It is strange to talk about watching ASMR to other people because unless they actually do so as well, you’re likely to either get a confused look or an accusing one. Many people have never heard of these niche youtube videos, and those who have think that they cater to some weird sexual crowd. So knowing these opinions, as someone who loves this phenomenon and the community that surrounds it, I will answer the question: What is ASMR?
ASMR, in itself, is a sensation felt by some people when they hear certain sounds or “triggers”. The sensation is described in many ways depending on the person, but it commonly is called tingling or a warmth. The acronym stands for autonomous sensory meridian response. A good comparison for people who don’t experience this feeling would be how a scalp massager feels.
There has been a large online gathering of people who are able to feel ASMR. YouTube is one of the main platforms used because it is the easiest way to test many triggers. This is where people find this genre weird, as a route ASMR creators often use to deliver content is through role playing. Role playing is something that can be easily seen as sexual and, while there are creators who cater to that side of things, ASMR is much more about anxiety management and relaxation. Many roleplays are medical and people find that calming. Basically, the idea of making or watching ASMR is not kinky and I feel that there is value in explaining the true intentions involved here.
During my last year of high school, I started having panic attacks almost every night. They were fueled by various fears of dying that kept popping into my head and it is very hard to just go to sleep when your heart is pounding and you can’t breathe properly. I tried so many things to distract myself before sleep like drinking tea, doing yoga and various breathing exercises. None of these things were very helpful and I became desperate enough to google anxiety self-help tools; this is where I found ASMR. It started with listening to rain sounds, which I’ve liked since I was a child, and eventually I found great comfort in hearing people pretend to be with me.
When the nighttime became my constant nightmare, I couldn’t rely on 3 a.m. phone calls, waking up my support system. I needed to find independence and ASMR allowed me to do that. So when you hear about ASMR don’t just assume it is some weird fad. It’s simply a tool of comfort for those who need it to sleep, calm down, or even help studying and concentrating. There are a lot of different aspects and triggers of ASMR, so if you’re interested in watching ASMR try looking up sounds you already know you like. Thousands of videos involve natural sounds like the ocean and rain or pampering sounds like hair brushing and make up application. It’s all about finding what makes you comfortable and having those options available at all times on electronic devices is incredibly valuable to anxiety sufferers. This community is all about showing people care about you, and I think that’s what ASMR should be known for.