Why Do Soft Noises Make Your Brain Tingle? | The Science Behind ASMR

If you've spent anytime online, you might've come across the ASMR trend. Why do soft voices and crinkles make you tingle?

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Life Noggin is a weekly animated educational series. Whether it's science, pop culture, history or art, we explore it all and have a ton of fun doing it.

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Animation by Steven Lawson

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Written by Michael Sago

[stripes]

We may not understand exactly what it is but it helps me sleep.

[MirunaNero]

I have an entire playlist for ASMR. It's kind of like a go to cure all. When I'm depressed, stressed, nervous, have headaches, or need to sleep it helps so much.

[Moliminous]

I don't get tingles, I just find the sounds relaxing

[Phii]

I can’t live without ASMR, I have experienced it all my life as I have type a asmr (or at least that’s what i have found other people referring to it as), which means I can experience tingles on command. The intensity varies by how hard I try and the temperature. I would love to know more about this if anyone knows anything or experiences this too.

[lemongrenade]

Morgan Freeman's voice always makes my brain tingle.

[braydenrees]

I feel bad for people who cant feel it. I have felt it all my life and when it happened it immediately made me happy. But one time when i was on youtube i pressed on a weird video that said asmr and immediately gave me the great sensation and i quickly looked up what asmr was. I thought the videos were really weird so much so that i almost didnt watch more. But since the feeling is so great i did and eventually i got used to it and no i watch it every night to help me go to sleep. It may seem weird but that is only because you dont understand it. Its just so relaxing and can almost immediately make me fall asleep

[jakeshatswell]

I know it to be real. I experienced it and sought out information on the internet about what I was feeling. I had not heard about it until after I searched the internet to find out what my symptoms meant. Therefore, I can rule out something like the placebo effect completely.

[theluckydawg]

Up until last year I thought ASMR was a porn category 😂

[Stray]

Whenever someone talks stupid shit, I get a short headache. Is that ASMR?

[jasmeg]

When people say ASMR is relaxing I always wonder if they're unable to actually experience it and have misinterpreted the whole thing. Either that or they can experience it but explain the whole thing backwards.

What I mean is; stress can give you a headache, but stress isn't headache, and relaxation can give you ASMR, but relaxation isn't ASMR. It requires mental stimulation but the sensation itself is just as tangible and physical as a headache.

[natalieohlsson]

I just discovered it a week ago and I feel healing in my brain! I’ve had insomnia and ptsd for 10 years. This seems to be helping! I get warm tingly sensations in my head and it just feels so good

[manofculture]

Has anyone realised one of Blockos arms is darker than the other??

[mistingwolf]

Why do our ears ring when it's really quiet?

[eyekelly]

ASMR is absolutely 100% real. I’ve been experiencing it for at least 35 years. I’m glad there’s finally a name for it and millions of videos. The more research the better. ASMR could be one of the best natural healing or at least temporary soothing remedies available. Unfortunately not everyone experiences the tingles :(

[soraiya]

Ive been doing meditation for years and when I have periods of not thinking, I also get tingling in my scalp. As a teenager, doing ecstasy at clubs and parties, you also get this feeling (and you definitely cant do any thinking in that mode ;). Id say that thinking makes the body tense and as we are constantly doing it, often for no good reason, when we have moments of release from it, our body experiences pleasure. The best way to get those feelings are not from drugs or other peoples' videos, but learning how to meditate and the joy it brings to your life. Stay safe and be happy.

[ASMRer]

Life Noggin! Heyyyy thereeee! Glad you finally got to doing ASMR category! :-) and addressing the articles and studies being done so far. We depend on people like you to make it non sexual too! So thank you for your intellectual videos, as usual. :-)

[ASMRGamingNews]

ASMR is great because it can help you relax. I found this video informative.

[khaosklub]

I've experience ASMR as long as I can remember. I've always called it "head fuzzies". I was never aware that it wasn't the norm until I brought it up to my girlfriend in 2012.

[VoltageProduction]

Im currently infatuated with a girl/flatmate (because she's really nice) but also because she has a voice which is very asmr-like and my mind calms quite a lot when Im listening to her talk, also If im in pain, I tend to go to her room (I explained the whole asmr thing and the effect of her voice on me) and now i'll just ask if I can sit with her and just talk to her and it eases any physical pain I experience

[LICKMYNYNE]

I literally never get the tingling sensation ever..