What Is ASMR? A Psychologist Explains Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response
Summary
ASMR or autonomous sensory meridian response elicits a tingling sensation in the head and down the spine. The author of one of the first studies on ASMR, Dr. Nick Davis, explains that ASMR has physiological responses on the body like a decreased heart rate and changes in skin electrical responses. However, it is triggered by some kind of psychological state, which is associated with comfort or calmness. ASMR is a universal sensation, but it is rare to find people who would describe it similarly. It is a multi-sensory experience that involves a combination of factors like sounds, colors, and textures that gives people a sense of completion or satisfaction.
Table of Contents
- What is ASMR?
- Why is ASMR so hard to study?
- What triggers ASMR?
- What makes people feel ASM?
- Is ASMR for calming down or meditation purposes?
- Is ASMR universal?
- Does ASMR serve an evolutionary purpose?
- Why do people like certain videos that do not promote comfort and security?
What is ASMR?
Dr. Nick Davis explains that ASMR or autonomous sensory meridian response is a tingling sensation in the head and down the spine. It is autonomous because it is something you experience individually, sensory because it is pure sensor, and meridian response is a euphemism for orgasm. ASMR is associated with close personal attention, which is not sexual, and it triggers physiological responses like a slowed heart rate and changes in the electrical activities in the skin.
Why is ASMR so hard to study?
ASMR is rare, and there has been no central language to describe common experiences. However, with YouTube, there is now a community to describe ASMR, and people are giving more consistent descriptions. It is also hard to study physiologically since it requires being relaxed, and an fMRI scanner is a noisy and uncomfortable environment, making it challenging to get accurate results.
What triggers ASMR?
ASMR triggers are idiosyncratic or unique to each person; however, a few universal triggers exist, such as whispering sounds, warm and comforting stimuli, and meticulous finger movements. Mouth sounds are also a trigger for the sense of comfort and warmth.
What makes people feel ASM?
People feel ASMR when they associate it with comfort or calmness. The multi-sensory experience that people get from watching or listening to ASMR videos triggers a sense of satisfaction by involving a combination of factors like sounds, colors, and textures.
Is ASMR for calming down or meditation purposes?
Dr. Nick Davis notes that ASMR is related to relaxation and getting people into calm states. He believes that ASMR is associated with the sorts of things that happen during relaxation, and it may be possible to use it to calm down, meditate, or induce sleep.
Is ASMR universal?
Dr. Nick Davis believes that ASM is universal across all people since it is a sensation that is associated with a sort of warm, pleasurable feeling. It is a sensation that is associated with security and comfort via parental bonding.
Does ASMR serve an evolutionary purpose?
Dr. Nick Davis thinks that ASMR is related to comfort and security and the feelings that people get from being cradled by a maternal bond. It is a universal sensation that helps in parental bonding.
Why do people like certain videos that do not promote comfort and security?
Dr. Nick Davis explains that some videos do not promote security and comfort outright. Still, they involve intimacy or having someone come into a person’s personal space in a non-sexual way, which promotes a sense of safety and comfort. The satisfaction of completion or symmetry can also be a trigger for some people.
Conclusion
ASMR, or autonomous sensory meridian response, involves eliciting a tingling sensation in the head and down the spine. It is triggered by a combination of physiological and psychological states that provide a sense of comfort and security, and it has multi-sensory triggers that are unique to each person. Although it is difficult to study ASMR physiologically, it has been linked to relaxation and may be useful for meditation, calming down, or inducing sleep. ASMR may have an evolutionary purpose since it is related to comfort and security, and it promotes parental bonding.
