A new and strange type of video has become very popular on YouTube in recent months: Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR) videos, which have been described as “sounds that feel good”, “head orgasm” and “brain tingles”.
ASMR tingling sensation route illustration. PHOTO: Wikicommons
There is not much research on the subject however, according to the ASMR university, an online website, ASMR is “a variety of soothing sensations due to a variety of gentle stimuli”. These stimuli include whispering, light touches and methodical sounds.
According to a study published in 2015 by Emma Barratt and Dr Nick Davis, psychology researchers from Swansea University, out of the 500 ASMR enthusiast surveyed, most of them were triggered by whispering, followed by videos of personal attention, crisp sounds and slow movements.
Most participants admitted to watching ASMR videos as a way of dealing with stress, helping them sleep and for relaxation purposes.
5% of the people surveyed admitted that they used ASMR videos for sexual stimulation.
Some of the popular ASMR channels on YouTube are GentleWhispering, Asmrsurge, ASMR Darling, Hungry Cakes and ASMRTheCrew.
All these channels have thousands of subscribers and their videos have millions of views. They also do different kinds of ASMR, from eating to gentle sounds and personal attention videos. – Vonani Ngomana
Below are a few ASMR videos one can find on YouTube: