ASMR: An Underground Community

Recently, a subculture has emerged from the depths of Reddit and Youtube. Known as ASMR, (Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response) it is a widely unknown phenomenon where a person feels a "tingling" sensation in their head, spine, back or other parts of the body in response to certain auditory or visual triggers. ASMR videos are meant to trigger this euphoric sensation in their viewers. This is done by a person whispering (usually a female) or making sounds with objects into a 3D microphone, which creates a realistic atmosphere. Although the word "meridian" is basically a more polite word for orgasm, ASMRers swear that the sensation is not meant to be sexual, but caring or loving. The videos may seem extremely strange or boring to the average viewer, but to thousands of people these videos are a source of relaxation and pleasure. Many people even use it to calm anxiety or battle insomnia.

Here is one of the most popular ASMR videos by youtuber GentleWhispering, with over four million views. To get the full effect, you must wear headphones.

Yes, this is probably one of the strangest things you've ever seen in your life. But for a second, just put aside the fact that you watched either all or part of a video of a woman whispering nonsense into your ears and playing with hairbrushes. What I find interesting about these videos is their use of binaural recording. People who produce these videos use 3D microphones, which are basically two omnidirectional microphones, to make it feel like the listener is actually in whatever situation the actor is portraying. When you put the headphones on and listen to some of these videos, the effect is jarring, because it sounds like someone is actually speaking into your ear. Whether you feel a sensation or not, it is an interesting use of audio that I have never experienced before being used in this way.

There has been no scientific research as to why people feel these sensations or what the sensation actually is, but with such a large following, it's hard to ignore this abnormal phenomenon. The community of ASMR is growing exponentially, and if it proves to be medically beneficial, it may be a better alternative to drugs for those who suffer from anxiety, insomnia or other issues such as these.