First, the definition: ASMR, or Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response, is a pleasurable tingling that begins in the scalp and may travel to other body parts. Some people refer to ASMR episodes as “head orgasms,” and they always begin with a trigger. The trigger can be internal & voluntary (Type A), or external and involuntary (Type B). Type B ASMR is technically involuntary, but if you learn your triggers and deliberately expose yourself to them, it’s very easy to learn how to induce it regularly. There also seem to be diminishing returns on the sensation. Once ASMR occurs, it peaks, plateaus, then decreases, and becomes difficult or impossible to trigger again until several hours later.
Some people (not experts, since this doesn’t appear to be an accepted “thing” in the scientific community) have theorized that ASMR is more common among introverts, and may be an evolved response from when our primate ancestors picked bugs out of each other’s fur. The latter theory was probably developed by evo-psychs, but it’s still a potentially interesting justification for the sensation.
There is a huge ASMR community on youtube with people who film themselves performing common triggers, and I believe there’s a reddit group for it too (not too sure how big that is, I don’t do reddit). My triggers include watching videos of people getting massages, seeing people getting their hair brushed, watching people do things slowly and deliberately with their hands, and various sounds like whispering, brushing, and soft nail-tapping. Also some of the roleplaying videos trigger it, but generally only when they fall into the previous categories (like pretending to give the listener a haircut or massage).
So I’m wondering: Have you experienced this sensation? Have you heard the term ASMR before? What do you think causes it? Why doesn’t wikipedia have an entry on this? It doesn’t appear to be an area of scientific study for some reason, but it’s apparently shared by a *lot *of people–there seem to be way more people with ASMR than synesthesia. But synesthesia has been studied and documented, and ASMR has not. And, if you are capable of Type B episodes (like I am), what are your known triggers?
Hugs and skittles! I think this topic will make for a fun discussion.