The ASMR Phenomenon: How Whispering YouTube Girls Can Help You Fall Asleep

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

There are a lot of strange things on the Internet. And ASMR is not only weird but useful. Girls and guys on the other side of the screen will help those suffering from insomnia and anxiety, tired and tense. Purely platonic, no SMS or registration.

One night, in another YouTube binge, the crooked path of links led me to a strange video where a pretty blonde in a quiet, soulful voice, looking straight into the camera, introduced herself as my beautician and spent an hour with cotton pads in front of my “face”.

Here is the video.

At the twentieth minute, I realized that just a little bit more - and I would fall asleep with my face in the keyboard. My brain was pristine and my scalp felt pleasantly tight.

But instead of going to bed, of course, I went to the video description, and then to Google. This is how I learned about the ASMR phenomenon.

What it is

ASMR (autonomous sensory meridian response, autonomous sensory meridian response) is a neologism that defines and describes the sensations of tightening and pleasant tingling of the scalp, back and limbs caused by sound, visual, cognitive and other stimuli.

This is what Wikipedia says, and this is echoed by all of the Why I Whisper Into the Microphone video explanations from the ASMR experts on YouTube. They also say that there are many triggers that induce ASMR responses (whispering and low speech, crunching and fingering of objects, wet mouth sounds and breathing, personal attention, and so on), and that many adults have experienced ASMR as a child.

There is no scientific confirmation of the ASMR phenomenon yet, and I would write off ASMR as another anti-scientific rubbish, if not for one thing: I immediately understood what kind of feeling we were talking about. I experienced it while watching that video, and yes, I did experience it as a child during the banal games of girls like daughter-mother. That relaxing scalp tightening is it.

What is it eaten with

ASMR has a huge YouTube community. Not as big as gamers or beauty vloggers, but the top channels have between 200,000 and 500,000 subscribers, and the top videos have millions of views.

You ask: what do all these people find in this?

• ASMR helps you relax and fall asleep. The videos are very popular among those who have chronic sleep problems, cannot let go of daytime stress and switch to rest. They often watch videos in bed. Many write that they wake up with headphones in their ears, literally not noticing how they fell asleep.
• ASMR is fun. Some people just like to feel tingles - the same tingling sensations on the skin that trigger ASMR videos. It's like taking a light free massage or meditating. And yes, there is ASMR erotica too.
• ASMR is a placebo for loneliness. Videos help people who have communication difficulties get a surrogate for communication, and people who feel they are not needed by anyone - a surrogate for attention. Most ASMR video format creates the feeling that the person “on TV” is talking to you, helping you, taking care of you. Many people like this, and it's not just about chronic social anxiety. Suddenly you have had a bad day, you are sad or lonely, and calling someone in the middle of the night is somehow not in your hands. That's when ASMR video can come in handy.

What's on the menu

All ASMR videos can be roughly divided into two broad categories: trigger videos and role-playing videos.

Trigger video are rollers filled with clean triggers. For example, a video where the presenter or presenter whispers something inarticulate into the microphone for 20 minutes, or fingering grains with their fingers, or driving their nails along the velvet, or performing any of hundreds of manipulations that cause an ASMR response. Many popular ASMR bloggers have a Find Your Trigger video where they mix the most common triggers so the viewer can find the right ones.

Role-playing videos are similar to what I showed above. There are triggers here too, but they are part of the story. Favorite subjects: a visit to a beauty salon (for a haircut, a beautician), a visit to a store, a visit to a doctor. You are almost always rendered some kind of service, they take care of you, surround you with attention.

Many such videos will seem silly and ridiculous, and in order to enjoy them, you need to include so-called faith in the proposed circumstances (from the English suspension of disbelief, literally "postponing disbelief"). This is when, sitting in a movie, you accept as a fact that a scientist can make a flying suit out of scrap metal in a week. When you believe in what is happening, even if it is illogical, to get the buzz you came for.

Not all role-playing videos are created equal. Some authors offer stories and circumstances that are simply ridiculous, like a video about making a deposit in a bank at 40% per annum (I'm not kidding). Some depict a visit to a beauty salon, although it is obvious that this is happening in their dark, untidy bedroom. In general, the enjoyment of role-playing videos is a two-way job. The viewer's task is to believe, the author's task is to make it believe. Personally, I have my favorite role-playing videos, and triggers work better in them than in their pure form.

Life Hacks and Tips for Better ASMR

1. Headphones. Literate ASMR professionals use binaural microphones. This is especially noticeable in role-playing videos, when, say, the "hairdresser" walks around you (actually around the microphone, of course) and speaks - it seems as if the voice is really floating around your head, which in itself works as a trigger. Therefore - only headphones. With columns, the effect is not at all the same.
2. If your goal is to fall asleep, watching ASMR video can be harmful to yourself: the light of the screen excites the nervous system and interrupts the production of melatonin. The alternative is to sacrifice video footage, extract audio from your favorite ASMR videos (for example) and listen to them before bed.
3. Many people do not experience the characteristic tingling sensation when watching ASMR videos, but they still watch them for the calming effect. Perhaps you are one of those.
4. Most of the quality ASMR content is in English, but don't let that confuse you, even if you don't know the language. Firstly, in a trigger video it doesn't matter at all, they don't speak there. And the plot of role-playing videos is so simple that sounds and visuals alone may be enough for you. In addition, many ASMR lovers say that it is even easier for them to get the desired effect when they do not fully understand the speaker's speech or it is speech with a noticeable accent (see Maria GentleWhispering above and below, American fans also love her for her accent).

The tastiest

Ellie ASMRRequests

Awarded in the Professionalism and Innovation category and my personal favorite. Ellie makes the best ASMR role-playing videos: the best script, the best setting (one of the first to use the green screen), costumes, make-up, and so on. In her videos, every detail is thought out. She was the first to think of combining ASMR and VR (virtual reality).

A classic of the genre is a visit to a beautician.

The first episode of her sci-fi series Departure. The second episode came out. The third, with bated breath, is waiting for the channel's 300,000 subscribers.

ASMR + VR = WIN.

Maria GentleWhispering

In terms of the number of views, the already mentioned Maria is the undisputed ASMR queen. As the commentator said under one of Ellie's ASMRRequests videos: "Cool, but still no one beats that Russian lady." Maria is really from Russia, she moved to America while studying at the university (there is also a video about this). Fans love her soothing, sweet voice, cute accent and fluid hand movements.

About what ASMR is, in Russian.

Voice and other triggers.

Trying on a man's suit. One of the most popular videos of Maria and in general.

Heather feather

4.5 hours of different triggers.

MassageASMR

4, 5 - a little? Here's 10 o'clock.

Ephemeral Rift

Courageous ASMR for real men. Lots of great humor for those who know English, and tons of triggers, of course. In general, Ephemeral Rift is the most reckless ASMR game of all YouTube with insane, surreal role-playing videos.

And this, ladies and gentlemen-life hackers, is just the tip of the iceberg. Happy viewing!