A brain orgasm , or ASMR , which is technically called an autonomous sensory meridian response , refers to a newly defined sensory experience that some people have in response to specific stimuli.

Other terms for ASMR are “brain tingles” and “ head orgasm .” This sensation is described as a pleasant, even euphoric, tingling warmth and/or a feeling of relaxation that comes in waves along the head, neck, and spine.

This phenomenon is often triggered by relaxing auditory and/or visual experiences.

A variety of calming stimuli can induce the experience , such as videos of soft whispering, close attention , or seemingly mundane things, tasks, or activities such as brushing your hair, having your eyes checked, eating, or filing papers.

Trigger sounds include chewing, hitting, scratching , crinkling, or electronic noises .

The feeling of brain orgasm can be triggered in the real world , but it is often intentionally sought online.

Since the phenomenon was first named in 2010, the concept of ASMR , or brain orgasm , has exploded onto social media , with the world now seemingly separated into those who experience and seek out the sensation and those who don’t.

ASMR and ASMR artists (or ASMRtists, as in those who create ASMR-inducing content ) have become a full-fledged industry.

What is a Brain Orgasm? ASMR sensory experience

History: Jennifer Allen

The term for this experience, autonomous sensory meridian response , is credited to Jennifer Allen, who coined it in 2010.1 She had spent years trying to find out more about this strange experience; however, for years her intermittent internet searches for more information yielded no results.

Strange feeling

That changed when she came across a 2007 post on the SteadyHealth message board about a “ strange sensation that feels good ,” a description that sounded very similar to what she had been feeling.

This initial forum brought together people who also experienced this phenomenon and led to the creation of a growing community, blogs and websites, and the sharing of experiences.

ASMR is the scientific name Allen created to give more legitimacy to the sensation. He correctly surmised that “brain orgasm” and “ head tingling ” might not be taken so seriously.

Allen selected the components of the name “ autonomous sensory meridian response ” to effectively capture the internal, temporary, spike-like feeling of energy that she and a growing community of others had been feeling occasionally throughout their lives.

Allen then created a Facebook group called “ASMR Group” which attracted a large following and eventually attracted participants from all over the world.

Once people had a name for this pleasurable phenomenon that many had been feeling all along, it quickly gained popularity. Soon, content creators picked up on the idea and started making tons of videos describing the experience and guiding people through it.

Overview

In recent years, the terms brain orgasm and ASMR have become part of the popular lexicon as millions of Americans have discovered the concept on social media.

The quest to have this experience has gone viral. As of 2020, there are 2.3 million Google searches per month for ASMR content.

ASMR Artists

A quick Google search for “ASMR” or “tingling in the head ” will bring you to an overwhelming multitude of videos explaining what it is and how to experience it, as well as a huge variety of ASMR -triggering videos tailored to almost every trigger imaginable.

That said, there are hundreds, if not thousands, of new options being posted daily. For the most popular ASMRtists , this has become a lucrative full-time job.

Unknown evidence

However, despite mounting anecdotal evidence and the millions of people now sharing this experience, it remains unclear exactly how or why ASMR works.

Theories about what it actually is include harmless mini-seizures, a previously unknown facet of the brain’s pleasure response , the feeling of intense calm from the nerves in the head, and/or simply a normal variation of the human brain.

While many people report experiencing this sensation, it is unclear exactly why some people do and others don’t, as well as whether those who don’t are actually capable of it or not.

It may be that some people are more adept at it and others find it harder to achieve, or that some people’s brains are simply wired for it and others aren’t.

Studies have confirmed that distinctive brain activity occurs during ASMR.

A 2019 study found that “people with ASMR showed increases in neural activity in regions of the cortex related to attention, hearing, emotion, and movement” when viewing ASMR content while those in control groups did not, indicating that ASMR is a complex experience involving both sensory and emotional aspects.

Promote calm and sleep

Some ASMR content creators compare the experience to a biofeedback reward that promotes relaxation and stress reduction.

Interestingly, many of the most common triggers, including calm, melodic sounds, gentle breathing, and careful, mindful attention, are similar to calming techniques often used to soothe babies and toddlers.

Similarly, repetitive, soft background noises such as light tapping, crisp sounds such as biting into an apple, or the sounds of a hairbrush running through hair or a makeup brush running across skin are similar to those used in noise machines intended to help people concentrate or fall asleep.

Additionally, many people use ASMR videos in order to fall asleep instead of (or in addition to) having a tingling sensation in their head.

Is ASMR sexual?

The name “brain orgasm” implies a sexual response, but the experience itself is not considered overtly erotic. Instead, it’s very PG-13.

While ASMR shares something similar to the warm, tingling pulses of feeling often described in a traditional sexual orgasm, the brain orgasm experience focuses on deep, some might say euphoric relaxation.

When comparing a brain orgasm to an erotic one, think of the distinction between listening to captivating but relaxing or restorative music or receiving a hug from a dear platonic friend versus the thrill of a passionate kiss between lovers.

