The
internet is an amazing place, you never know what you might
accidentally come across. It's not all cat porn..I mean..it's not all
cat's and porn (I don't even want to know what happens if you do
happen to Google “cat porn”; probably the NSA will
call the SPCA to drone your house.)
Anyway,
what I had come across by accident on Youtube is Autonomous Sensory
Meridian Response (ASMR) and according to the Wikipedia ASMR is “
a perceptual phenomenon characterized as a distinct, pleasurable
tingling sensation in the head, scalp, back, or peripheral regions of
the body in response to visual, auditory, olfactory, and/or cognitive
stimuli.” Or as
I would put it simply certain things make you “feel stuff” or to
put it even more simply you could call it “sound
porn”; I just
Googled “sound
porn” and the
results are quite interesting.
And
apparently it feels really nice. For some people it helps them relax.
Since I'm curious and sceptical by nature (and had nothing better to
do), I decided to watch a few of these ASMR videos just to see what
this “pleasurable tingling sensation” feels like. And for science
of course; plus I thought that my scalp could use a little
stimulation.
I
found out there are many channels dedicated to ASMR. Most of these
videos require you to wear headphones to get the most out of the
experience. What are ASMR videos like to watch? Well..somewhat
strange would be the best way to put it. There tends to
be a lot of whispering and brushing; one of the first videos I
watched had a woman touching a microphone (that's not a euphemism.)
I
watched the WHOLE 21 minute
video and she basically scratched and later brushed the microphone. I
didn't get much of a tingling sensation but it did make think “WTF
am I watching?” and make me
wonder what I was doing with my life. She did have nice fingernails
though..
The
next video I watched was of a woman whispering into a mic in Italian;
I have no idea what she said (she could have been quoting Hannibal
Lecter for all I know) but I now realize that the Italian language is
really beautiful and I'm going to learn Italian on my Duolingo app as
soon as I'm done with my Spanish.
There
are many types of ASMR videos; besides trying to induce ASMR by
making sounds with various objects, there are also a lot of
role-playing videos. For example the person making the video will try
to simulate a doctor's appointment; getting a head massage
(seriously) or getting a haircut. The strangest one I saw was a
“girlfriend role-play”; I think having a girlfriend IRL
is a lot more appealing.
I
admit that these videos made me a little bit sleepy; not because they
were making me relaxed. But only out of boredom since nothing was
happening. Maybe if I had experienced these mind blowing tingling
sensations that some people claim to feel I would feel differently
about ASMR.
I
conducted a somewhat less-than-scientific study by asking a couple of
people to watch ASMR videos and based or preliminary results I can
say that ASMR doesn't seem to affect Malaysian or Canadians. Further
observation is required..
Before
I get hate mail from ASMR enthusiasts let me say that I'm not saying
it doesn't work, I'm saying it doesn't work for me.
And when I say “strange”
I don't mean bad; it's just different. It's more of a personal thing;
when I need to feel concentrate on writing or relax I just listen to
a website dedicated to the sound of pouring rain. It's “strange”
to some people but it's not a bad thing; not like cat porn. I also
like to play Planetside 2 and kill for the Terran Republic (Go TR!)
But
check out the ASMR links and go see for yourself, don't just take my
word for it. So ASMR didn't work for me and I didn't enjoy it but
like Pope Frank who am I to judge? Plus my scalp might not be as
virile as it used to be..
Some
links to check out:
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