Autonomous Sensory Meridional Response (ASMR) – the term was proposed in 2010 to refer to specific sensations that a person experiences in the back of the head in response to certain sensory triggers. Among the simpler names are "brain orgasm"; and “braingasm,” but sex has nothing to do with it. What is ASMR, why is it called a brain orgasm, what causes these sensations and is everyone capable of experiencing them.
ASMR – little-studied phenomenon of perception
You can google a whole bunch of ASMR videos on the Internet that have nothing to do with sex, but allow certain people to experience pleasant sensations in the back of the head, going down the back, and sometimes – hands and feet. Such pleasant goosebumps are similar to an orgasm that occurs in the back of the head in response to certain triggers, for example:
- whisper;
- certain features of the voice;
- watching lectures;
- observation of how a person performs an action (for example, fumbling in a bag, filling out a form);
- cuts hair;
- runs hands over hairbrush, etc.
There are quite a few examples of certain sounds or actions that cause braingasm – you can find them in various collections of ASMR videos and, if you're lucky, find your personal trigger.
If you're lucky, you'll find your ASMR trigger
ASMR video lovers – people who are able to experience the so-called brain orgasm experience a different range of sensations – from mild relaxation to complete happiness. However, not everyone can enjoy these unusual sensations – For some, watching ASMR videos does not cling in any way. There can be several reasons: an inappropriate environment (background noise, discomfort, etc.), an inappropriate trigger, or a complete inability to experience braingasm.
The fact is that the lack of knowledge of the ASMR phenomenon (even the term was introduced quite recently) does not allow us to draw any definite conclusions about the differences between people who can feel braingasm and people who do not know this sensation.
Thanks to the Internet, ASMR-sensitive people have been able to find each other and unite in the so-called communities of interest. For some people, ASMR videos really help to relax, fall asleep, get rid of anxiety and just experience pleasant sensations of a non-sexual nature.
What does science think about ASMR?
Because the ASMR phenomenon has been characterized relatively recently, interest in the phenomenon of braingasm is on the rise. So far, scientists are only planning to conduct research on the characteristics of the brain of people who are able and not able to experience ASMR.
Alexander Ryumin, a psychiatrist-psychotherapist from Tallinn, believes that ASMR video affects people who lack friendship, warmth, attention, as well as people subject to constant stress. He compares the state of a person under the influence of an ASMR video with the state of a person put into a trance. The psychiatrist suggests that such videos do not work on healthy, mentally stable people.
Comparing the effect of an ASMR video with a hypnotic one, the specialist fears that a video effect on a person not controlled by a specialist may have unexpected consequences. So, Alexander Ryumin is afraid that the authors of the videos may resort to neuro-linguistic programming techniques and influence the psyche of vulnerable people.
However, at this stage, this information has not been confirmed, and the number of ASMR video lovers is growing, thereby attracting the interest of the scientific community and proving once again that the human brain – a mysterious and insufficiently studied thing.
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