The Amazing Health Benefits Of ASMR Whispers And Sounds
ASMR is a relaxing experience, characterized by a tingling sensation on the skin. It is often a sedative sensation that begins on the scalp and moves down your body. Sometimes it is also called "brain massage".
But what does ASMR stand for?
ASMR means Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response. It is triggered by gentle sounds of a person whispering or speaking in a low and soft voice, by tones, by grinding or crackles… There are various sounds which can trigger the calming sensation of ASMR.
There is a highly engaged and growing audience on Youtube that responds to the ASMR trend. Many people take advantage of the positive benefits of listening to ASMR, using these videos as a way to relax, reduce stress and sleep better. The video’s calming sounds and whispers trigger a feeling of relaxation before bedtime, which can help put you to sleep and cure insomnia.
Does ASMR have real health benefits?
It has been scientifically proved that ASMR whispering and sounds have mental as well as physical health benefits. ASMR is thought to relieve anxiety and depression, to make you more calm and less sad. And a great amount of people really admit feeling good during and after watching and listening to an ASMR video.
According to ASMR studies done by University of Sheffield*, people experience accompanying changes in their body, such as having significantly decreased heart rate, and significantly increased increased skin conductance levels, positive emotions (e.g. excitement) and feelings of social connection.
University of Sheffield’s studies* show that ASMR videos have the relaxing effects but only in those people who experience the ASMR feeling, i.e. they experience tingles and an emotional response to a video. The average reductions in heart rate experienced by ASMR participants was comparable to other research findings on the physiological effects of stress-reduction techniques such as music and mindfulness.
Basically, ASMR works the same way as meditation, it releases endorphins which promote an overall sense of wellbeing.
Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response lies within a broader trend of consumers hacking their way to physical and mental well-being. The viewers of these videos can experiment - do the sounds of drawing or eating noodles evoke tingles or a mood boost?
Some luxury hotels have already started introducing ASMR room service to enhance the guest experience. ASMR videos are available for the hotel guests in their rooms. The videos feature singers and musicians who are quietly speaking and using or interacting with different props to provide guests with auditory stimuli, offering a “drug free mental massage” after a long day.
Celebrities have been grabbed for the opportunity to participate in ASMR videos long before. For example, W Magazine recruited Paris Hilton, Jennifer Garner, Gigi Hadid and rapper Cardi B, among many others, who explore autonomous sensory meridian response with whispers and sounds.
The celebrities perform often employing objects, especially food products, to create that tingly effect: crinkling wrappers, chewing candy, cracking open cans, tapping on the microphone or playing with jewelry.
Listening to ASMR videos may not appeal to you and you may even find them weird. However, since research proves this method of relaxation is a reliable and physiologically-rooted experience which has therapeutic benefits for your mental and physical health, maybe you should consider a little whispering and quiet time.
*References:
"Brain tingles: First study of its kind reveals physiological benefits of ASMR" https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/news/nr/asmr-health-psychological-benefits-1.787541
"More than a feeling: Autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR) is characterized by reliable changes in affect and physiology" https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0196645