Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR)

For as long as I can remember, I've found certain sounds to be mesmerizing. It could be the sound of the rain or the surf. It could be something repetitive like a fan or a piece of machinery. New Age music can also fit in this category with its soft sounds supposedly helpful for meditation.

I ran across the term ASMR, autonomous sensory meridian response, a deliberate attempt to evoke this sensation, this hypnotic state of mind through the use of soft sounds like whispering, tapping, or scrapping. I have no idea if everyone "gets it", but this term certainly describes what I've encountered. When people have talked about an altered state of consciousness, this is it but without the use of drugs.

Wikipedia: ASMR
Autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR), sometimes auto sensory meridian response, is a tingling sensation that typically begins on the scalp and moves down the back of the neck and upper spine. A pleasant form of paresthesia, it has been compared with auditory-tactile synesthesia and may overlap with frisson.

ASMR signifies the subjective experience of "low-grade euphoria" characterized by "a combination of positive feelings and a distinct static-like tingling sensation on the skin". It is most commonly triggered by specific auditory or visual stimuli, and less commonly by intentional attention control. A genre of videos which intend to stimulate ASMR has emerged, of which over 13 million are published on YouTube.

Published on May 31, 2018 by The New Yorker
YouTube: How ASMR Became an Internet Phenomenon | Annals of Obsession | The New Yorker (7:57)
How the sounds of crinkling, whispering, and tapping induce euphoria.

Final Word
As the Wikipedia points out, there are a zillion ASMR videos published (over 13 million). Maria is but one of many.

YouTube search: ASMR

In researching this, I also discovered the following:

YouTube search: Unintentional ASMR

Unintentional? An activity, a tone of voice, meant for one thing but has a hypnotic quality to it.

The landscape painter Bob Ross produced a number of TV episodes which are classified by some as ASMR-like.
YouTube: Bob Ross

Videos of the "Alexander Technique" are also seen that way.
YouTube: Alexander Technique

I find this video of the instructor Richard Walker to be quite hypnotic. Oh, that voice!

It would seem that anything can be interpreted as ASMR by anyone.

My blog: Suminagashi: Painting on Water

Relax. Meditate. Or just drift off. Happy journeys!

References

Wikipedia: Maria Viktorovna
Maria Viktorovna, (born July 22, 1986), professionally known as Gentle Whispering, is a Russian-born ASMR practitioner and YouTuber. She has a YouTube channel called Gentle Whispering with over 1.8 million subscribers.

Twitter: Maria Gentlewhispering ASMR @GentleWhisperin

YouTube: Gentle Whispering ASMR

Vox - May 25, 2018
ASMR, explained: why millions of people are watching YouTube videos of someone whispering By German Lopez
Here’s what you need to know about the strange, tingly sensation that could help you relax.

The Washington Post - Dec 15, 2014
A whisper, then tingles, then 87 million YouTube views: Meet the star of ASMR By Caitlin Gibson
ASMR is described as a pleasurable tingling that begins in the head and scalp, shimmies down the spine and relaxes the entire body. Maria — she asked that her last name be withheld for safety reasons; her videos have sometimes attracted unwanted attention — experiences ASMR, and her YouTube channel, GentleWhispering, melds her personal tingle-triggers with others suggested by her fans. The resulting videos have drawn more than 87 million views, making Maria the premier celebrity of a controversial but increasingly recognized phenomenon.

Published on Dec 14, 2015 by Gentle Whispering ASMR
YouTube: What is ASMR? (2:00)
Hello there :) (originally requested by The Washington Post) this video is a short welcome into the online world of ASMR and my channel as a tiny spec of it. If you find yourself drawn to certain sounds, actions, voices in real life and experience a wonderful bliss while witnessing it you might be ASMR sensitive. CONGRATULATIONS! :D You might have a very unique gift in the way that you can experience the beauty of sounds, visuals and human connection by feeling pleasure/euphoria/tingles/chills/vibrations/sleepiness/deep relaxation by just having a contact with a certain trigger. There are unlimited amounts of triggers and their combinations that can be pleasant for YOU personally. EXPLORE! (check out my favorite ASMRtists on my channel side bar for guidance) :) If you feel like this applies to you and you feel excited/interested in learning more about this phenomenon, then welcome to our community :)

Above, I suggested that music can also be ASMR-like. Here are some examples of electronic music I've found mesmerizing. Enjoy.

My blog: Peter Kuli: Life Moves Pretty Fast

My blog: Malefique: Don't Go

My blog: Birocratic: Orientation

My blog: Danosongs: Mars and Stars

2020-05-11

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