This is a very pleasant feeling that you may have experienced before. Listening to a teacher speak in a foreign language, a person chuchoter or listening to someone perform a repetitive task …

It is described as a shiver or tingling which would originate at the back of the skull and spread “Like a liquid” along the spine. Some also say they feel it in the lower back, arms or legs. “It’s incredibly relaxing, but like any other feeling, words don’t do it justice” explains Jason Abbruzzese, an American journalist. 

“The problem is, I don’t really know what it is. In fact, no one knows ” continues the journalist. “The only thing I know is that a few years ago I thought I was the only one”.

But that was beforeInternet enters our lives. On the Web, Jason meets thousands of curious people who, like him, are wondering. Where does this special thrill come from? Is it possible to reproduce it?

In 2008, “Sensory ecstasy” that Jason and the others are reporting seems unknown. Almost no article relates the experience, no scientific study analyzes it. It doesn’t even have a name. We start by calling it “brain massage” or ” brain orgasm “(Braingasm in English) without much conviction. It is finally ASMR (from English Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response or “automatic response of sensory meridians”) which will make everyone agree in 2010. 

In the meantime, the sensory explorers have regrouped into communities. They share their unique experience on forums and try to reproduce it in youtube videos. Those who make these videos are considered ASMR artists (or ASMRtists). 

We warn you right away, ASMR videos may seem strange at first glance. They will put some uncomfortable, will leave others indifferent. But for those who are there sensitive, the experience quickly gets hooked.

What do these videos look like? Several characteristics are obvious. The first is the proximity that they are trying to establish with the person watching. The actor faces a camera that frames the upper body, in a refined setting. He speaks directly to the viewer in chuchotant. This sort of “intimacy” can almost seem erotic. The majority of ASMR community members agree that this is not the goal (see below).  

Some of these videos go further by offering a immersive experience. One of the most popular role-playing games in English is the imaginary medical examination. The actor guides the viewer through a series of steps, always very slowly. Everything is done so that the visitor has the impression that they are being personally taken care of.

Other videos direct the viewer’s attention to objects. This is particularly the case for several Japanese videos which are breaking audience records on the YouTube platform. The artist pretends to cook with miniature utensils and ingredients.

Japanese Kitchen : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTQu2N5aK1A

What do these different videos have in common? They all focus on sounds. For those feeling ASMR, the sounds are essential to trigger the sensation. And the ASMR artists have understood this well. They can be seen tapping on all kinds of objects with their fingernails (an empty yogurt pot, for example) or delicately unwrapping everyday products (like a bar of soap) to produce specific sounds.

So that the experience is still more intense, they are equipped with binoral microphones. the stereophonic sound obtained with this dual microphone almost gives the impression of being in the same room.

ASMR French Sound: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9q311RiaJZs&feature=youtu.be

In a few years, the early experiments gave way to more specialized videos, and of much better quality. ASMR has come out of inner circles and is gaining more and more attention. However, it will be necessary to wait until March 2015 for the first scientific study on the subject be published.

Emma L. Barratt and Nick J. Davis from Swansea University in the UK are both Psychologists at the origin of the long-awaited investigation. They published an online questionnaire to which 475 members of the ASMR community responded. Objective: to identify the triggers of ASMR, define the sensation and motivations of those who watch the videos.

The results confirm the trends observed on YouTube: the whisper triggers ASMR in 75% of respondents. THE’personal attention and specific sounds (fingernail tapping, plastic packaging, etc.) are acclaimed by 69% and 64% of them. 53% are also sensitive to slow movements. Finally, half of the group needs to be in a calm environment to achieve ASMR.

But what psychologists mostly teach us is why ASMR videos are so successful. Almost all of the respondents to the questionnaire see ASMR as a means of relaxation (98%). Moreover, 8 out of 10 respondents use videos to find the sleep and watch the videos before bed. 7 in 10 find that the method helps them manage their stress daily.

Another conclusion of the study: ASMR would improve the mood, up to 3 hours after the sensation. Half of the group said they benefited from this effect on mood even if the specific chill did not occur. Several members of the ASMR community would also use the method to reduce the symptoms of their depression.

Finally, are Internet users looking for a form of sexual pleasure watching the videos? Only 5% of respondents say they do it for this purpose. 

ASMR would not be not a form of orgasm. So where does it come from? How to compare it? Many hypotheses are circulating in the ASMR community, without scientists being able to confirm them at the moment.

ASMR is a state of flow

But let’s start with the hypotheses of the two psychologists behind the study, Emma L. Barratt and Nick J. Davis. They notice that many ASMR videos show actors totally engrossed and focused on a particular activity (like folding towels). This state resembles, according to them, the flow, a state of concentration intense described in positive psychology. Our psychologists explain that watching a person in this state would put the viewer in a similar state, possibly allowing them to achieve ASMR.

ASMR is a form of meditation

A state of great concentration where thoughts evaporate to give way to relaxation… does that remind you of something ? It’s hard not to think about meditation! Emma Barratt and her colleague explain that “Those who practice ASMR take the time to focus on the positive emotions triggered by the stimuli, focusing exclusively on this aspect.” If you add to that the fact of sitting calmly to watch relaxing scenes, the ASMR “Could be considered a form of mindfulness”.

ASMR is a phenomenon found in yoga

Some Internet users go even further in the assumptions. They argue that the particular thrill of ASMR has long been known in the traditions orientales under the name of “kundalini”. This sensation is described as an “electric shock” which travels through the spine. A type of yoga, Kundalini yoga, is specifically dedicated to the search for this sensation. Note that the comparison between ASMR and Kundalini is not completely unanimous in the ASMR community.

ASMR is a “virtual hug”  

For Dr. Craig Richard, professor at the University of Shenandoah in the United States and author of a blog dedicated to ASMR, the explanation of the phenomenon would be much simpler. His theory is that ASMR triggers such as whispers, slow movements, or personal attention activate the same biological pathways than those involved in our relationships with close people (parents, friends, lovers). A bit as if the brain interpreted sounds and images from ASMR videos like a hug or a massage. Result ? The same hormones would be released (endorphins, dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin) and the person would experience a wave of well-being and similar reassurance.   

ASMR is a musical thrill

Finally, one of the most discussed assumptions in the community is that ASMR would be a kind of musical frisson. Canadian researchers have shown that listening to a Music who touches us causes the dopamine release in certain areas of the brain, precisely when you feel a chill. Like food, sex or drugs, music activates the reward system and gives us crazy fun. What de ASMR?