As a child, there were many occasions when, determined by the actions of certain people in front of me, accompanied by specific sounds and some repetition, I was motionless, almost in a trance. That was the ASMR phenomenon.
In that scenario, all I could feel was a pleasant tingling sensation that came from my head, but was completely unaksfiable, the truth is that I enjoyed trying it. Over time I discovered that this phenomenon was known as ASMR (Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response), the autonomous sensory response of the meridian or brain orgasm. Let’s go further.
- At the time I thought what was going on was my property.
- As ineffable as it was irresistible.
- In fact.
- When I asked my friends if they were sometimes paralyzed and with a “slight pleasure” in my head.
- I became the target of games.
- So I decided to keep what was impossible to deny.
Today, thanks in part to the ability of dissemination and interconnectivity involving social networks, this psychophysiological phenomenon, which to my surprise and relief is no longer my exclusive, was invented under the name OFMR, or brain orgasm.
His discovery has sparked much research and unpredictable public interest. More and more people are looking for information about ASMR, without knowing its causal basis. And there’s nothing like finding other people to share something in common, whether it’s a feature, an activity or just some interest in a particular topic.
As an example of this growing interest we have the large number of YouTube videos on ASMR, hashtags, blogs, articles, podcasts, news and even academic research. As we can see, what we commonly call brain orgasm is an undisputed reality with the same potential for pleasure as for the treatment of anxiety, the evil of our century.
So, according to research, is ASMR an intrinsic property of many people’s brains?In no way, that they find an easy and even therapeutic way to relax and experience pleasant bodily sensations.
“ASMR is similar to the deep relaxation a person can feel when they receive a massage. “- Professor Craig Richard, University of Shenandoha (Virginia) –
ASMR is the acronym for Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response
This response is driven, above all, by very specific visual or auditory stimuli; intentional care provided by someone else may also act as triggers, albeit less frequently.
On the other hand, analyzing each of the components of the acronym, we come to the basic factors that define this phenomenon:
Let’s start by distinguishing sexual pleasure from this kind of pleasure, described by many as “a tingling that begins at the neck and descends through the body, or as an itchy wave that emerges and descends throbbing, every time a trigger trigger fires its effect. “”.
So, in an article published in the prestigious magazine The New Yorker, we found an even more descriptive definition:?[ASMR] derives from the reassuring sound of a whisper or the gentle rubbing of clothing; Is this when a tingling sensation appears on the scalp that extends across the neck, shoulders and arms, accompanied by a deep state of calm, even euphoria?.
The two pleasures (sexual and derived from ASMR) are different, both in their nature (structures and physiological processes involved), in their final result (ASMR does not culminate in a real orgasm), and in their purpose (thanks to the ASMR, it is not possible to seek the satisfaction of a sexual impulse) In fact, it has been found that sexual activation and activation of ASMR are mutually exclusive.
For those who have never tried ASMR, it is difficult to understand what it is, so here are some examples.
From a perceptual-sensory point of view, some people describe the resulting sensation as something similar to a ‘light electric current’, pleasant and relaxing.
In my case, the definition I think would be “the experience similar to that found in the bubbles of a glass of champagne”. Of course, once the effect of ASMR is awakened, no one will want to leave this mild state of numbness.
On the other hand, some examples of factors that could trigger this response include:
The use of the ASMR induction technique is not recognized by any official body as a valid therapeutic measure; therefore, it cannot be recommended as a substitute for a therapeutic approach.
However, more and more people are using ASMR-based approaches to address specific problems related to the spectrum of anxiety (generalized anxiety, panic attacks, difficulty concentrating, ruminant reflection or difficulty sleeping, etc. ).
Thus, the therapeutic effect of ASMR would be similar, in form and action, to that obtained from techniques such as meditation, yoga or mindfulness, in fact, as with the practices mentioned above, the academic world has already confirmed the benefits of ASMR in terms of physical and mental health.
According to scientific results, there are several parameters that determine a psychophysiological state of relaxation and well-being that are positively impacted through work with ASMR, such as blood pressure, endorphin release or heart rate.
There is little objective and replicable data that attests to the origin and mechanisms of operation of this phenomenon. Yes, there was a statistical relationship between people sensitive to ASMR and the likelihood of misphony (unease with certain noises, especially those caused by people). Therefore, it is believed that there may be a genetic basis for ASMR.
In studies using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), it was observed that in people claiming to have ASMR, areas of the brain associated with social autogroom or interpersonal behaviors (prefrontal medial cortex) and sensations of touch (secondary somatosensory cortex) showed an unusual degree of activation In addition, this activation was much higher than that observed in control subjects or in times of absence of ASMR.
The truth is that those lucky enough to be able to take advantage of this natural, simple, innate and controllable mechanism do not usually over-ask what the origin or functionality of this phenomenon is, what matters is how it feels.