ASMR is a popular new trend for sleeping, but it has applications to help students study. ASMR stands for autonomous sensory meridian response. The principle behind it involves a stimulus, often acoustic or visual, that causes a sensation of mild euphoria resulting in relaxation. This principle is used by many YouTubers to induce such sensation through role-play videos. With whispered words, repetitive sounds, and/or soothing visuals, they attempt to calm the audience. This calming is often used to reduce anxiety or induce sleep. However, this also leads to another application. Concentration can be improved with the help of soft simulation. Dr. Franziska Apprich, an Assistant Professor in the School of Communication & Media Studies at Canadian University Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, conducted a study that supports this idea. The article on her study is linked below.
https://asmruniversity.com/2016/11/30/apprich-research-asmr-studying-learning-education/
The main idea is that a mind works better when relaxed, which I have always found to be true. When I try to multitask or am anxious, my mind seems much more jumbled. ASMR generally works to calm my mind and allows me to focus better.
As both a writer and a scholar, I found I enjoyed something in the background as I worked, but anything with words or obvious change would distract me. I usually listened to soft instrumental music as I worked, but sometimes the shifts caught my attention. Then, my common tendency to listen to the Harry Potter soundtrack resulted in a suggestion for a video called “Harry Potter ASMR-Hogwarts Library”. The title instantly drew me in and I clicked on the link. The rest is history.
The videos served to give me enough noise to have that soft stimulation, but nothing distracting. The repetition of fire crackling, rain, and pages turning soothed my mind and allowed me to focus better than instrumental music. Plus, the visual helped motivate me. Who wouldn’t want to study in the Hogwarts library?
There are lots of great ASMR Ambiance videos out there, that lack distinct whispers and are not specifically for sleep. They allow you to concentrate and transport yourself somewhere else. Study like a Ravenclaw in the common room, master your mind in the Jedi temple, or enjoy the atmosphere of your favorite video game. The channels I like best include:
ASMR rooms (lots of Harry Potter, with some Game of Thrones and Lord of the Rings)
ASMR Geek (Video games from Bioshock to Overwatch to Fallout, with some Harry Potter as well)
CrinklesForTingles ASMR (Lots of Harry Potter)
Pick your favorite place and study.