The acronym ASMR is today one of the most recurring themes on YouTube. Those videos where people talk to the viewer in a slow, whispering, mumbling or role-playing way have a purpose, to make those on the other side of the screen relax and maybe even fall asleep.
What is ASMR?
ASMR stands for Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response. It is the name given to pleasant sensations, usually a tingling or shivering caused by visual, auditory and cognitive stimuli. Any positive stimulus can cause the reaction, from pleasant conversation to the sound of rain, the noise of someone crumpling a plastic and so on.
The key is for the listener to reach a state of relaxation sufficient to cause the sensation (which some describe as a “brain orgasm”), and this response varies from person to person, and even the listener may relax to the point of falling asleep. The response to stimuli is autonomous and the listener cannot control or predict their reactions.
How an ASMR Video Works
Since the focus is on making the listener relax (and even sleep, depending on each case), the caller positions himself/herself close to the camera. The microphone used makes all the difference, being the binaural (which is not cheap) the most suitable, for capturing sounds that will be reproduced in the headphones from different directions, leaving the most natural result.
The format of the video is the most important factor. The speaker will explore situations that cause feelings of pleasure and well-being, such as speaking in a whisper and pause (as if he were “close to the ear”), reproducing diverse sounds that bring about a positive and more important reaction, which make the listener calm while rather than excited in the sense of euphoric.
Many of these videos feature a role play where the person in the video simulates talking to you, feeling a sense of intimacy and care. Therefore, the movements and the voice are smooth.
In the end, ASMR video seeks to see who is watching (and especially listening) relax at the sound of the caller’s voice and almost always fall asleep.