What is ASMR? Is it real?

ASMR - or autonomous sensory meridian response videos have been here on youtube for years and now, science is starting to look into just what the heck is going on… and today on the show, that’s exactly what I’ll try to explain - I’m James Papadopoulos and this is techspank.
So you know the name of the show is techspank. The spank means that I typically roll my eyes at crap like this…. So let’s get started. According to ASMRuniversity.com - yeah, that’s a thing, the term ASMR was coined by Jennifer Allen. Notice I didn’t say DOCTOR Jennifer Allen. That’s because she’s a cybersecurity professional, not a doctor. It refers to a tingling sensation some people feel when they encounter certain triggers. Some people even go to far as to call it a brain orgasm. So I guess they need q-tips to clean up afterwards? Anyway.
In a 2015 research paper out of Swansea University in the UK, researchers found that sound plays a critical role in this, obviously, and the reactions can be placed on the opposite end of the spectrum as those who have Misophonia, or people who hate certain sounds to the point of being physically repulsed - like people who hate chewing noises, or the sound of lips smacking, or whatever. For more on that research, check below in the description of this video.
Anyway, what are some of the ASMR triggers? Well… Listening to a whisper. Quiet repetitive sounds. Getting personal attention. Slurping soup. There’s role playing, there’s swishing water sounds… all kinds of stuff. By far, most people who report being able to feel the tingly response find that whispering is one of the most effective triggers.
So what to think… right now, ASMR is still just a curiosity. Science is trying to catch up and actually prove if anything exists but it’s difficult since MRI’s are really noisy and EEG tests require all sorts of sensors on your scalp - and both of those things could interfere with the relaxing sensation that people are going for. So for now, if you like the sound of those ASMR videos, there’s no hurt in watching them. And if it turns out it’s not a load of crap, then science may actually be able to use ASMR to help those with insomnia, chronic pain, and who knows what else.
LINKS TO SOURCES:
RESEARCH PAPER: peerj.com/arti...
WHAT IS MISOPHONIA?: www.webmd.com/...
ADDITIONAL RESEARCH INFORMATION: www.smithsonia...
EVA LONGORA ASMR: • Actress Eva Longoria E...