ASMR – Autonomous sensory meridian response

YouTube video
This is my favourite ASMR practitioner.

From wikipedia:
Autonomous sensory meridian response
(ASMR) is an experience characterized by a static-like or tingling sensation on the skin that typically begins on the scalp and moves down the back of the neck and upper spine. It has been compared with auditory-tactile synesthesia.[2][3]

ASMR signifies the subjective experience of “low-grade euphoria” characterized by “a combination of positive feelings and a distinct static-like tingling sensation on the skin”. It is most commonly triggered by specific auditory or visual stimuli, and less commonly by intentional attention control.

So, of all the ASMR videos out there that I checked out after running into the term, most did absolutely nothing for me. The ear cleaning, comb picking, shaving cream splurting, nail tapping, and various other methods sounded odd and even annoying. That’s just me though..

This woman, known as Gentle whispering ASMR, on the other hand, I found to be quite different. She begins by speaking in a very soft, soothing voice. Assuring us that we are valued and loved, that we deserve good things, we are good people and other gentle, positive assertions. This carries on as she walks around us, whispering in our ear, getting up close to the camera to simulate nearness and intimacy, suggesting that we are approachable, not the unlovable hideous beasts that we may consider ourselves to be, occasionally..

There are few places on the dirty old internet that immediately spring to mind as being places to seek solace, well, to find solace anyway. The fact that she has 1.5M subscribers and a similar number of views on most videos suggests to me that many of us are seeking this kind of gentle, caring, nurturing experience, and finding it. If people were to adopt some of these techniques and apply them to their relationships, would the world be a better place? Ok, maybe not the world.. but I believe that our Selves and our Selves that we share with our partners and those of our partners and etc could benefit from a little gentle whispery feelgood attention.

“sol·aceˈsäləs/noun noun: solace; plural noun: solaces

  1. 1. comfort or consolation in a time of distress or sadness.”she sought solace in her religion”synonyms:comfort, consolation, cheer, support, relief “they found solace in each other”