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Goosebumps in the Brain
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- Inspiring Science
A crackling campfire, rustling leaves or a hairbrush gliding through hair – sounds such as these have a relaxing effect, and they are summarized under the acronym ASMR. Read on to find out more about the latest relaxation hype.
When Craig Richard wants to relax after a stressful day, he sometimes watches one of the painting courses by the late TV host and landscape painter Bob Ross. He then listens to him as he strokes the canvas with his brush. The professor of biopharmaceutical sciences at Shenandoah University in Virginia equally loves the sound of scissors as they cut hair, even though he himself sports a bald head. “For the longest time, I had no idea why I found these things relaxing, and neither did I know that they could be connected”, he remembers. “I guess I simply thought I was a little strange.”
A gentle wave of relaxation
Quite the opposite is true – Craig Richard is not alone with his preference for relaxing sounds. Countless people all over the world love auditory sensations that trigger a pleasant tingling on the head. In some people, this sensation will continue to expand as a wave of relaxation to the neck, flowing down the spine. A pleasant shiver, comparable to a gentle electrical discharge. This phenomenon is known through its acronym, ASMR, which stands for “Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response”. Autonomous because the effect starts without the participation of the person who hears the sound and sensory because on occasion, the phenomenon affects all the senses. In the view of Traditional Chinese Medicine, meridians comprise lines through the body which conduct the life energy – and the pleasant shiver of ASMR. Response signifies the response of the body to the sensory input.
In 2013, Craig Richard came across ASMR by chance while listening to a podcast in his kitchen. “At the time, very little information on this topic was available, but I was immediately fascinated”, he recalls. “After all, I had always experienced it as relaxing.” As a result, he contacted computer scientist Jennifer Allen, the woman who had coined the term ASMR. They started collaborating on a research project the very same year.
Pleasant tingling reaches an audience of millions
Allen had also experienced the pleasant tingling on her scalp while listening to certain sounds. She founded a Facebook group which over time attracted many fans who shared similar experiences. Currently, there is no greater relaxation hype than whispered or rustling sounds, or even sounds produced by chewing. In 2021, ASMR was the third most searched term on YouTube, where the most popular ASMR video was downloaded 33 million times. Celebrities like Paris Hilton and the American rapper Cardi B are practicing the friendly whisper in front of the microphone while unknown ASMR artists and their clips go viral. For example, Jane from South Korea – her channel now has more than 17 million followers.
But how do these ASMR-associated sensations arise? This is what Craig Richard and Jennifer Allen wanted to find out. One result: “Our brain scans show that certain areas of the brain are active when someone is experiencing ASMR and the tingling”, explains Richard, and he adds: “The areas that are predominantly involved include the medial prefrontal cortex and the insular cortex, and also the nucleus accumbens, which is a part of the reward system in the brain.” The fact that ASMR touches these areas of the brain may lead to the conclusion that neurotransmitters such as the endorphins serotonin, GABA and oxytocin are involved, and it appears that oxytocin, which is released during cuddling and which has lust-intensifying properties, may be the most important. Particularly the sounds of breathing and whispering allow us to sense the presence of another human being – even virtually”, elaborates Craig Richard. “Thus, ASMR sounds are capable of fulfilling the desire for closeness – one possible reason why ASMR became so popular during the pandemic.”
Oxytocin may also be the reason why some people are receptive to ASMR sounds whereas others are not – and may even be repulsed by the sounds of eating. “The amount of oxytocin released is determined by genetics, and the manifestations may vary considerably”, says Craig Richard. Accordingly, a biological component is most likely involved when it comes to a preference for ASMR. At the same time, says Richard, one’s own life experiences may contribute to increased openness towards these sounds, as well as the individual mindset or cultural imprint.
