Autonomous sensory meridional reaction (ASMR) is a concept that until recently was unknown to the general public. It took a very long time to carefully browse the information on the Internet, since it was almost impossible to understand differently what this area was. However, at the present stage, it has become much easier to find out what AFMR is. And it is precisely about this direction that will be discussed in the review.
What is it about?
Absolutely every person shows his own reaction to the world around him. Some people are highly sensitive to odors, others are annoyed by a loud sound or bright light. Some are able to faint when they see a drop of blood, while others will lose their temper at the sound of a rattle. This is how external stimuli affect the human psyche.
Many people at least once in their life, but had to experience the pleasure of sound or touch. Such feelings cannot be controlled, they very much resemble the feelings experienced while playing your favorite musical composition or when watching a good movie.
The people have the expression "goosebumps." It should be understood as a slight tingling, as if hundreds of insects quickly and quickly begin to crawl over the skin. But do not confuse such goosebumps with those that occur when entering cold water, when the body cools sharply. The first case, in contrast to the second, is closely related to pleasure.
Occurrence of the phenomenon
Psychiatrists have not sufficiently studied this phenomenon. Moreover, many of the scientists generally doubt that it exists. However, he was interested in Internet users.
In 2010, in a social network, Jennifer Allen created a group that she devoted to studying this effect. As a result, the abbreviation ASMR appeared. What is it and what to do with it? Under the abbreviation should be understood those pleasant sensations that the body begins to experience under the influence of external stimuli.
The condition may occur at the most unexpected moment. And they can cause it in a whisper, rustling of papers, a pen, tapping on any material, stroking, etc. Some people may react to the timbre of a voice or the sound of a musical instrument.
It is common for women to experience ASMR during stroking. However, do not confuse this reaction with sexual arousal. These concepts have nothing in common. By its nature, the meridional reaction is more reminiscent of meditation.
Varieties of meridional reaction
What is ASMR? These are sensations in which pleasant goosebumps begin to appear in the occipital region. Subsequently, they propagate in waves throughout the body. In this case, the mood will noticeably increase, the manifestation of stress will decrease, and someone will even be able to fall asleep.
Some sensations bring only sound stimuli. There are also people who are able to independently cause “goose bumps”, recalling pleasant moments. Although the meridional reaction has no relation to sexual arousal, some people begin to experience far from platonic sensations under its influence.
It is worth highlighting one interesting fact. Not everyone is equally affected by ASMR. There are users who are indifferent to the phenomenon, and others just annoy such manipulations. How many such people cannot be said. Only scientists can report this when they finally find the time to study such an interesting phenomenon.
Brief Dictionary
- Goosebumps - a sensation of tingling, delicate tickling, which forms in the head, gradually diverging through the body.
- A trigger is a stimulus that can cause goosebumps. Sounds or clips are recorded using professional equipment, which will add volume to the sound, which only enhances the effect.
- An ASMR artist is a person who publishes a video. There are people who just make sounds. However, bloggers playing the whole performance are especially popular.
- ASMR role-playing game - a kind of show that the artist is able to arrange. The most popular images are doctors, masseurs, hairdressers, talking in a gentle whisper.
Trigger groups
Irritants (triggers) can be divided into several fairly large groups.
- Sounds. We are talking about whispering, quiet speech, tapping, rustling paper or plastic, etc. Sounds can be very different, including chomping.
- Visual manipulation. “Goosebumps” can cause a play of shadows, repetitive movements, any video recordings, professional play of actors, etc.
- Comprehensive impressions. This group implies that the person is in the center of special attention, increased care. It is influenced by both sound and visual manipulations. That is why videos with elements of role-playing games, where artists play the role of doctors, masseurs, stylists, etc., have gained high popularity. The necessary sensations also arise due to a kind of ritual when the viewer watches a logical, measured and slightly mysterious action.
It should be noted that not all irritants affect people to the same extent. Someone is able to “hook” a quiet voice, someone likes tapping more, and someone prefers to watch any games. But this is understandable, because we are all different.
Artists
Speaking of what AMRP is, it is impossible not to mention the artists. Over the past few years, many video bloggers have appeared that specialize in this effect. An interesting fact is that these are mainly girls, regardless of the fact that the audience consists equally of both men and women.
The reason for this, most likely, should be sought in culture. It is generally accepted that the representatives of the fair sex should follow the comfort and pleasant atmosphere. But perhaps over time, the number of men specializing in the meridional reaction will increase.
Why is this necessary?
People who constantly watch videos say that with their help they manage to escape from problems, calm the nervous system, and relax. In addition, the ASMR effect helps to cope with insomnia. For some, the actions of triggers resemble a feeling of euphoria, while others compare the effect with an orgasm of the brain (braigasm). And no one will argue that this is very nice.
What is ASMR, and how does it help alleviate anxiety? The first part has already been answered. You should talk about how to get rid of anxiety and other negative points with the help of this phenomenon.
The effect has its own “indications for use”. It is not recommended to watch videos in a restless environment. For example, if children and relatives are constantly screaming, it is better to abandon ASMR. A “brain orgasm” can only be obtained if there is nobody in the room except the listener.
What to choose - speakers or headphones? Headphones are best suited for viewing AFMR movies. They will help you to fully immerse yourself in the atmosphere that the video blogger is trying to create. In addition, it is the headphones that will create the effect in which you can feel that someone is whispering pleasant words in your ear . With speakers, this cannot be achieved.
Negative points
What else can be said about the ASMR phenomenon? To some extent, this hobby may resemble fetishism. However, there are other nuances that you need to know about if you plan to watch videos.
Firstly, not all actors and actresses are professionals. Some may look stupid, which spoils the attitude to the meridional reaction as a whole.
Secondly, not all bloggers are equally honest. Someone can promote NLP instead of ASMR, trying to hypnotize the viewer, drive him into a trance state to achieve some of his own selfish goals.
Thirdly, this kind of art can cause far from the most pleasant sensations. After all, as mentioned above, not all people are able to feel the effect of AFMR videos. In such a situation, you just need to turn off the video and try to find another way to relax.
Conclusion
Thanks to professional ASMR artists, this direction can be considered a new type of art that arose at the intersection of the technical environment and the practically unexplored areas of neurobiology.
Breingasm can bring both a feeling of satisfaction and a feeling of sincere happiness. It is possible that in the near future absolutely everyone will be able to experience it, but at the present stage this phenomenon has been studied only to a small extent. We hope this review helped to understand what AMRP is.