ASMR, short for Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response, refers to the tingling, static-like sensation some people experience in response to specific audio-visual triggers. The feeling usually starts at the scalp and travels down the neck and spine, often accompanied by a deep sense of calm or even euphoria. Though the experience has existed for generations (the writer Virginia Woolf described it in her 1925 Mrs Dalloway), it didn’t have a name or much public discussion until the internet brought like-minded people together.
In 2007, users on a health forum began describing this odd, relaxing sensation they got from sounds like whispering, tapping or brushing. It went by various informal names: “head tingles”, “brain orgasms” or simply “that feeling”. It wasn’t until 2010 that Jennifer Allen coined the term “Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response”, hoping to give the phenomenon a more clinical, non-sexual and legitimate label. She also started the first ASMR Facebook group, which became a magnet for others who had experienced the same mysterious effect but never had the words for it.
The real explosion of ASMR came with YouTube. By the early 2010s, a wave of videos surfaced featuring people whispering gently, tapping fingernails on hard surfaces, role-playing as librarians or optometrists, and simulating close personal attention. GentleWhispering (aka Maria Viktorovna) became one of the earliest ASMR celebrities, followed by ASMR Darling and Gibi ASMR, each of whom brought a slightly different aesthetic – wholesome, quirky or cosplay-inspired – to the scene. ASMR quickly moved from niche curiosity to full-blown internet subculture, with millions of viewers around the world and new creators emerging every day.
Scientific research eventually began to catch up, particularly between 2015 and 2018. Studies confirmed that ASMR is a genuine, measurable response for those who experience it. Functional MRI scans suggested that ASMR activates brain regions associated with social bonding, calm and reward. Participants who felt ASMR reported lower heart rates, reduced stress, and elevated mood. Still, it remains a somewhat exclusive club – only around 20–30% of people seem to experience true ASMR tingles.
Several famous and quirky examples have helped ASMR seep into broader cultural awareness. The painter Bob Ross, host of The Joy of Painting, is considered a grandfather of ASMR; his soft voice, brush sounds and warm demeanour produce what’s now termed “accidental ASMR”. Mukbang videos, live-streamed broadcasts where the host consumes large quantities of food for the entertainment of viewers – especially those involving exaggerated eating sounds – have merged the world of food and ASMR, becoming wildly popular in South Korea and beyond.
Unintentional ASMR also shows up in unexpected places. Narrators like David Attenborough or Morgan Freeman have long been cited as trigger-inducing without even trying. The trend has even caught the attention of brands. IKEA, the beer brand Michelob Ultra and KFC have all produced ASMR-style commercials. Watch the Michelob one HERE.
ASMR has expanded beyond YouTube, with Spotify playlists of gentle sounds, Twitch streamers performing live ASMR sessions and dedicated wellness apps offering ASMR soundscapes for sleep and relaxation. High-end equipment like the 3Dio binaural microphone – shaped like a pair of human ears – has become standard equipment for professional "ASMRtists".
Ultimately, ASMR is a curious blend of internet culture, neuroscience and performance art. It meets a modern need for comfort, calm or sensory delight in a digital world that’s often fast, loud and chaotic.
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References
wikipedia.org/wiki/ASMR
3diosound.com
nytimes.com/2019/04/04/magazine/how-asmr-videos-became-a-sensation-youtube
allarts.org/2020/01/how-bob-ross-and-the-joy-of-painting-became-unexpected-heroes-in-asmr-communities
theguardian.com/society/2025/mar/02/young-adults-increasingly-struggling-offline-turn-to-asmr-videos-report-finds
Images
1. ASMR. Photo credit: Andrey Popov | iStock by Getty Images
2. An illustration of the route of ASMR's tingling sensation by Emma L. Barratt and Nick J. Davis
3. Virginia Woolf in 1927
4. YouTuber Bob Ross, the host of "The Joy of Painting"
5. Video: "What is ASMR?" Gentle Whisperer ASMR, 2015
6. 3Dio Free Space Binaural Microphone. Credit: 3diosound.com
7. Video: "ULTRA Pure Gold Super Bowl Commercial with Zoe Kravitz" ASMR, 2019
8. Video: "Margot Robbie Explores #ASMR" W Magazine, 2018
