Whispering, tapping, tapping: the sound of these and other activities triggers feelings of relaxation in some people. In videos, so-called ASMR influencers sit in front of microphones and provide the pleasant sound. Viewers celebrate it. The star explains what is behind it, what influencers have to pay attention to when shooting and spoke to a psychologist about the social media trend.
A young woman holds a wooden heart in her hand and taps on it for about a minute. The sound is reminiscent of rain patter. When she talks, she whispers. She spells out the inscription of the heart “Sweet on you”. It’s the 30-minute YouTube video “ASMR Valentine’s Day Triggers” by influencer ASMR Darling, aka Taylor Darling. She whispers into the microphone over and over again, grabs objects and makes noises with them. What sounds bizarre at first is a real trend on social media. But why?
ASMR stands for “Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response” – translated: autonomic sensory meridian response. Exactly, nobody understands that! That’s why translations like “head tingling” or “head orgasm” are circulating in German-speaking countries. The terms refer to a phenomenon that produces a pleasant tingling or tingling sensation on the skin and in the head. This can be evoked by certain audiovisual stimuli such as voices, noises or touch. Influencers have been celebrating success with this phenomenon for years.
ASMR microphone records sounds, process is filmed
ASMR videos are usually available on YouTube, TikTok, Instagram & Co. and show a person performing certain triggers to elicit a reaction from viewers. And YouTuber ASMR Darling is apparently pretty good at that. With over 2.5 million subscribers, she is one of the most well-known ASMR artists. She started producing ASMR videos in 2014 and has since built up a large following. The Hamburg psychologist Christine Geschke is also convinced.
“I didn’t know the phenomenon and came across it on Instagram. I then realized that I really liked the videos,” says Geschke in an interview with the star. “I took it as a completely new experience and thought it was really great”.
Geschke is a consultant and therapist in Hamburg. She studied psychology and neurology. Her focus is on clinical psychology and cognitive neuroscience. The therapist with her own practice in Hamburg-Eppendorf knows how people Perceiving and processing signals from the environment.
“The ASMR videos are only about two sensory modalities, one visual and one auditory. There are only two sensory stimuli experienced, so you only have to focus on two,” says Geschke. “Many people then get a tingling sensation in the back of their scalparea and this is then transmitted to the whole body via the neck and back,” says the psychologist. ASMR videos can be compared to meditation – the concentration is limited to one or two senses, just like meditating. In the case of ASMR: seeing and hearing. If you’re looking to record ASMR videos yourself, there’s one thing to keep in mind.
ASMR microphone – you should pay attention to this when recording
The most important gadget for recording ASMR videos is a . Quality depends on several factors related to sensitivity, directivity, frequency response, signal-to-noise ratio, low distortion and construction. A good microphone should offer high performance in all of these areas to ensure quality recording.
These criteria make an ASMR video particularly enjoyable:
- Sound quality is the most important aspect of ASMR. The audio will be in high quality with a be recorded to provide a clear and comfortable sound experience.
- The is soft and comfortable. She creates a relaxed atmosphere.
- ASMR videos often use certain props, such as .
In 2022, a study on ASMR was published in the “Journal of Research in Personality”. British researchers found that people who are susceptible to ASMR are also better able to perceive internal and external signals from their body. The results show that nobody perceives all five senses – hearing, sight, smell, taste and touch – in the same way. Some are more sensitive to smells, others to touch, others to visual stimuli, and, and, and. According to Hamburg psychologist Christine Geschke, reactions to ASMR triggers that are perceived as pleasant can have some positive effects.
ASMR has these positive effects on the psyche
“ASMR can help to fall asleep better, reduce sleep disorders, alleviate depression. It also helps some with panic attacks. In any case, it lowers the heart rate,” says Geschke. Previous experience has shown that ASMR can be helpful in mental illnesses. However, the method is still very unexplored.” Based on her many years of experience in cognitive psychology, Geschke has a sobering assumption about the long-term effects of ASMR: “There is a risk of a so-called Habituation, i.e. a habituation effect. ASMR is now perceived by the brain in a new and exciting way, but at some point the positive effect could disappear,” says Geschke.
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Source: Stern
I am an author and journalist who has worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade. I currently work as a news editor at a major news website, and my focus is on covering the latest trends in entertainment. I also write occasional pieces for other outlets, and have authored two books about the entertainment industry.
