ASMR has been around for 10 crinkly years — here’s what we know about it now
Common triggers
ASMR isn’t something that everyone experiences but, for those that do, we now know there are consistencies in what they report. First, we know that ASMR typically emerges in childhood (common early examples are feeling tingles during lice checks at school, or when playing the guessing game of “what letter am I tracing on your back?”). Interestingly, when people find out ASMR is a “thing” theyoften reporteither that they thought everyone had the same experience or that it was unique to them.
Second, although people have their own particular tastes, there are remarkable consistencies inASMR triggers. Common triggers include soft touch, whispering, soft-speaking, close personal attention, delicate hand movements and crisp sounds.
Situations that induce ASMR often involve a combination of these triggers – such as getting a haircut, or watching someone complete a mundane task like folding laundry. It’s no surprise, then, that the most popular ASMR videos simulate thislayering of triggers.
Brain tingles
There have been three brain imaging studies on ASMR. One looked at the areas activated when the reported tingles are happening in real-time. The study looked atten participants who experienced ASMRand had them watch ASMR videos in an fMRI machine.
The study showed that periods of ASMR tingling were associated with increased activation in brain regions involved in emotion, empathy, andaffiliative behaviors. These results are preliminary and based on a small sample size, but the authors liken ASMR to caring and grooming behaviors – suggesting that ASMR activates neurological pathways involved insocioemotional bonding. This idea is somewhat supported by research showing that ASMR can make those experiencing itfeel more connectedto other people.
Two other brain imaging studies have taken a different approach by examining differences in resting-state brain activity (when people are simply lying in a scanner) with people who do and don’t have ASMR. They found that people with ASMR haveless distinct and more blended neural networks, suggesting that ASMR could happen because of a reduced ability tosuppress emotional responsesthat we derive from our senses.
That might sound like a bad thing, but it doesn’t have to be. We all integrate information from our external world (sights, sounds, smells) to give rise to emotional experiences. But the way in which we do that can differ between people.
Being less able to inhibit connections between our inner and outer worlds can mean more intense positive emotional experiences such asgetting goosebumpsfrom our favorite music or experiencing complex emotions, likeawe, in response to art.
In fact, we know that people who experience ASMR are also more likely to experience other complex multi-sensory experiences likemusic induced chillsandsynaesthesia. Unfortunately, people with ASMR are also more likely to experiencemisophonia, (literally meaning “hatred of sound”), which isn’t pleasant.
More empathetic
As well as neural differences, researchers have tried to understand ways that people with ASMR differ from those that don’t experience it. Overall, research suggests that people who experience ASMR have a greater tendency to havemore immersive or absorbing experiences.
People with ASMR score higher on the personality trait of “openness to experience,” which reflects imagination, intellectual curiosity and appreciation of art and beauty.
People with ASMR are alsomore empathetic, at least on two measures of empathy looking at compassion and concern for others, and the ability to immerse oneself in imagination and fiction.
Therapy tool
A quick glance at the comments on ASMR videos is enough to convince you that ASMR is really helping people: improving mood, relieving insomnia, and even counteracting loneliness.
We now havepreliminary scientific evidenceto support these anecdotal claims. People with ASMR show significant reductions in theirheart rateswhen watching ASMR videos. These stress reductions were comparable to those experienced during mindfulness and music therapy. But whether or not ASMR can and should be used as an effective form of therapy is still unknown.
This is an exciting time for ASMR research because there’s still so much we don’t yet know. Future studies may want to look at whether everyone has the potential to experience ASMR, if it could be a new form of therapy. Hopefully, research might also someday be able to answer why only some people experience this unique phenomenon.
This article is republished fromThe ConversationbyGiulia Poerio, Associate lecturer,University of Essexunder a Creative Commons license. Read theoriginal article.
Story byThe Conversation
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