ASMR

• ASMR is often described as a relaxing, tingling sensation experienced in the scalp or the spine.
• This article is part of Quarter Life, a series about issues affecting those of us in our twenties and thirties.
• The articles in this series explore the questions and bring answers as we navigate this turbulent period of life.

ASMR research

• Research into the electrical activity of the brain may shed some light on the neurophysiology that underpins ASMR experiences.
• Interestingly, one of the reasons that ASMR videos have gained such popularity is their ability to influence relaxation.
• Research indicates that ASMR-prone people may also tend to experience anxiety and that ASMR-inducing videos may help to alleviate it.

What it means if you don’t like bottle-smashing videos

• Some people experience hyperacusis, where everyday sounds – such as something smashing – are perceived as loud and uncomfortable, even painful to listen to.
• Such experiences may be underpinned by increased levels of activity in parts of the brain that process sound.
• Indeed, some people even experience misophonia, whereby some sounds lead to an intensely unpleasant emotional or physiological reaction, such as anger.
• This may in part explain why the same sound can yield very different feelings in different people when watching bottle-smashing videos.