What is ASMR? The Triggers and the Benefits

the asmr irritates me, especially the whispering, eating, tapping and slime crunching. its like nails scratching on a chalkboard. the only asmr i can watch is probably the rain falling videos. i've always wanted to know what the hype about asmr is and what is the point of it

So does doing mundane or otherwise boring things that relax you and free your mind like sweeping or sorting files count as ASMR?

⚠️ I feel extremely annoyed by these sounds. I have depression, stress and generalized anxiety. These sounds looks like insects running on plastic bags, or people smashing plastic bags, which is extremely annoying. Sometimes reminds me a house full of cockroaches running through the walls. My goodness, how can someone enjoy it ? I mean, I must be sick by a different disease... i don't know. Good luck for people who like them. 🎉🎉❤

I think Bob Ross became so popular because he triggers ASMR reflexes.

I have experienced asmr since I was a kid. I love asmr videos, but don't usually get the reflex from videos.

I'm searching for info what is asmr triggers TwT

Thanks! Again, I appreciate your no nonsense and easy to understand videos.

Tracey, ima shoot my shot. U fine black woman😮😍😋 i need a docter to treat lust, that comes with depression😢, serious note tho

Had no idea myself and my brother have misphonia until I just heard you define it. For him, it's eating noises. For me, it's neighbor noise. I've been shocked by strength of the negative emotions that erupt out of me when triggered, even when the noise is barely perceptible. I've learned to use rain sounds to drown it out and to remind myself that the person isn't irking me deliberately... they're just doing normal people things, and it's up to me to address my reaction to it.

I, and many of my peers, discovered touch ASMR as schoolgirls in the 80s. At storytime, we would all play with each others' hair. I have no idea how it started - it just became a free-for-all to find a friend who was willing to do and undo your plaits (braids). As an adult, it's one of the only thing that calms me during emotional distress. This touch ASMR also happened when my mother used to clean my ears with a cotton bud. Of course, now we know we shouldn't be poking into our ears at all, but I really miss those sensations.

Wow!! I did not know there was a name for it!! I hate mouth sounds. I struggle to listen people speak. I hear every single sound (including tongue movement) as people speak and it drives me crazy. I need to go do my research on this! Thank you.

I however do enjoy the all the last categories of ASMR that you mentioned. I’m 50/50 on the second category because I need water noise and rain noises to go to sleep, but I hate the sound of crinkling paper. I didn’t not realize any of this qualified as such. Thank you!

Great video herd of this curious what this is how does it work

Misophonia and ASMR are DEFINITELY not on opposite ends because I personally know many people with both.

We’re not gonna get good research till we get more people that experience the stuff.

😂

I am pretty sure Dr Tracy does not experience ASMR.

OCD is only connected to also hating human body sounds like smacking or chewing vs hair brushing or crinkling paper.

I know plenty of people with both OCD and the ASMR response, they just hate mouth noises.

Would the “pimple popper” type videos be considered ASMR? People report feeling “satisfied” after watching them

I am a male and this only works for me with females. Once in a moonwomen can captivate my attention and give me chills.

it would've been better if dr tracey had done asmr while explaining it.

You are one BAD Sista! Very proud of you, Doctor.

Asmr triggers don't need to be deliberately created - it's all about voices for me, if the voice is right almost anything it says triggers asmr. Why do you think I watch so many if these videos?

.... Asmr happens in real life and not just when you watch videos... My first asmr experience was at a store

Certain words and or how they are said, sounds, voices and light physical sensations send a tingle ( one of my trigger words ) through the right side of my body that becomes the only thing I can focus on. I can not sit still or focus on anything else. I become extremely angry and have often used self harm in an attempt to cope with it. I had a very difficult time in school when a video would be put on. I found the narrators unsettling. This has affected so many aspects of my life. The physical sensations I would lable as "fat attacks" because it would trigger my eating disorder and body dismorphia. I cannot listen to audio books, podcasts or certain songs. I even react to my hand being held my daughter or husband. I am at constant war with my body.

Fascinating!

You missed touch and personal attention as a trigger! I've heard that a lot of people who experience ASMR got their first experience during a haircut or someone brushing their hair -- which is neither a visual nor an exclusively auditory stimulus. (Someone suggested it might be related to social grooming, in that a person's brain is rewarding them for having a close grooming experience, thus promoting social bonds.) Some of the roleplaying videos are basically just trying to get your brain in the same state as if you were getting a haircut or some other personal attention. I've even seen one where you'd been kidnapped by a supervillain! Now that's a level of personal attention that you wouldn't think of.

