Before you judge, just hear me out. Those of you that are part of the ASMR community have probably started noticing that ASMRTheChew aka “Pickle Lady” has pretty much gone viral on Twitter. Seeing this made me want to write this article even more. I already had the article in mind but I was too afraid of getting any judgment for it which is silly now that I look back in hindsight because the judgment is going to come no matter what. Also, I want to point out that everything written is solely opinion-based. Please remember that ASMR is NOT meant to professionally treat any health issues — everybody’s experience is different. Please talk to a professional if you are seeking treatment of any kind.
For those of you that are clueless as to what ASMR stands for, it’s short for autonomous sensory meridian response, in short, “tingles.” It’s literally the feeling of euphoria and a comfortable tickle that trickles down your spine and entire body (sometimes) and begins on the back of the head. Personally, I’ve only experienced ASMR on the back of my head and neck. ASMR is different for everybody and not everyone is able to experience it. I remember the very first time I unknowingly experienced ASMR was when I was about 13 years old and I watched a Valentine’s Day inspired makeup and hair look on YouTube (way before beauty gurus were poppin’). It wasn’t until the girl started brushing her hair that I felt tingles on the back of my head. Needless to say, it was weird but I didn’t pay it no mind after that. When I was 15 years old, I came across a blog post on Tumblr that was titled “Virtual Haircut” with a long explanation of ASMR that I skimmed across as I clicked the video and put my headphones in. That was the second encounter I had with ASMR in my early teenage years. Now, I’m 20 years old and I watch ASMR every other night to help my insomnia. To be completely honest, I didn’t start watching ASMR videos purposefully, until December of 2016. I started watching @FrivvyFox, peeped the comments, and was shocked at how many people were into it. Don’t get me wrong, I totally understand that the thought of someone talking you to sleep is weird and even seems creepy but it really is a sort of meditation for some people. Perhaps meditation is the wrong word to use but the feeling of relaxation and euphoria is the reason I watch ASMR. I’ve struggled with uni-polar depression, anxiety, panic disorder and insomnia throughout my entire adolescence and I resorted to meditation and affirmations for a while. Affirmations helped boost my inner self and mediation helped me relax. But pretty much nothing gave me the same euphoric feeling ASMR did (don’t think that way, ya nasty.) While we’re on the topic, ASMR is NOT sexual. It isn’t a fetish, and it isn’t erotic. That’s completely misunderstood. I don’t think the purpose of sex is to put you to sleep. But anyway, you can read all about that misconception here. But ASMR has helped my anxiety and insomnia a ton. I’m not saying watching a video before you go to bed is going to erase all the problems you have to face in this world because that’s unrealistic. At some point you’re going to have to step up and deal with life just like everybody else does.
But what I can say is that for as little as 20 minutes, when I watch an ASMR video because I had a shitty day or my anxiety is kicking in, I actually feel relaxed and at ease. Much like the way music helps, ASMR does too.
Bottom line is, if you haven’t tried diving into the world of ASMR, I strongly urge you to check it out. My favorite trigger is tapping noises, I’m knocked out cold after just 10 minutes of a video. ASMR has helped tons of people slow down and take some time to relax. Relax-relax-relax-relax. (Repetition is a trigger too.)