People who have these experiences describe a pleasant trance-like state or a feeling of supreme relaxation in the head and neck that sometimes spreads to the spine, limbs, or other parts of the body. Where it is felt usually depends on the intensity of the response.

Most people don’t compare it to a sexual response, a milder version of fetishism.

In fact, some in the ASMR community specifically reject the idea that it is sexual and dislike the term brain orgasm for this reason. Those who engage in this activity are often uncomfortable with the connotation that what they are doing is somehow illicit or pornographic in nature, particularly when most report no eroticism in their experiences.

Relaxation and positive feelings, yes. Arousal, no. Others embrace the fantasy of the term “brain orgasm” and feel it accurately articulates the sensation and are not concerned that some might consider it sexual.

In one study, an overwhelming majority of respondents (84%) reported that they did not consider ASMR to be sexual in nature, and only a small minority (5%) reported a sexual response.

Personal attention

However, intimacy and personal attention play an important role in triggering this sensation.

The most common methods of eliciting this response include the use of close whispering, hand movements, specific physical sounds such as chewing and scratching, and guided scenarios or role-plays of intimate (but chaste) social situations such as receiving a massage or a dental cleaning.

What this type of content often shares is that it involves a loving and kind close encounter (in person or simulated in a video) with another person. This may explain how ASMR creates a sense of connection, of being cared for, and of emotional intimacy which, in turn, may play a role in triggering the calming and/or tingling effect.

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Calming and exciting (non-sexual)

Interestingly, participants, both anecdotally and across many studies, often report seemingly opposite responses of relaxation and excitement to their trigger videos.

Researchers speculate that the simultaneous activation and deactivation of positive emotions elicited by these videos points to the complexity of ASMR and compare it to nostalgia, which is often a bittersweet happiness.

What’s more, some evidence points to the idea that complex emotional experiences can be good for you — even better than purely positive ones. In fact, a 2013 study found that those who experienced this type of mixed or complex emotion more frequently had relatively better physical health outcomes than those who didn’t.

How do you know?

So if you want to try to experience it

How do you know if you’re really having a brain orgasm?

In short, if you’re experiencing ASMR, you’ll know it.

Like actually spotting one of the hidden images in the stereogram or the magic eye craze of the 1990s or having a sexual orgasm, if you’re not sure if it’s real, then it probably isn’t.

As with the magic eye or the big O, the real thing will appear, so to speak, in a big, undeniable way. Interestingly, with ASMR, what some may find annoying or just distracting, others will find soothing and tickling.

So if you watch an ASMR video and feel a telltale rush of warm tingling or a pleasant prickling sensation, you’re having a brain orgasm.

Similarly, some people experience it as a relaxed, trance-like state or even falling asleep, which can also legitimately be called ASMR, although some may limit a brain orgasm or head tingling to feeling those electric, throbbing sensations.

How to have a brain orgasm

For some people, ASMR doesn’t involve trying. Others, it may take more effort to get there, and others may try but never achieve the sensation.

For those who find it more intuitive, the experience may happen naturally in their daily lives. In fact, many people who have ASMR report first experiencing it in childhood. However, others only discover brain orgasms or tingling in the head in adulthood.

The area of ​​the body activated appears to be related to how strongly the stimulus activated a person, but it also varies from person to person. More intense reactions tend to travel farther up the body, along the spine, and are sometimes felt in the legs and/or arms.

ASMR triggers

are highly individual, but there are common triggers shared by many people who experience this phenomenon. Below are the most effective audiovisual stimuli reported by participants in one study:

• Whispering (75%)
• Personalized attention (69%)
• Clear sounds (64%)
• Slow movements (53%)
• Repetitive movements (36%)
• Smiling (13%)

While it is difficult to know how (or if) you will respond when trying to experience this sensation, there are some simple techniques you can follow to try to induce an autonomous sensory meridian response.

First, understand that triggers appear to be highly variable in relation to personal preferences, although, as noted above, there are common themes to the most effective methods.

Tingling in the head

In general, head tingles often occur in response to soothing, repetitive sounds, such as tapping, cracking, crunching, or touching, and to soft, whispered voices in a variety of settings, especially those that are up close and/or involve personal care, such as from the person receiving a facial or lightly touching their face and head.

Another variable to consider is that some videos offer much more elaborate scenarios (or role-plays), while others are very simple (like just sounds or whispers) – you may need to experiment to find what tickles your fancy. You’ll find plenty of both options (and everything in between) online.

Essentially, anything that evokes feelings of well-being, relaxation, being cared for, or that speaks to you in some way can work to elicit this response.

Chances are, if you were a person who could experience this feeling in real life, like during an actual haircut, you would already know about it. So, the best way to discover ASMR is to simply search for videos that might interest you and try them out (more helpful tips below).

