Today I want to touch on something I have experienced, but until now I did not know it had terminology associated with it. The topic is autonomous sensory meridian response, also known as ASMR. While doing a quick internet search, I felt like I did not come up with a lot of reputable or scientific articles on the subject. However, it is out in the world, so I will do my best to give you what I understand about ASMR.
According to Wikipedia, ASMR is an experience categorized by a static-like or tingling sensation on the skin that typically begins on the scalp and makes its way down the back of the neck and the upper spine. ASMR includes the subjective experience of a “low-grade euphoria “. It is commonly triggered by specific auditory or visual stimuli, and less commonly by intentional attention control. Some examples of ASMR “triggers” include: a whispering voice, quiet, repetitive sounds such as turning book pages, tapping nails onto surfaces such as plastic or wood, and hand movements. For those of you familiar with the reference, a prime example to me is listening to the painter Bob Ross talk while he paints on his old TV shows.
To tie ASMR to mental health, there are thoughts that ASMR can be helpful for depression and general mental well-being, among other things. Again, as I noted above, there is not a lot of scientific evidence to support ASMR at this time, but based on experiences (and the millions of ASMR videos online), it appears that ASMR can provide some benefit.
How about you? Are you familiar with ASMR? Do you relate to the description of ASMR that I discussed above? I know this topic has me intrigued, and I look forward to learning more about its benefits and applications.