I recently had a few requests to do an ASMR video on my YouTube channel. So before I did, I thought I’d explain exactly what that is for people who don’t know. (And don’t worry, despite the initials, it’s not some R-rated thing out of a 50 Shades of Gray type novel).

ASMR is actually a very effective relaxation method that can be used to relieve stress and help people fall asleep. The catch is, it only works on some people. And to those it doesn’t work on, it can seem downright weird. ASMR in its simplest explanation is a sensation of calm and relaxation that comes from listening to soft-talking voices (or other sounds).

Accidental ASMR

A lot of my YouTube tutorials end up as “accidental ASMR”. My brother sleeps down the hall, and I usually record my videos late at night. So I always end up talking softly to not wake anybody up. As such many people have told me my videos give them the ASMR relaxation sensation. And more recently, I had requests to intentionally make an ASMR video. (So that’s at the bottom of this posting).

ASMR (which stands for Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response) is a hard to explain sensation. In fact, it’s often referred to as “the good feeling no one can explain.” It’s the ultimate in relaxed feelings. Some people describe it as a sense of euphoria, like almost being high without ever taking drugs. For some people there’s also a mix of tingles in the head that can spread down the spine and elicit relaxation.

Different people are “triggered” into feeling the ASMR sensation by different things. Common triggers include whispering, hair brushing, vocal accents, finger tapping, or soft speaking. Many people were triggered by Bob Ross’s voice as he painted his “happy trees” before they even knew what ASMR was. There’s no scientific explanation as to how the phenomenon works or why. Those who have it simply feel it when they’re triggered.

Discovering ASMR

I first discovered ASMR, like most people, completely by accident. I’d been looking up makeup tutorials for a character I wanted to dress up as. I noticed that when I’d finished watching one of the tutorials, I had this amazing sense of relaxation. I didn’t really know what it was, but I slept a lot better that night. (I’ve got a tendency to be an insomniac at times, something I inherited from my grandmother, so it was a nice change).

As time went on, I would watch this video over again quite often because of the feeling it gave me. (Sadly that video is no longer online, as the YouTuber deleted her entire channel a couple years ago). I didn’t know what the feeling was was, or why, I just knew it relaxed me and helped me sleep like nothing else. To me it was weird that I enjoyed a makeup video so much. I don’t even wear makeup normally, so it just seemed strange to me.

Not All Triggers Work On All People

Even stranger was that when I tried watching other makeup videos, I found out that only a very few of them gave me that feeling. I wasn’t sure if was the techniques or the type of makeup; I just knew which ones worked and which ones didn’t. Eventually I realized that the videos relaxing me had more to do with the voices than the subject matter. It was a softer way of speaking that, for whatever reason, just gave me this relaxed “high.”

I would seek out videos with that particular style of voice in the makeup world, as I found the two made the perfect combo to give me that feeling I still didn’t understand. (I would later learn that watching people apply makeup is a very common ASMR trigger, even among men and women who don’t wear makeup). Eventually I began to notice some of the comments below the videos I liked, telling the creators they should make ASMR videos.

What Is ASMR?

Now the first time I saw the word ASMR, I wasn’t sure I wanted to know what it was. To me it sounded kind of like a set of initials that you’d keep hidden from your kids. Eventually, however, I saw enough of those comments that curiosity got the better of me, and I googled ASMR. What I found was an explanation describing exactly what I was feeling (it was nice to know I wasn’t crazy). The more I read, the more it sounded exactly like my experience.

I also learned that ASMR is believed to be a form of synesthesia, which made sense because I already knew I was synesthetic. I read that most people discovered they had ASMR by accident. Until recently, it wasn’t a mainstream thing that very many people knew about, so a lot of people keep it to themselves. (After all, you do sound kind of nuts when you tell someone that a 20 minute video of someone crumpling paper makes you feel great). While a scientific explanation hasn’t been found for it as of yet, it is recognized as a legitimate phenomenon. There were simply too many people who had experienced the same phenomenon independently of each other for it to be placebo.

If You Have It Now, You’ve Probably Had it For a Long Time

I began to realize that I’d actually had the sensation long before I discovered soft-spoken videos. Thinking back to my grade school years, I’d had a few friends with short hair, so they loved to play with my long hair, and it would give me that same tingly feeling then too. (I recently learned that hair is a common ASMR trigger for a lot of people as well, so now it all makes sense).

I also thought back to how I used to listen to my radio so low that it was almost inaudible to help myself fall asleep. And I remember a few commercials and problems in my math book that even gave me the ASMR sensation. (They were situation math problems; for some reason multiple options give me that ASMR feeling).

ASMR’s Popularity

In recent years, however, ASMR has become more recognized (and given the name ASMR). As a result, the internet has exploded with youtube artists creating videos for people seeking ASMR triggers. These range from elaborate role plays such as checking into a spa, or getting a tarot card reading, to random sound triggers like finger nail tapping, and crinkly papers. I suppose it’s not surprising that a relaxation technique would be gaining popularity in our current tech-driven, high-stress world.

Since discovering the world of ASMR videos, I’ve found that many things that trigger other people do nothing for me. Random nail tapping, eating, whispering, etc. have no effect on me. However, have someone talking softly while typing on a computer keyboard and I get a fabulous sense of relaxation (even better than the makeup videos I first discovered ASMR through). The combination just drops me into easy sleep.

ASMR Doesn’t Work on Everyone

Now back to the catch. As great as ASMR is for those who can experience it, many people cannot. This is why ASMR can be seen as so weird. For those who don’t get the ASMR sensation, they’re just watching some long (some ASMR videos run for an hour), extremely boring video of someone talking. They don’t feel the tingles or the relaxation that people with ASMR feel. As such, they can’t understand how anyone could watch such a boring video. For people with ASMR it’s akin to being able to see rainbows in a world where everyone else only sees black and white.

So below is my first ASMR video, in response to the requests I got. It’s a superhero application role play, using a few of my favorite triggers: soft speaking and typing. If you have ASMR, I hope you enjoy it. Leave me a comment below letting me know if you have ASMR. And if so, would you want to see more of these, or should I just stick to the tutorials?

By Amber Reifsteck, The Woodland Elf

The information provided on this website is for general information purposes only. If you choose to rely on the information on this website, you do so at your own risk and you assume responsibility for the results. (Full disclaimer here)

Enjoy this post? Click here to subscribe by email and get new posts delivered to your inbox.

Ads by Google