Psychology Facts

▲ ASMR ▲

》Autonomous sensory meridian response—more commonly referred to as ASMR—is the name given to a tingling sensation, typically on the scalp, neck, or back, that some people report feeling in response to certain visual or auditory stimuli.

》researchers have recently begun to explore whether the phenomenon has any scientific basis whatsoever. So far, some preliminary research suggests that ASMR may help manage symptoms of insomnia; other small fMRI studies suggest that those who experience ASMR may have subtle brain differences from those who don't.

》ASMR can be deeply pleasurable or relaxing for those who experience it. But its best-known application is as a treatment for insomnia. In one small survey, 82 percent of respondents reported that they used ASMR to induce sleep.

》Some believe that ASMR can be chalked up to imagined sensations or recreational drugs. But research suggests that ASMR is a real phenomenon. One study found physiological differences between those who did and did not report experiencing ASMR; participants who experienced ASMR had a lower heart rate and increased skin conductance while watching ASMR videos.

》Stimuli that evoke an ASMR response can involve certain situations or the sense of sight, touch, or sound. Some of the most common ASMR triggers include:

Chewing
Eye contact
Hair play
Humming
Light patterns
Massage
Page-turning
Paint mixing
Personal attention
Tapping
Typing
Watching someone concentrate on a task
Whispering

》Preliminary research has shown that personality may play a role in one's ability to experience ASMR. In their 2017 study, Clark, Fredborg, and Smith found that ASMR is correlated with several of the Big Five personality traits. Specifically, ASMR listeners were associated with lower levels of Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Conscientiousness. Higher scores for Openness and Neuroticism were also found among this group when compared with matched controls

》resonance imaging (fMRI) scans on ASMR-sensitive participants while they watched different types of ASMR videos. The researchers found that the following areas of the brain were activated:

Dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC): This region of the brain is associated with social cognition and caring for others.

Medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC): This region of the brain is linked with self-awareness, social cognition, and social behaviors. Oxytocin binds to mPFC receptors and promotes relaxation.

Nucleus accumbens (NAcc): This part of the brain is also linked with controlling feelings of reward, satisfaction, and other emotions.

》Research also suggests that people who experience ASMR may also be more likely to also experience synesthesia, a perceptual phenomenon in which one sensation triggers a separate perceptual response such as seeing sounds or tasting colors, for example.

》Research on ASMR may still be limited, but meanwhile, more and more people who long thought their experiences with ASMR were an anomaly have been finding comfort in like-minded communities of "tingleheads" online.