I came across the 1st Article about 8 years ago. ASMR is facinating in the fact, that it is such a pleasurable experience, drug free and just plain free. Also it is something that can be ours alone and keep us in touch with what we really are, that we are drifting so far away from.
Teasing the Science Behind Brain Tingles in ASMR
ASMR and its quest for legitimacy within the scientific community.
Posted Mar 14, 2021 | Reviewed by Devon Frye
Key Points:
● ASMR—a pleasant tingling sensation that some people feel in response to certain stimuli—is a popular online phenomenon with little scientific research to support it.
●Even though countless people claim to experience ASMR, researchers say they struggle to have studies on it funded or taken seriously by the scientific community.
●Recent findings, however, suggest that ASMR has valid neurobiological underpinnings and may have a future as a complement to traditional mental health treatment.
●ASMR could help patients relax or sleep, experts speculate—but shouldn't be seen as a replacement for more structured, evidence-based forms of therapy.
Almost a decade ago, Bryson Lochte was a student at Dartmouth College, mulling over his senior honors thesis topic. Completing a thesis would require a major commitment of time and effort. Still, it would also grant him access to the six-ton Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) machine nestled in the basement of the university's psychology department. With it, he could measure and map brain activity and, hopefully, catch a novel glimpse into the inner workings of the human mind.
While brainstorming ideas, Lochte stumbled into the world of Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR). ASMR refers to a pleasant tingling sensation that some people feel in response to stimuli like gentle sounds, light touch, and personal attention. Some ASMR enthusiasts seek out videos filled with carefully crafted cues ranging from scalp massaging, soap carving, foam squeezing, to soft whispering.
"People who come across ASMR videos for the first time may find them uncomfortable," says Lochte, but it's hard to deny the popularity of ASMR. Many ASMR YouTubers draw in millions of viewers, and their comment sections are full of people gushing about how the videos help them to relax, focus, or fall asleep.
Lochte began to wonder how these triggers affected the brain. As a pilot project, Lochte recruited ten subjects who reported sensitivity to ASMR to undergo brain MRI scans while watching ASMR videos. After analyzing the data, Lochte found increased activity in brain regions associated with reward and emotional arousal. He also found patterns associated with group grooming and musical frisson—the goosebumps that some feel when listening to music. Lochte's research would be the first to associate activation of specific brain areas with ASMR.
Full Article
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog ... es-in-asmr