– The phenomenon of ASMR videos has exploded over the last few years
– Autonomous sensory meridian response is described as the pleasant scalp tingling some people feel in response to certain aural or visual triggers
– Sara-Jayne King talks to popular local ASMR artist "ASMR Rosy"
What do the letters ASMR mean to you?… Well for me, they mean relaxing, soothing voices whispering into my ears at night and lulling me to sleep!
Sara-Jayne King, Weekend Breakfast host
Sara-Jayne King is talking about autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR), a sensory phenomenon that's been exploited to become a huge trend in today's high-stress world.
The Sleep Foundation describes it as "the deep relaxation and pleasant scalp tingling some people feel in response to quiet sounds such as whispering, or quiet sounds combined with gentle movements".
In Sara-Jayne's case ASMR certainly helps her to fall asleep at night.
She interviews the popular local artist who calls herself "Rosy ASMR".
What ASMR essentially means is a tingling sensation that is very relaxing normally, that you can get from specific triggers. They can be sounds or visual triggers…
Rosy ASMR
The ASMR artist's not sure that absolutely everyone experiences this, but adds that you have to figure out what works for you.
"It really depends on the person."
Rosy relates how she came across ASMR by chance on YouTube and "absolutely loved it".
I've always struggled to fall asleep and that became my go-to every night.
Rosy ASMR
[What people do on YouTube] It can be very varied… Basically there will be a lot of relaxing sounds… Some people like the sound of tapping on wood, other people like the sound of rustling papers or the sound of water…Rosy ASMR
It could also be visual triggers like hand movements… People can find that quite relaxing too…
Rosy ASMR
Role play has also become an integral part of ASMR videos.
Watch Rosy's "Cranial Nerve Exam" role-play video which has racked up nearly 200,000 views on YouTube:
Scroll to the top of the article for the audio of the interview
This article first appeared on CapeTalk : Exploring the ASMR video phenomenon: 'It lulls me to sleep every night'
Artmotion S.Africa
