Introduction

Autonomous sensory meridian response, or ASMR, is a tingly feeling that begins in the head or scalp, is caused by recognizable sounds that you hear every day, and results in a deep feeling of relaxation. Popularized on YouTube by folks known as ASMRtists who make videos to stimulate the tingly sensation and promoted by ASMR experiencers, what was once an online subculture has gone mainstream and is causing the clinical community to sit up and take notice. While some question its scientific validity, others swear by it, saying it is a safe and natural, with no harmful side effects.

Though we come from two very different backgrounds, we both know how hard it can be to turn off the noise of the day and relax. As longtime ASMR experiencers, we’ve both turned to the internet in search of the sounds and experiences that gave us the tingly feeling that always helped us instantly unwind and relax, and now we are ready to share everything we know about the ASMR experience with you.

You don’t have to be a physician, a researcher, or even an ASMR experiencer to learn more about this fascinating phenomenon. Many people who come to the world of ASMR do so because they have heard about it from someone else, or they stumbled upon it accidentally. If you are already a “tingle head,” this book will help you gain a deeper understanding about the sensation you are already familiar with and where it comes from. It will also help you understand what is truly happening inside the brain when that ASMR feeling occurs.

Let us take you on a journey inside the mind to learn what the ASMR phenomenon is and how you can use it to relax or get a good night’s sleep at last!

How This Book Is Organized

This book is divided into five parts:

Part 1, ASMR Basics, takes you on a journey into the online subculture that has earned national headlines and the interest of some members of the medical community. You learn what ASMR is, what it feels like, and who is affected. We also discuss why it is being called the solution to insomnia and how it has an effect on the stress response.

Part 2, The Origins of ASMR, shows you that even though ASMR is a relatively new idea, it is connected to concepts and practices that are far older. We track the evolution of ASMR and the ASMR community while exploring its history in other well-known and clinically acknowledged practices.

Part 3, Finding Your Triggers, enables you to delve into the sounds that soothe you to discover whether it is possible for you to experience ASMR yourself. You learn why certain vocals, sounds, and well-known scenarios seem to have an effect on people and how you can identify these in your own life.

Part 4, Applying ASMR, starts with ways you can use ASMR techniques with others in everyday life. We then go behind the scenes of ASMR content creation to show you how to write, film, direct, star in, and edit your own ASMR content.

Part 5, Becoming Part of the ASMR Community, begins with some tips for how to be a good ASMR community member, as well as how to deal with others who aren’t. We then show you what it takes to build your ASMRtist platform. From networking with others, to social media, to how much you can really expect to make, we cover it all as you join the big leagues.

Extras

Throughout this book, you’ll find some handy bits of information in sidebars that give you more information about ASMR.

DEFINITION

Throughout this book, you will find a number of terms that are important to the scientific and ASMR communities. We identify and define these terms in relationship to ASMR in these sidebars while providing you with a listing of these terms in Appendix A.

DID YOU KNOW?

These fast facts apply to the scientific community, as well as the ASMR community, and can be found in the chapters to which they correspond.

TINGLE TIP

These directives are designed to help you get the most out of the topic we cover in each chapter. This may apply to sleep, meditation, hypnosis, or other ASMR-related activities.

KEEP IN MIND

These alert you to any special considerations you’ll want to be aware as you learn more about the ASMR phenomenon and its methodologies.

Note: ASMR is not a medical practice, nor should it be used as a replacement for any treatment program prescribed by your physician. Before turning to ASMR as a sleep aid, consult with your health-care professional about whether or not this content may be an option for you.

But Wait! There’s More!

Have you logged on to idiotsguides.com lately? If you haven’t, go there now! As a bonus to the book, we’ve included additional ASMR videos you’ll want to check out, all online. Point your browser to idiotsguides.com/asmr, and enjoy!

Acknowledgments

First and foremost, I want to thank Lori Cates Hand for believing in this project when it was still an idea in my head. Thanks also to Ilse Blansert for trusting in a complete stranger to bring the world of ASMR to life and lending her name and expertise to the project. I couldn’t have done it without you! I also want to give a big thank you to Dr. Craig Richard at Shenandoah University in Virginia for his enthusiasm and support and for double-checking my science. I think we both learned a lot! And finally, to my friends “Heather Feather,” “Whisper Sweetie,” and every other ASMRtist who contributed in one way or another to this project, thank you from the bottom of my heart and thank you for being there when my head is humming with outside noise and I need the tingles to take me away. —Julie Young

Thank you everyone at Alpha Books for giving me this incredible opportunity to bring ASMR to a wider audience. Thank you so much to my father, John, who told me that being different and making a difference isn’t a bad thing, and his parents, who were the first people to give me tingles. Thank you to my aunt and other grandmother who support my work and spread the word about ASMR whenever they can. Thank you also to my fiancé, Chris, for his love and tech support. Thanks as well to Maria “GentleWhispering,” Lilium, and all of my friends in the ASMR community. Last but not least, I want to thank the viewers; without you, I would not be where I am today. Your support keeps me going and I am truly grateful for each and every one of you. —Ilse Blansert

Trademarks

All terms mentioned in this book that are known to be or are suspected of being trademarks or service marks have been appropriately capitalized. Alpha Books and Penguin Random House LLC cannot attest to the accuracy of this information. Use of a term in this book should not be regarded as affecting the validity of any trademark or service mark.

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