7/30/2014 Rustle, Tingle, Relax: The Compelling World of A.S.M.R. - NYTimes.com

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Rustle, Tingle, Relax: The Compelling World ofA.S.M.R.By STEPHANIE FAIRYINGTON

July 28, 2014 3:43 pm

Afewmonthsago,IwasonaManhattanboundDtrainheadingtoworkwhenamanwithachunky,noisynewspapergotonandsatnexttome.AsIwatchedhimsoftlyturnthepagesofhispaper,achillspreadlikecarbonatedbubblesthroughthebackofmyhead,instantlyrelaxingmeandbringingmetothevergeofsweetslumber.

ItwasntthefirsttimeIdfeltthissensationatthesoundofrustlingpaperIveexperienceditasfarbackasIcanremember.Butitsuddenlyoccurredtomethat,asalifelonginsomniac,Imightbeabletoputittousebyreproducingtheexperiencedigitallywheneversleeprefusedtocome.

Underthesheetsofmybedthatnight,Ipluggedinsomeearphones,openedtheYouTubeapponmyphoneandsearchedforSoundofpages.WhatIdiscoveredstunnedme.

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Therewerenearly2.6millionvideosdepictingaphenomenoncalledautonomoussensorymeridianresponse,orA.S.M.R.,designedtoevokeatinglingsensationthattravelsoverthescalporotherpartsofthebodyinresponsetoauditory,olfactoryorvisualformsofstimulation.

Thesoundofrustlingpages,itturnsout,isjustoneofmanyA.S.M.R.triggers.Themostpopularstimuliincludewhispering;tappingorscratching;performingrepetitive,mundanetaskslikefoldingtowelsorsortingbaseballcards;androleplaying,wherethevideographer,usuallyabreathywoman,softlytalksintothecameraandpretendstogiveahaircut,forexample,oraneyeexamination.Thevideosspan30minutesonaverage,butsomelastmorethananhour.

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ForthosenotwiredforA.S.M.R.andevenforthosewho,likeme,apparentlyarethevideosandthecastofcharacterswhoproducethemsometimescalledASMRtistsortinglesmithscanseemweird,creepyorjustplainboring.(TrypitchingthepleasuresofwatchinganerdyGermanguyslowlyandsilentlyassembleacomputerfor30minutes.)

TwoofthemostwellknownASMRtists,MariaofGentleWhispering(morethan250,700subscribers)andHeatherFeather(morethan146,500subscribers),saidthatalthoughtheysometimesreceivedlewdemailsandrequests,manyoftheirfollowersreachedouttothemwithnotesofgratitudefortherelieffromanxiety,insomniaandmelancholythattheirvideosprovided.

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Somesaythemundaneormonotonousqualityofthevideoslullsusintoamuchneededstateofserenity.OthersfindcomfortinbeingthesolefocusoftheA.S.M.R.actorstenderaffectionandcare.Orperhapstheassortmentofsoundsandscenariostapsintopleasingchildhoodmemories.Igrewupfallingasleephearingthesoundsfrommyfathershomeoffice:Acomputerengineer,hewascontinuallysortingthroughpapers,tappingkeysandassemblinganddisassemblingPCsandMACs.

Dr.CarlW.Bazil,asleepdisordersspecialistatColumbiaUniversity,saysA.S.M.R.videosmayprovidenovelwaystoswitchoffourbrains.

Peoplewhohaveinsomniaareinahyperstateofarousal,hesaid.Behavioraltreatmentsguidedimagery,progressiverelaxation,hypnosisandmeditationaremeanttotrytotrickyourunconsciousintodoingwhatyouwantittodo.A.S.M.R.videosseemtobeavariationonfindingwaystoshutyourbraindown.

Sofar,itseemstoworkforme.Likemanyinsomniacs,Ihaveovertheyearstriednaturalremedieslikevalerianrootormelatonin,vigorousexerciseregimensandstrongsleepingpillslikeAmbienand

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Lunesta.Butsleeprarelycame.NothinghasworkedaswellandconsistentlyaswatchingamaninanA.S.M.R.videosortthroughpapersandhiscollectionofTitanicparaphernalia.

Butlocatingtheneurologicalunderpinningsofthistrippysensationwontbeeasy.ManyofthescientistsIreachedouttoshiedawayfromthesubject,sayingtheareaispseudosciencewithalackofpublishedstudies.

BrysonLochte,apostbaccalaureatefellowattheNationalInstituteonDrugAbusewholookedintoA.S.M.R.forhisseniorthesisasaneurosciencemajoratDartmouthCollegelastyear,hassubmittedhispaperforpublicationinascientificjournal.Mr.Lochtesaid,Wefocusedonthoseareasinthebrainassociatedwithmotivation,emotionandarousaltoprobetheeffectA.S.M.R.hasontherewardsystemtheneuralstructuresthattriggeradopaminesurgeamidpleasingreinforcements,likefoodorsex.

HecomparedA.S.M.R.toanotheridiosyncraticbutwellstudiedsensationcalledmusicalfrisson,whichprovokesathrillingrippleofchillsorgoosebumps(technicallytermedpiloerection)overonesbodyinemotionalresponsetomusic.MathiasBenedek,aresearchassistant

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attheUniversityofGrazinAustriawhocoauthoredtwostudiesonemotionprovokedpiloerection,saysA.S.M.R.maybeasofter,quieterversionofthesamephenomenon.Frissonmaysimplybeastronger,fullblownresponse,hesaid.AndlikeA.S.M.R.,themelodiesthatignitefrissoninonepersonmaynotinanother.

RobertJ.Zatorre,aprofessorofneuroscienceattheMontrealNeurologicalInstituteandHospitalatMcGillUniversitywhohasalsostudiedmusicalfrisson,saidthattheupshotofmypaperisthatpleasurablemusicelicitsdopamineactivityinthestriatum,whichisakeycomponentoftherewardsysteminthebrain.WritinginTheNewYorkTimeslastyear,inanarticletitledWhyMusicMakesOurBrainSing,henotes,Whatmaybemostinterestinghereiswhenthisneurotransmitterisreleased:notonlywhenthemusicrisestoapeakemotionalmoment,butalsoseveralsecondsbefore,duringwhatwemightcalltheanticipationphase.

PerhapstheeverydayexperiencesthatA.S.M.R.videoscapturewhispering,crinkling,openingandclosingofboxesevokesimilaranticipatorymechanisms,sparkingmemoriesofpastpleasuresthatweanticipateandreliveeachtimewewatchandlisten.

Thewholetopicisstillverymuchunknown,Mr.Lochtesaid.IwouldbeveryinterestedtoseewhatothertraitscorrelatewithA.S.M.Rsensitivity,whetheritisaninheritedattributeandwhatsortofphysiologicaleffectsthesensationhasonthebody.Allofthesequestionswillbeeasytoanswerwithquickfollowupstudies.Ourstudy,wehope,willhelplaythegroundwork.

A version of this article appears in print on 07/29/2014, on page D6 of theNewYork edition with the headline: A Tingly Feeling, Then Zzzzzz.

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