Are You Immune to ASMR?

What Is ASMR?

ASMR, or autonomous sensory meridian response, refers to the calming, relaxing sensation that some individuals experience in response to certain audio, visual, or tactile stimuli. Scientific American describes the ASMR experience “as a pleasantly warm and tingling sensation that starts on the scalp and moves down the neck and spine.”

ASMR can be experienced in response to different “triggers,” which can span a wide range of sounds, modalities, and intensities. Whispering, tapping, hand movements, head massages, and turning the pages of a book are a few common ones. Some individuals report having had experienced the sensation whenever the school nurse checked for head lice. For others, the scene from Toy Story in which Woody is being repaired stimulates the sensation.

ASMR is distinct from sexual arousal and can purportedly help individuals relax and drift off to sleep. Some responders report anecdotal improvements in depression, anxiety, PTSD, sleep quality, and insomnia. Many report experiencing ASMR since childhood, and some incorrectly assume that ASMR is either a universal experience or one unique to them.

The acronym first came about when someone by the name of Jennifer Allen coined the neologism in 2010. Since then, ASMR has become sensationally popular with hundreds of YouTube channels dedicated to stimulating the response. The experience is not without its skeptics, however, and the existence of ASMR remains controversial in the scientific community.

What Does the Science Say?

A 2018 two-part study, appropriately titled “More Than a Feeling,” recorded participants’ physiological responses while watching ASMR videos and found a marked difference between those who reported experiencing ASMR and those who did not. The first part of the study consisted of an online experiment in which participants watched a set of three videos and then reported their affective responses.

This section of the study had several strengths. One, researchers used immediate reports rather than retrospective ones that may be biased. Two, sampling both ASMR reponders and non-responders allowed researchers to determine if changes in affect depended on ASMR status. Three, use of a non-ASMR control video allowed investigators to determine whether the positive effects of ASMR were unique to ASMR videos.

Researchers found that ASMR videos promoted positive affect (calmness and excitement) but only in ASMR responders. The second part of the study monitored participants’ heart rate and skin conductance, a measure of emotional arousal, while watching ASMR videos. Compared to controls, ASMR responders experienced greater decrease in heart rate and greater increase in skin conductance.

Historically, heart rate and skin conductance have been used interchangeably, but these findings suggest that autonomic arousal is not a unitary construct. Physiologically opposing responses in different somatic systems like the heart and skin can indicate different neural interactions.

The DMN in ASMR Responders

The default mode network (DMN) comprises several regions of the brain and is often described as being active during states of “wakeful rest,” such as daydreaming, recollection of nostalgic memories, and planning for the future. Some research suggests that deactivating the default mode network can help reduce stress and the risk of developing chronic diseases.

Uitwaaien, the Dutch term for unwinding, refers to the practice of spending time in natural environments and has been proposed as a method to modulate DMN hyperactivity. A similar sentiment was expressed in a 2019 study that examined how playing sports can help athletes cut through “brain static” to better interpret audio inputs. Researchers hypothesized that the athletes’ ability to tune out background noise could help prevent injuries and cardiovascular disease.

A 2016 neuroimaging research study revealed level differences in resting-state brain activity between individuals who experience ASMR and those that don’t. Individuals that experienced ASMR showed reduced functional connectivity in some regions of the Default Mode Network and greater DMN functional connectivity in the occipital, frontal, and temporal cortices, suggesting a blending of multiple resting-state networks.

ASMR Versus Synesthesia

ASMR may reflect a reduced ability to inhibit sensory-emotional experiences that are otherwise suppressed, and reduced connectivity of the thalamus may play a role. ASMR is sometimes compared to synesthesia, a condition in senses are combined such that words and numbers may have color or music may have taste or texture.

Two interesting case studies involve individuals who developed synesthesia after suffering injury to thalamus. Changes in thalamic connectivity may also be responsible for the tingling and emotional responses of ASMR.

ASMR Versus Musical Chills

A superior comparison may be frisson, sometimes called aesthetic chills, which describes the skin tingling and goosebumps that sometimes accompany music-listening and other awe-inspiring experiences. But while chills are associated with excitement and physiological arousal, ASMR is considered relaxing and soothing and is often used as a sleep aid.

