ASMR: How it works and why is it so addicting?

Light tapping, soft whispers, and clucking noises are all common “triggers” found in the popular relaxation technique called ASMR or autonomous sensory meridian response. ASMR is a perceptual condition where an audio-visual stimuli “triggers” tingling sensations throughout a person’s scalp, head, neck and sometimes their entire body. These triggers are commonly caused by soft, repetitive noises and close personal attention through role-playing as a massage therapist providing a facial or a doctor performing a checkup. Although ASMR was coined in 2010, it has exploded on almost every social media platform including YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and Twitch. To date, little research has been conducted on the science behind ASMR; however, the few research studies show that those with high levels of curiosity, empathy, anxiety, and depression are more inclined to experience a tingling sensation produced by ASMR.

To evaluate the effects of ASMR on the brain, the researchers Lochte, Guillory, Richard, and Kelley conducted fMRI tests on ten individuals while they looked at ASMR videos. In general, they found that ASMR arouses the feelings of empathy, social connectedness, self-awareness, and reward. For instance, the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) was ignited while the participants looked at the stimulating videos. This part of the brain is associated with self-awareness, social cognition, and social behavior; hence, ASMR activates the brain similar to actual social engagement, providing the individual feelings of connectedness and positive affect. ASMR also ignites the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC), supplementary motor area (SMA), and the insula which are all involved in the production of empathy. Working together, the researchers state that the activation of these structures can be related to and explained by affiliative behaviors. When people care for others, they experience a decrease in stress hormones, anxiety, and an increase in oxytocin. Although people are not caring for others in ASMR, the videos seem to ignite the same brain regions in the viewer. This creates a hyper-state of relaxation due to oxytocin production, a major hormone produced in accordance with feelings of empathy. Hence, the researchers discovered that ASMR increases feelings of relaxation and mindfulness. which means ASMR could have similar stress reduction effects like meditation or yoga.

In addition to uncovering the effects of ASMR on the brain, the researchers Fredborg, Clark, and Smith evaluated which personality traits are more drawn to ASMR and which are correlated heightened experiences of tingling sensations. Using the Big Five Personality Inventory test and a questionnaire related to ASMR phenomenology, the researchers found openness-to-experience and neuroticism as the biggest predictors of ASMR related sensations. The other personality states entail extraversion, agreeableness, and conscientiousness. The results show that increases in receptivity and sensitivity of ASMR triggers are caused by the openness-to-experience and neuroticism personality traits. The openness-to-experience trait is associated with intellectual curiosity, unconventionality, aesthetic tendencies, and interests in fantasy. This personality trait explains the increase in likelihood to experience ASMR triggers due to attention to aesthetic matters, meaning heightened awareness of visual and touch sensory. The researchers perceived that the enhanced aesthetic tendencies of a person with openness-to-experience explains the increase in sensitivity to ASMR sensations since they are primed to pay more attention to visual and touch sensory. Thus, the greater attention placed on these stimuli has been seen to enhance trigger sensitivity and receptivity.

Furthermore, the researchers found a second personality trait, neuroticism, as positively correlated to ASMR sensations. Neuroticism entails negative effects such as anger, anxiety, depression, and self-consciousness. The researchers concluded that neuroticism’s sub-trait of self-consciousness causes increases in heightened awareness of how one acts, thinks, and looks compared to others. Therefore, self-conscious people could be more inclined to have heightened sensitivity and receptivity to external stimuli such as ASMR triggers. On the other hand, neuroticism is linked to anxiety and depression. People have reported that ASMR provides temporary relief from their anxiety and depression. In fact, a study from Barrat et al, found that, “98% of participants watch ASMR videos to relax, 82% watch the videos to help them sleep, 70% watch the videos to deal with stress, and 80% report a positive effect on their mood.” Thus, it can be concluded that ASMR can serve as a mindfulness technique that creates a positive effect, like relaxation, and even aids in falling asleep.

In all, although little research has been conducted on ASMR, recent studies discovered a few assumptions and conclusions as to the effect ASMR has on the human brain such as which regions are activated and which personality types are most likely to experience its benefits. More research is needed to explain whether self-consciousness or negative affect cause people with the neurotic personality trait to reap the benefits of ASMR and to solidify key understanding in why these triggers reduce stress. However, ASMR seems to help many battle insomnia, anxiety, and depression, leading to a possible new therapeutic technique for people to use.