I've not yet had the experience (and some say that if you've reached adulthood without experiencing it, you don't have the ability to ever experience it), but I've had frisson, and I've felt something like a minor tingle, as if I were close to having that sort of experience but hadn't quite tipped over into the experience itself. It is, indeed, like having your hair stand on end. Regardless, I enjoy ASMR videos and do find them relaxing; they can even help me move toward sleep if I'm too keyed up before watching them.

My favorite is Gentle Whispering's "Gentle Head Massage and Shampoo," though I also love MassageASMR due in large part to his accent. And Deep Oceans of Sound -- I love layering orange peeling, pop rocks, maybe some water sound like rain or waves, maybe paper cutting... get a set of five sounds all going at once. (I've at least one family member who can't stand the sound of peeling oranges, which makes me a bit sad because it's such a pleasant sound to me.)

It’s “ASMRtist” not “ASMRist”!

I absolutely hate the voice of John Mayer, and I cannot explain why. It just outright makes me very very angry. I once walked out of the office because someone tried to play it as a joke. But if other artists sings his songs, it’s totally fine.

Thanks for this. Now I have a better understanding as to why.

If ASMR is out of reach, what are the implications of that person's state of mental health?

I don't know why but I find myself getting really irritated by two things: people chewing gum, especially if they keep opening their mouth whilst doing it and someone in the room at home with me talking on their phone just yapping crap to someone, I send them out of the room!

I don't have misophonia but I hate ASMR and actively avoid it. It so intense and loud and excessive. I don't find it weird, it's just unpleasant to me. Do others feel this too? I feel weird because so many people seem to love ASMR

Thank
I enjoy rain videos
I also enjoy watching people who have pica: eating white dirt, eating starch and eating corn starch

Wow, as always you are correct. Some sounds like rubbing a balloon or scratching a chalk board makes me want to run away or burst my own ear drums. I stay away at all cost from these noises

Dr Tracy I think your gorgeous, I get an ASMR feeling every time I see you 🤗 (thanks for videos)

I have OCD and enjoy ASMR but only particular ASMRtists, I know to steer clear of any tapping heavy videos, chewing, and people with sloppy/sticky whispering voices. The good videos are super relaxing and I feel sorry for people who don't get to experience the good tingles

You did an amazing explanation of ASMR. Enjoyed watching and will send others with questions your way for the best explanation!

Aww, thank you for this! ❤️

Are fingernails on a blackboard misophonia?

One thing I've noticed about watching my favorite ASMR videos is that the feeling diminishes for me with exposure. Sadly. (I LOVE watching and listening to shoe shine videos...go figure)

I'm glad to see this gaining interest

I like watching slap and folding of dough

I don't feel tingles, but It helps me to fall asleep.

You didn't talk much about it.

Best:
cats purring.
Worst:
sound of slurpy kissing with "mmmmm" 🤮

For years I felt these sensations and never knew what it was, I found about ASMR looking for flipping magazines videos (a trigger for me) then I knew the name.

I’ve been consuming ASMR content for almost 10 years now and it’s turn from small, “weird” corner in the Internet to popular trend that’s included in advertising has been extremely interesting. There is still so little research done on it and I can’t wait until we find out more about it and what happens in the brain and body.

Thank you for this very educational and concise video!

Came across this video while searching for a new ASMR video to put on while I go to sleep.
Whispering, especially with an accent, and personal attention and facial touching or reiki. Mouth sounds and paper crinkling irritate me. Tapping and scratching are hit and miss.

Flow state/being in the zone.
All auditory is muted. Time stands still.
Is that a condition you can assume willingly, or something imposed on you by an external power?
I never know if it is my doing.

Can ASMR give you a sense of electric shocks all over your body?
Can it happen very often?

As always interesting and useful educational videos. thank you, Dr Tracy! ❤

A very interesting video. I am in between.
Some sounds I find a bit relaxing (like rain sound, but real , not a video as I hear the electric sound from the speakers, real fire, nature sounds in general), but other sounds are very annoying (a type of whisper with too much saliva, like chewing, some repetitive sounds like knocking, taping with the nail on screens).