Functional neuroimaging studies of individuals during ASMR experiences are cumbersome to conduct since the loud noises of MRI scanners are likely to interfere with partcipicants’ responses. However, that didn’t deter a Dartmouth College research group from conducting such a study in 2018. The researchers remarked,

One of the general, yet important, findings of this study is that ASMR can occur during a fMRI procedure. Quiet and relaxed conditions have been reported to be important for experiencing ASMR. fMRI scanners are large and loud machines which involve the patient lying inside them while the scanning occurs. This is the first research study to report the occurrence of ASMR during fMRI scanning which should encourage additional neuroimaging studies on ASMR.

Researchers reported increased activity in an area of the brain called the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), which is responsible for self-awareness, social cognition, and social behaviors such as grooming. Oxytocin binds to receptors in the mPFC and promotes feelings of relaxation in new mothers, and a similar mechanism may be at work during ASMR. Interestingly, mPFC activity has been observed to decrease during frisson.

Researchers also observed activation of brain regions involved in empathy, strengthening the association between ASMR and caring for others. Since this study had no control group, however, we can’t be sure if these findings are unique to the ASMR experience. Moreover, some results lacked statistical significance due to small sample size. Hopefully, future research will further elucidate these relationships.

What Does ASMR Suggest About Your Personality?

A 2017 study published in the journal Multisensory Research assessed personality traits in self-identified ASMR-sensitive individuals using the Big Five Inventory (BFI) and Inter-Personal Reactivity Index (IRI). Compared to individuals who do not experience ASMR, ASMR self-reporters projected higher on measures of empathic concern, fantasizing, and openness to experience and lower on measures of conscientiousness.

Another 2017 study from Frontiers in Psychology that used the Big Five Inventory to assess personality traits reported similar findings: “Individuals with ASMR demonstrated significantly higher scores on Openness-to-Experience and Neuroticism, and significantly lower levels of Conscientiousness, Extraversion, and Agreeableness compared to matched controls.”

A study from 2018 concluded that individuals who experience ASMR generated significantly higher scores for measures of mindfulness and curiosity compared to matched controls. It’s important to note that the associations reported in these only reflect general trends and don’t mean that someone who experiences ASMR is necessarily more neurotic or mindful than someone who doesn’t.

My Experience With ASMR

Because triggers are often portrayed as whispering and tapping sounds, and I respond to neither, I had initially assumed that I was perhaps immune to ASMR. That is, until I came across one particular video in which a woman named Gibi produced various sounds using 100 different items purchased from the Dollar Store.

Much to my surprise, the sounds created by the first two items itself, a paper towel roll and a textured sponge, ended up being personal triggers. To me, ASMR is simply that sleep-inducing, relaxing feeling you get when someone massages your scalp or brushes your hair.

Until very recently, the last time I can recall experiencing the sensation was when a classmate brushed my hair during a sleepover back in high school. But I also remember experiencing ASMR as a child while visiting India when my aunts would stroke my head to put me to sleep. As far as I can tell, I’m non-responsive to solely visual cues.

Regarding audio stimuli, I’m most responsive to soft, textured, scratching sounds that simulate those you hear during a head massage. Human voices don’t trigger the feeling, even in hushed tones. Volume also seems to make a difference, as sounds above a certain decibel level will ruin an otherwise effective trigger.

So far, our understanding suggests that ASMR is a real, measurable phenomenon reflected in physiological responses and brain activation. Research also hints at potential personality differences between people who experience ASMR and those who don’t, but many questions remain unanswered.

If ASMR is indeed mediated via oxytocin binding in the mPFC, a region of the brain that fosters bonding via social grooming, are females more likely than males to experience ASMR simply as a result of engaging in behaviors such as hair brushing and scalp massage with each other? Can we observe differences in physiological response based on type of stimuli (tactile vs audio vs visual vs audiovisual)?

Admittedly, I have an unsubstantiated theory that most people will respond to tactile stimuli like hair brushing or scalp massage, but response to binaural audio and visual stimuli may be rarer. In any case, while science tries to tease out all the processes at play, responders will continue to seek out and enjoy the benefits of ASMR!

Considering the fact that it’s easily stimulated via a wide variety of accessible triggers, ASMR may someday represent an inexpensive, noninvasive, non-pharmaceutical intervention or adjunct mental health therapy for insomnia, stress relief, and mood stabilization. Only time and additional studies will tell for certain. At the very least, safety concerns are unlikely to be an issue.

I’d love to hear about your experiences. Are you an ASMR junkie or a skeptic? What are your triggers? Did you initially think you were immune to ASMR only to discover a trigger later on? Let me know!