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According to a new study published in “PLOS One,” ASMR videos could help alleviate anxiety. ASMR, which stands for autonomous sensory meridian response, is the whole-body sensation some people experience when they hear certain trigger sounds, such as a person whispering, paper crinkling, seltzer bubbles fizzing, or scoring sourdough. ASMR is described as an intensely pleasant tingling sensation traveling down the spine from the scalp or neck, or as a feeling of full-body relaxation. It can even be sleep inducing.
Of course, everyone reacts to these sounds differently, and not all people experience ASMR. For some, sounds like nails tapping on a countertop or ice clinking in a glass can be irritating. Some people only experience ASMR with specific sounds, such as a makeup brush on a microphone, a page turning, or someone writing with a pencil on paper.
Of the 64 participants in the study, 36 were categorized as “ASMR experiencers” — meaning they’d experienced had the calm, tingly sensation before the study — and 28 were categorized as “ASMR non-experiencers.” Both groups watched this five-minute ASMR video, which includes a wide range of ASMR triggers — such as tapping, scratching, makeup-applying — presented one after another. The ASMR experiencers reported “significantly” reduced anxiety after watching the video.
The study, while fairly small, found that “ASMR has the potential to be both effective and suitable as a clinically relevant anxiety treatment” — so it can’t hurt to try! Here are the best ASMR YouTube channels and ASMR TikTok trends for your zodiac sign. See if they help reduce your stress and anxiety.