Stroking the brain ASMR

The Internet has an interesting property - it makes visible the peculiarities of the human psyche. With the help of the Internet, we learn what things we like (for example, kittens), and what - pushes away (for example, lotus boxes). Relatively recently, an interesting and pleasant effect, called autonomous sensory meridional response (ASMR), was discovered on the Internet in the same random way. What is it?

Wikipedia (and RU EN articles have already appeared) gives a rather vague definition of “the phenomenon of perception, characterized by a distinct pleasant tingling sensation in the scalp or other parts of the body in response to certain visual, auditory and / or cognitive stimuli” . The definition is bad because the incentives are not described in any way. At the same time, they can be easily identified:

Sound stimuli

The main stimulus / symptom of ASMR is a whisper or soft speech. Sounds of rustling or scrubbing are often added to it — the rustling of paper, the creaking of nails on any surfaces, the hissing of the outgoing steam, and others. The effect of stimuli is enhanced by the use of 3D microphones, giving a sense of the position of the sound, using an accent or foreign language in speech. A separate incentive is music.

Visual stimuli

Among visual stimuli, smooth movements of hands and mechanical work (such as page turning) are distinguished.
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Real / role / social

Another type of stimuli is actions that you may encounter in reality, for example, visiting a hairdresser, or role imitation of such actions in a video. Also here can be attributed to the video, giving a sense of concern and belonging.

Susceptibility to ASMR

If you have goosebumps while listening to music or visiting a hairdresser, chances are great that you will enjoy ASMR. In principle, for verification, no special efforts are needed, it is enough to launch it, preferably with headphones, this is the video:

ASMR Types

The interest of users (millions of views on YouTube!) Led to the fact that the creators of ASMR-video quite a lot, for many tastes. With a bit of searching, you can find the most pleasant voice, face, or style. There is something to choose from.

Role movie in the sci-fi entourage, the plot - interplanetary tourism:


Barbershop:


Walk through the woods, male voice:


Whisper and various rustling / scrubbing objects


Tapping, notebooks, Russian


Two-hour video of a hair dryer. Judging by the number of views someone like it.

Work mechanism

There are no ASMR studies to date, and the phenomenon is waiting for its researchers. It seems to me that this effect lies mainly in the work of the brain, but the nervous system is also involved. According to the observations on oneself, on the one hand, similar goosebumps arise from some types of music, on the other hand, similar sensations arise when visiting a hairdressing salon in real life.

I do not feel anything!

It's okay, people are different, you may have some incentives of pleasure, which we do not have.

Isn't it dangerous?

This is an ordinary sound, there is not even a claim for any special ways of working with the brain (as was the case with relatively recently popular binaural sounds). Accordingly, there should be no danger.

Community and links

There is a good article with an interview with the authors of ASMR video.
There was, until recently (until the admin hit political activism) , a VC group .
Well, on YouTube this good above the roof , the very different.