Potential benefits

Research into ASMR is still in the early stages, so there is still much to learn. However, there is overwhelming anecdotal evidence of the significant mental and physical health benefits of brain orgasms, or ASMR, as well as some emerging research evidence to back up those claims. People who practice ASMR tout its benefits as calming, relaxing, and meditative — as well as highly enjoyable.

Anecdotal reports of ASMR experiences also appear to share some characteristics with the state of “flow,” which is the state of intense concentration and decreased awareness of the passage of time that is often associated with optimal performance in activities such as sports.

Studies that have been conducted consistently find that many participants use ASMR to achieve the following benefits:

• anxiety reduction
• Emotional regulation
• Entertainment
• Feelings of interpersonal connection.
• Improved mood
• Greater positivity
• Consciousness
• Pain reduction
• Relaxation
• Sleep, both to help them fall asleep and to improve the quality of sleep.
• Stress relief

Reduced heart rate

Research shows that brain orgasms result in measurable physiological effects, including lower heart rate and increased skin conductance, an example of the simultaneous deactivation and activation responses mentioned above.

Interestingly, the same research shows that the reductions in heart rate found during ASMR are comparable to those achieved in music-based stress reduction therapies and even more effective than some mindfulness-based stress relief programs.

Improved mood

Studies show that engaging in ASMR content improves mood and reduces stress in the vast majority of viewers, including those with depression and anxiety . In fact, in one study, participants who had depression experienced greater mood improvement than those who did not have depression .

Risk factors for depression

Inducing sleep. ASMR is also effective in combating insomnia. Many people report using ASMR just before bed to induce sleep, and some content is created explicitly for this purpose.

Greater connectivity

ASMR can also combat loneliness.

There is significant research showing that social isolation and loneliness contribute to poor health. ASMR may offer a way for people to increase feelings of connection, which in turn can positively influence their physical health. In fact, a 2015 meta-review study found that both perceived and actual social isolation produce a substantial risk factor for early mortality.

Dealing with loneliness

As noted above, there are many unique types of ASMR sensations, from the way the feeling is experienced to the content that triggers it. Some people will experience the tingling only in their head, while others will feel the sensation radiating out to various parts of their body, such as their arms and legs.

Tingling vs. relaxing (or both)

Additionally, the content that triggers brain orgasms can range from simple, soothing actions with familiar sounds like crinkling paper, whispering, and hair brushing to elaborate role-play scenarios of someone acting as a doctor, beautician, or other social or personal care interaction. Typically, whispering, closeness, and personal attention are key elements.

Some people who use ASMR seek only the tingling effects, while others seek to experience other specific feelings, such as euphoric calm, deep relaxation, a trance-like state, and/or falling asleep.

Stress relief

Some people respond more to sounds, while others seek more visual stimulation. Interestingly, one study found a positive correlation between those who experience ASMR and those who have a higher “openness to experience” as well as neuroticism, as in someone who is more anxious or sensitive. This indicates that scenarios that induce stress relief may be especially relevant to ASMR reactivity.

Brain orgasm versus musical chills

Similar but different sensations are the chills some people experience when listening to music, as well as the amazement they experience when seeing something particularly beautiful.

However, while both musical chills and aesthetic chills also produce physiological changes that can be described as tingling, they result in an increase in heart rate rather than the decrease in heart rate typically found in those with ASMR.

What Stresses You Out? Try This!

Tips and Tricks
For many passionate ASMR devotees , simply watching their favorite content induces a brain orgasm, while others may need to work a little harder to get the sensation to occur. Try the following strategies to increase your chances of experiencing this tingling sensation.

Adjustment

Many ASMR users report that watching videos in a calm, quiet, and comfortable environment is most effective at inducing the desired brain tingling response.

Choose a location that is free from distractions and feels safe and comfortable. Low lighting and limited background noise are also optimal.

Focus

Aim to give the video your full focus. If you’re doing something else at the same time, for example scrolling through a news feed or your emails on your phone, you’re less likely to experience the desired ASMR .

Sonar

While many of the videos include whispering and other soft noises, you should make sure you can hear them well. Many ASMR participants also recommend using headphones to deepen the sound stimuli and also block out any background noise.

Novelty and Tolerance

Like many things in life, repetition can lead to boredom or a lack of reactivity. This is also true with ASMR. Many people report that they can become less receptive to videos the more they watch them.

Therefore, it is helpful to vary triggers and content providers to continue experiencing the desired response.

• How to trigger your relaxation response
• Issues of Representation

Additionally, while most ASMR enthusiasts do not seek out the content for sexual purposes, some do, and some of the content can be construed as overtly sexualized as in videos that rely on the use of “mouth play” (mouth noises such as kissing or tongue clicking) and showing a lot of cleavage or other typically erotic body parts or poses.

Another pertinent comparison, however, is that women are often caregivers as well, and since ASMR content typically exudes gentleness, compassion, relaxation, and intimacy, it may make sense that many women are drawn to working in this field, and that many viewers instinctively choose female ASMR content creators.