How Does ASMR Work?

With
the rise of social media, many new trends have popped up over the years. People
use social media to communicate more easily about what they love and enjoy,
which translates into international fads if enough people relate to each other.

One
of these fads has been autonomous sensory meridian response, or ASMR. You may
have seen late-night talk show hosts comment on the popularity or online videos
get tagged with the acronym.

If
you don’t have ASMR to certain sounds or aren’t aware of what it is, it can be
difficult to comprehend. Read on to learn everything you need to know about
this phenomenon and how it works, so you understand what everyone has fallen in
love with.

What It Is

An
autonomous sensory meridian response is much more than hearing something and
understanding it. It’s when a person enters a peaceful state of mind by
listening to certain sounds. They most often also feel an impulsive physical
response, like tingling in the head and neck.

The
key to triggering this response is for the sound to be sensual, not just any
regular noise. Someone with ASMR won’t feel the same way if they listen to a
honking car horn than they do when they hear whispering over a microphone.

How Science Supports ASMR

Because
the awareness of ASMR began recently, there isn’t much available in-depth
research about the condition as a whole.

If
you’re curious to learn more, you can read about research that attempts to
explain the condition. At Swansea University, scientists explored the link
between ASMR and
synesthesia,
which is where people experience an overlap in their sensory perception. For
example, someone with synesthesia might see colors when they listen to music.

Thanks
to researchers, we know much more about synesthesia than we do about ASMR. For
example, scientists have discovered specific genes influencing brain
development make people more likely to have it. They hypothesize the same is
true about ASMR.

Some
people may wonder if those claiming to feel ASMR effects like skin tingling are
making it up or misidentifying it for some other more common physical
condition.

When
researchers monitored brain activity in people with ASMR listening to auditory
triggers, they noticed the sounds activated the
parasympathetic nervous system. So, how does ASMR work? It’s the same thing that
happens when people practice meditation: It slows down the brainwaves and
causes immediate relaxation.

How ASMR Helps People

There
are many different reasons people listen to ASMR videos. People with anxiety
who deal with frequent panic attacks will listen to them to calm down faster and
soothe their symptoms.

They’re
also helpful for those who suffer from depression. During periods where a
person’s depression has left them unable to cope with daily life, they may
listen to an ASMR video for that relaxing, meditative experience that centers them on
something positive.

ASMR
has also helped people
with PTSD.
It’s easy to play a video when someone feels a PTSD attack beginning or even
after it’s ramped up. Instead of having to focus in silence on calming their
mind, they can tune into a video and have something they can both watch and
listen to that helps minimize their PTSD symptoms.

People
also listen to ASMR to assist with things like insomnia or stress. It’s a
popular trend that’s doing a lot of good for people around the world, even if
the scientific community doesn’t entirely understand it yet.