from person to person. There is also the possibility that these visual stimuli do not produce a feeling of well-being because not everyone «responds» favorably to ASMR, for some people the sounds of ASMR videos may prove annoying.

The effects of music on the brain are a long-studied and well-documented field, and the pleasant tingling associated with ASMR can be considered reminiscent of music-induced emotions, but the extent of the phenomenon on social networks has somewhat taken professionals in the psychological sciences by surprise. From the point of view of the scientific community, the psychological basis of ASMR has not yet been established, but ongoing studies have highlighted the fact that it has real therapeutic effects, with benefits for physical and mental health.

It is currently unknown whether this is truly a genuine sensation for those who claim to experience ASMR, nor whether the autonomous response of sensory meridians is capable of causing lasting changes.

Relaxing ASMR sounds

Hypothetical case, two people are in a library, behind them the librarian whispers on the phone, a student writes something on a piece of paper. The librarian’s whispers and the sound of pen on paper can be heard in the room. While one of the two people will feel disturbed, the sounds will cause him a state of irritation, the other person will experience a pleasant sensation, good because ASMR is a subjective experience. Some people remain indifferent to ASMR sounds, others are attacked by strong emotions, by a wave of heat, by a tingling that spreads throughout the body upon contact with these stimuli.

At the top of the most frequent relaxing ASMR sounds, there are:

• soap opera it is among the most common stimuli. According to a study, whispers spoken softly help induce a state of calm, peace and relaxation.
• The light breathingsimilar to whispering, it is often used in ASMR videos for sound sleep.
• buzz, While some people find this habit annoying when they hear others doing it, as an ASMR experience, the hum of a song acts on the brain in a relaxing way, like a lullaby.
• The sound that imitated scratching they fall into the controversial category because they are not universally tolerated. Scratching plastic or metal surfaces in the immediate vicinity of a microphone can generate a state of calm.
• The sound produced by touching objectsnails hitting a glass or wooden surface.
• Repetitive soundssuch as flipping through a book, rustling your fingers, snapping your fingers, brushing your hair, but also lightly touching some objects on the microphone.
• write using both a pen and a pencil with a soft tip, upon contact with the sheet of paper, they produce sounds capable of generating a strong tingling reaction.
• Vibrating sounds coming from some household appliances and appliances – a razor, a blender, a make tomorrow machine or a coffee grinder.

In addition to the auditory part, in the visual area, some people experience that warm thrill and pleasure at the sight of gentle hand movements, folding towels, cutting a soft object. These visual triggers act on the brain similarly to ASMR sounds.

With public interest in the autonomous response of sensory meridians, the number of ASMR videos on profile platforms has increased to several million clips, including channels dedicated to this type of content with a huge variety of sounds and movements.

Who can experience the autonomous response of the sensory meridians

ASMR appeared in the online community around 2010. From a scientific point of view, the topic has not yet received much attention.
Despite the prevalence of ASMR in today’s online environment (ASMR clips rack up billions of views), there are not many specialized studies that match certain characteristics and personality traits with a person’s ability to experience Response of the autonomic sensory meridians.

In the few studies, a correlation has been drawn between the sensitivity of some individuals to ASMR and the higher scores obtained in the Big Five test, on openness to experience and on neuroticism, respectively the low scores on the conscientiousness, extraversion and agreeableness chapters.

In short, the Big Five test or 5-factor model is one of the most popular personality assessment methods:

• opening (from experience) is specific to creative people, full of imagination, with multiple interests and marked by qualities such as curiosity, passion for art and beauty and the debate on ideas, intuition.
• Extraversia it is specific for extremely sociable, assertive, energetic people who want to be the center of attention and dominate others. They love meeting new people and often start conversations, it is easy for them to make friends and they feel good surrounded by lots of people.
• conscientiousness – individuals who tend to be organized and capable of self-discipline belong here. They are conscientious and show a strong sense of duty. They spend a lot of time preparing and organizing, pay attention to details and prefer to work according to a set schedule.
• pleasantness refers to the propensity for collaboration and team spirit. These personalities show tolerance and understanding. They are empathetic and show interest in the fate of the people around them, they love to offer their help and contribute to the happiness of others.
• Neuroticism – characterizes individuals with a high level of stress, who easily change their mood. They often feel anxious, get angry quickly, and tend to worry excessively.

Neurotic people are much more receptive to environmental factors and external stimuli, hence their predisposition to specific ASRM sensations.

Benefits of ASMR

Response of the autonomic sensory meridians (ASMR) is a relaxing experience for the human brain. Researchers from the University of Sheffield and the University of Manchester concluded that people who experience this phenomenon exhibit a decrease in heart rate while watching these videos, compared to those who do not experience ASMR.

Also, ASMR multiplies and intensifies positive emotionsrelaxation, comfort, feeling of social connection.

A new study suggests that individuals with anxiety and neurotic disorders are more likely to react to ASMR. Learn more about neurosis, a mental disorder involving chronic stress, an increasingly acute problem nowadays. Additionally, lower anxiety levels have been reported after watching ASMR videos.

More and more people are becoming aware of the impact of anxiety and stress on mental health and the ability to carry out daily activities. ASMR as an intervention method for controlling anxiety states is a low-risk and easily accessible tool for promoting emotional health.

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