Pleasant – and good for you
It has been proven that those who enjoy it will relax with ASMR. “Heart rate and blood pressure go down – both are prerequisites for the body to enter a resting state”, says Richard who compiles his findings on the website asmruniversity.com. Even people with anxiety or depression should give it a try and see if an ASMR video or podcast works for them. The gentle sounds are capable of soothing anxiety or lifting a downcast spirit. The research is still in its infancy; there are many open questions that Craig Richard intends to answer: “For example, I would like to find out about the effects of ASMR on stress-related hormones such as cortisol or adrenalin.”
A gentle wave of relaxation
Quite the opposite is true – Craig Richard is not alone with his preference for relaxing sounds. Countless people all over the world love auditory sensations that trigger a pleasant tingling on the head. In some people, this sensation will continue to expand as a wave of relaxation to the neck, flowing down the spine. A pleasant shiver, comparable to a gentle electrical discharge. This phenomenon is known through its acronym, ASMR, which stands for “Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response”. Autonomous because the effect starts without the participation of the person who hears the sound and sensory because on occasion, the phenomenon affects all the senses. In the view of Traditional Chinese Medicine, meridians comprise lines through the body which conduct the life energy – and the pleasant shiver of ASMR. Response signifies the response of the body to the sensory input.
In 2013, Craig Richard came across ASMR by chance while listening to a podcast in his kitchen. “At the time, very little information on this topic was available, but I was immediately fascinated”, he recalls. “After all, I had always experienced it as relaxing.” As a result, he contacted computer scientist Jennifer Allen, the woman who had coined the term ASMR. They started collaborating on a research project the very same year.
Pleasant tingling reaches an audience of millions
Allen had also experienced the pleasant tingling on her scalp while listening to certain sounds. She founded a Facebook group which over time attracted many fans who shared similar experiences. Currently, there is no greater relaxation hype than whispered or rustling sounds, or even sounds produced by chewing. In 2021, ASMR was the third most searched term on YouTube, where the most popular ASMR video was downloaded 33 million times. Celebrities like Paris Hilton and the American rapper Cardi B are practicing the friendly whisper in front of the microphone while unknown ASMR artists and their clips go viral. For example, Jane from South Korea – her channel now has more than 17 million followers.
But how do these ASMR-associated sensations arise? This is what Craig Richard and Jennifer Allen wanted to find out. One result: “Our brain scans show that certain areas of the brain are active when someone is experiencing ASMR and the tingling”, explains Richard, and he adds: “The areas that are predominantly involved include the medial prefrontal cortex and the insular cortex, and also the nucleus accumbens, which is a part of the reward system in the brain.” The fact that ASMR touches these areas of the brain may lead to the conclusion that neurotransmitters such as the endorphins serotonin, GABA and oxytocin are involved, and it appears that oxytocin, which is released during cuddling and which has lust-intensifying properties, may be the most important. Particularly the sounds of breathing and whispering allow us to sense the presence of another human being – even virtually”, elaborates Craig Richard. “Thus, ASMR sounds are capable of fulfilling the desire for closeness – one possible reason why ASMR became so popular during the pandemic.”
Oxytocin may also be the reason why some people are receptive to ASMR sounds whereas others are not – and may even be repulsed by the sounds of eating. “The amount of oxytocin released is determined by genetics, and the manifestations may vary considerably”, says Craig Richard. Accordingly, a biological component is most likely involved when it comes to a preference for ASMR. At the same time, says Richard, one’s own life experiences may contribute to increased openness towards these sounds, as well as the individual mindset or cultural imprint.
Pleasant – and good for you
It has been proven that those who enjoy it will relax with ASMR. “Heart rate and blood pressure go down – both are prerequisites for the body to enter a resting state”, says Richard who compiles his findings on the website asmruniversity.com. Even people with anxiety or depression should give it a try and see if an ASMR video or podcast works for them. The gentle sounds are capable of soothing anxiety or lifting a downcast spirit. The research is still in its infancy; there are many open questions that Craig Richard intends to answer: “For example, I would like to find out about the effects of ASMR on stress-related hormones such as cortisol or adrenalin.”
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