Benefits include temporary decreases in pain and depression.
This article covers ASMR sensations and triggers and what it does to your brain.
Luis Alvarez / Getty Images
What Is ASMR?
Luis Alvarez / Getty Images
Researchers have only begun to study this phenomenon in recent years.
What is known so far is that ASMR creates two general sensation types: physical feelings and psychological feelings.
What Does ASMR Feel Like?
One study reported a wide range of feelings from the ASMR experience.
The most commonly reported feeling was a “tingling sensation.”
This sensation usually starts in the back of the scalp and migrates down the line of the spine.
Researchers noted that the amount of tingling sensation appeared related to the amount of triggering stimuli used.
What Triggers ASMR?
Things that trigger ASMR can differ from person to person.
Several known external triggers have the potential to elicit an ASMR response in people.
What Does ASMR Do to Your Brain?
There is little data regarding the cause of ASMR activation in the brain.
The participants watched ASMR videos and notified researchers of specific moments of tingling and relaxation feelings of ASMR.
Is ASMR Backed by Science?
ASMR research shows that ASMR can reduce anxiety, depression, and insomnia.
ASMR may also be helpful in relieving symptoms of chronic pain.
Social Connections
It is unknown how many people are capable of experiencing ASMR.
However, fans of ASMR appear to be connecting online, and ASMR is gaining in popularity.
Some people experience feelings of relaxation and calmness when exposed to ASMR.
The sensation also extends out to the shoulders, lower back, arms, and legs in some cases.
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