ASMR Linked to Anxiety, Neuroticism: New Study Reveals How That Tingly Feeling Promote Relaxation, Sleep, Relieve Stress

Autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR) videos can give a pleasurable, tingly feeling triggered by whispering, gentle touches, and tapping the fingers.

Researchers at Northumbria University found that a five-minute ASMR video with a range of sensory triggers could help people suffering from anxiety. Today, many people are watching these types of videos on YouTube to relax, alleviate stress, and insomnia, which indicates elevated levels of anxiety.

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Tapping fingernails triggering goosebumps, whispers sending shivers down the spine: the brain-tingling world of ASMR has the internet clamoring for sounds that feel good. The auditory-sensory phenomenon sees people experience waves of calm and pleasurable quivers of the mind often referred to as "brain orgasms" -- and it's emerging from the depths of the web into the pop culture mainstream as a means to relax.

What is ASMR?

ASMR videos contain relaxing "brain tingles" that are experienced by many people in response to certain sensory triggers, according to MailOnline. The sensation from these videos typically starts at the scalp and moves down through the head and neck until it spreads throughout the body.

A person experiences an involuntary tingling sensation when watching ASMR induced by focusing on auditory, visual, and tactile triggers. Some examples of these are receiving or seeing someone else receive attention, like massages or hair brushing, listening to soft sounds, whispering, and tapping.

However, triggers could vary from one person to another and not all people are capable of experiencing ASMR. But for millions of people, ASMR videos on YouTube or any online platforms are a go-to for relaxation, sleep, and stress-reliever.

There is still a lot to know about ASMR to understand why some people experience pleasurable tingles while others do not. The researchers wonder whether personality traits are linked with ASMR and if it could be used as a potential therapeutic intervention.

ALSO READ: Study Says Having Goosebumps While Listening to Music Means your Brain is Special

People Who Experience ASMR Have Score High in Neuroticism

Researchers of the new study wrote in The Conversation that there is growing evidence supporting that people who can experience ASMR score high on neuroticism, a personality trait that has the tendency towards depression, self-doubt, anxiety, and other negative feelings.

More so, people who usually watch ASMR videos do so to relax and relieve stress, which indicates high anxiety levels. But there is very little data that links neuroticism with anxiety in people who are capable of experiencing ASMR.

In the study, titled "Untangling the Tingle: Investigating the Association Between the Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR), Neuroticism, and Trait & State Anxiety," published in PLOS One, participants were asked to watch a five-minute ASMR video and were assessed afterward.

They found that those who experienced ASMR had greater scores for neuroticism, trait anxiety and video engagement compared to those who were not able to experience it. Additionally, they had a greater state anxiety score before watching the video, but it reduced after.

In contrast, researchers found no difference between the state anxiety scores of non-experiencers before and after watching the video. That means ASMR video only worked for those ASMR-experiencers.

Overall, the findings gave emphasis on the importance of personality traits when thinking of using ASMR videos as a therapeutic intervention and showed that its benefits can be experienced even to those who do not necessarily feel the "tingle."

RELATED ARTICLE: Why Is ASMR So Effective for Sleeping and Anxiety?

Check out more news and information on Anxiety in Science Times.