ASMR (autonomous sensory meridian response) is a pleasurable feeling or a sensation that people experience during a stimulating audio-visual activity, that is relaxing and deeply personal, or an activity that involves a simple, therapeutic role-play. It is a kind of art-form that is soothing and sleep-inducing.

ASMR 

Health

ASMR is a personal, individual experience, with very little science behind it. People enjoy a deeply relaxing whispering video or a role-play, which gives them a tingling sensation on the back of their head and spine. It may be a mundane, monotonous activity like tapping, stirring, or crinkling objects, but they kick in a pleasure sensation in many.The feeling varies and is somewhat similar to a sexual turn-on, in many cases.

ASMR: The tingling sensation

People get tingles through different kinds of sensory inputs.Some people find out at an early age that they feel a therapeutic high when they are touched or tickled and love the attention they are given.Others find that some simple activities or role-plays put them in a trance-like state.&nbsp;

Having ASMR

Thousands of creative videos can be found on YouTube for ASMR. They mostly involve soothing visuals and sounds, like someone whispering a story in the microphone, or using something seemingly dull like a hairdryer, or someone acting as a nurse or a beautician to help people relax.

ASMR Videos

ASMR is a growing creative outlet with millions of viewers and followers.Reddit has a subreddit on it with 130,000 subscribers. The New York Times, Washington Post, and BuzzFeed have covered it.

ASMR in the news

Similar to people liking cat videos or political debates on the internet, ASMR, which is a newly discovered 'likeness', makes people relax and at ease.&nbsp;Watching someone whispering to relax, is a need for some, which is now taken care of by the internet.

ASMR for relaxation

ASMR will most likely remain a niche for a number of people on the internet since not everybody experiences it.But there are some technological advancements that could greatly advance ASMR. Virtual reality, in particular, has a lot of ASMR video makers and viewers excited since it could bring a whole new level of immersion to the experience.

The Future of ASMR

Here’s what you need to know about the strange, tingly sensation that could help you relax.

Stashed ideas

ASMR, explained: why millions of people are watching YouTube videos of someone whispering

ASMR is an emotional state that some people experience when they hear, see, and feel certain &quot;triggers,&quot; such as whispering, delicate hand movements, and light touch.
The feeling is described as a tingling sensation that starts from the top of the head and spreads down the neck and limbs. Feelings of euphoria and relaxation accompany this &quot;trance-like&quot; state.

Autonomous sensory meridian response - ASMR

ASMR typically emerges in childhood. When people find out that ASMR is a &quot;thing&quot;, they often report that they thought everyone had the same experience or that it was unique to them.
Common triggers include soft touch, whispering, soft-speaking, close attention, delicate hand movements, and crisp sounds. Situations that induce ASMR are often a combination of these triggers, such as getting a haircut or watching someone complete a mundane task.

ASMR: Common triggers

One study showed that periods of ASMR tingling were associated with increased activation in brain regions involved in emotion, empathy, and affiliative behaviors.
Other studies show that people with ASMR have less distinct and more blended neural networks, suggesting that ASMR could happen because of a reduced ability to suppress emotional responses that we obtain from our senses.

Brain tingles

Research suggests that people who experience ASMR have a larger tendency to have more immersive or absorbing experiences.
People with ASMR score higher on &#39;openness to experience,&#39; reflecting imagination, intellectual curiosity, and appreciation of art and beauty. People with ASMR are also more empathetic when looking at compassion and concern for others.

ASMR and a higher openness to experience

People with ASMR show significant reductions in their heart rates when watching ASMR videos.
These stress reductions were similar to those experienced during mindfulness and music therapy. But research is not clear whether ASMR can and should be used as an effective form of therapy.

ASMR as a therapy tool

It's been ten years since the term was coined. Here's what researchers know so far.

ASMR: what we know so far about this unique brain phenomenon – and what we don't

The Youtube Star Adriene Mishler hosts a popular free yoga class on the social media network and has experienced an explosion in viewership since the lockdown. 
The eight-year-old show now has 6.6 million subscribers and 543 million views. This jump in viewership is due to people being isolated at their homes globally, unable to move around as before.

YouTube Yoga

Self Improvement

A lot of popular online channels on Yoga and Meditation aren’t directly mentioning or addressing the main news story of 2020, which is otherwise dominating the headlines for three months now and has drastically changed our lives.
This is due to the fact that most of us want to escape from this grim and dark reality and these shows are like an Oasis, their normalcy being part of the charm.

Escaping From The Real World Drama

*Be a calm and gentle witness to the feelings you are nurturing. Yoga is not something you have to be good at to start practicing. 
Even if you are not feeling flexible, just wear something comfortable and start doing Yoga.*

Advice From Adriene

As more people are trying to stay healthy while not being able to leave their homes, YouTube's yoga star becomes more popular than ever. 

'Yoga With Adriene' On Her Rising Popularity

Slime, a Do-It-Yourself Gooey toy, is taking social media by storm. Instagram has around 5 million posts tagged with #slime, while certain influencers like Karina Garcia (considered the pioneer in the Slime trend) create slime videos with over 6 million YouTube subscribers.

#Slime

Slime lovers are also selling their versions of slime online on platforms like Etsy. Viral Instagram videos serve as a marketing tool for small slime businesses. YouTubers doing slime videos make thousands of dollars in sponsorships deals.

Gooey Money Maker

Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR) refers to a sensation which is like a combination of a tingling sensation, pleasure and relaxation. It is a relaxed trance-like state which has been associated with the crackling, popping and squishing sounds of slime videos, providing an insight into why these videos are popular.

ASMR

The extreme popularity also led to a few accidents with kids using the Slime Glue which had the laundry additive borax, which can sometimes be mixed wrongly, leading to chemical burns. This led to a shift towards ‘borax-free’ slime recipes.

Slime Safety

It has become a social media sensation and even led to a run on glue sales. We're talking slime - and not the green liquid Nickelodeon famously dumps on celebrities. And for many young people on YouTube, Instagram and Etsy, it's a moneymaker.

The Rise Of The Slime Economy

Over the past few weeks, as many of us retreat inside, dalgona coffee has become an online global coffee trend.
Tutorials and posts are displaying the making of dalgona coffee, which consists of milk topped with a thick layer of coffee foam that's made by vigorously mixing instant coffee, sugar, and water.

Dalgona coffee

Pop Culture

Unlike a latte or a cappuccino, in which the froth comes from aerated milk, the fluffiness of dalgona coffee comes from the coffee and sugar itself.
Dalgona coffee was almost nonexistent until January 26 this year. A Korean YouTuber posted a clip where he uses a mixer to whip coffee, sugar, and water into a foam so thick it looks more like frosting or caramel pudding and then dollops it onto a glass of milk.

A new drink

Because people are called to stay indoors, and many cafes are closed during the outbreak, people are more open to trying out this drink at home.
The simplicity of the recipe makes it popular. Most people have sugar and instant coffee in their pantries. It is also fun to see everyone make their own version of a recipe and share their experiences.

The coffee trend

While the United States has "honeycomb" and New Zealand has "hokey pokey," South Korea calls its spongy toffee candy "dalgona" or ppopgi, a candy that's made by heating sugar, oil, and baking soda; mixing until it's thick and fluffy; then letting the mixture harden.