By Mindy Larios    

ASMR videos are becoming viral through social media and are quickly becoming more known. Many people, however, are unaware of the purpose these videos serve. If someone who didn’t know what ASMR was and stumbled across a video titled “ASMR Eating Sounds”, they will most likely find the content of the video weird or annoying. 

Autonomous sensory meridian response, or commonly known as ASMR, is a term used to define a pleasurable tingling sensation that runs from the brain down the  spinal cord. In other words, ASMR makes you feel relaxed by giving you tingles or chills. There are many ways in which ASMR is done to trigger the sensations of listeners and viewers. For instance, on YouTube there are many ASMR videos with different topics that include: softly spoken or whispering voice, scratching and tapping, ear brushing, hair trimming, pages turning, role-play, inaudible whispering, plastic crinkling, chewing, slime, and many more.

A common misconception of ASMR is that it is a sexual or perverted. However, that is not the case. Although some people might interpret it as sexual, the sole purpose of ASMR is to help them relax and sleep. ASMR can benefits those who suffer from insomnia, stress, anxiety, and temporary relief for depression. Certain ASMR sounds can have the soothing effect on you, while other sounds simply don’t work and aren’t for you. For some people, however, ASMR has no effect at all. The psychological study of how ASMR works continues to fascinate scientists and as for now, many are continuing to discover that “good tingly feeling that is hard to explain” sensation that ASMR is.