A new Super Bowl commercial aims to calm frenzied football fans with oddly relaxing images of actress Zoe Kravitz whispering into a pair of microphones and softly tapping on a bottle.
The beer ad already has drawn more than 10 million views and stands to expose a vast audience to an internet craze known as ASMR, or autonomous sensory meridian response.
Some people spend hours watching videos of hair brushing, paper crinkling or “happy little clouds” artist Bob Ross painting because they say it makes their brains tingle. They report feeling a rush from the subtle, repetitive sights and sounds, but is it all in their heads?
Not everyone feels ASMR. And so far, there’s not enough evidence to recommend it as a stand-alone treatment for depression, anxiety, insomnia or any of the other problems its fans claim it solves.
But a few scientists are trying to study ASMR, and there is evidence that there might be something to it. And if any harm is done, it’s not financial: It’s usually free.
WHAT IS ASMR?
Most people agree the sound of nails on a chalkboard is freakishly unpleasant. ASMR is described as an opposite feeling: a tingly euphoric response, usually starting on the head and scalp, and sometimes spreading down the neck, arms or back.
Some call it a “brain orgasm,” though most say it’s not sexual. They say it’s deeply relaxing, making it different from goosebumps or chills. The feeling helps some people get to sleep.
Craig Richard, author of “Brain Tingles” and a professor at Shenandoah University in Winchester, Va., traces the history to 2007 when a post titled “Weird sensation feels good” kicked off a conversation in an internet health forum.
A Facebook group and YouTube channels followed. From the start, people shared their triggers: slow or quiet talking, teeth cleaning and chewing sounds.
Today, millions subscribe to content from the most popular ASMR artists. A live ASMR spa experience has launched with planned performances in New York and California.
IS IT REAL?
About a dozen research studies have been published. That’s not a lot in the world of medical science.
In England, University of Sheffield researchers found something surprising when they hooked up 112 volunteers to electrodes to gather biophysical data during ASMR videos: The tinglers seemed physically excited, but their heart rates slowed.
Half the volunteers were self-identified ASMR fans. They had greater reductions in their heart rates — by about 3 beats per minute — compared to the nontinglers while watching the same videos. Their bodies became more excited, compared to non-tinglers, as measured by how their skin conducted electricity.
WHAT’S NEXT
For ASMR to take hold in mainstream science hinges on whether the craze lasts long enough for researchers to find out whether it helps people with stress or other health problems. That kind of study is expensive and lengthy.
For now, Richard said the best way to think about ASMR is “supplemental intimacy.” It shouldn’t replace healthy relationships, but it can be used to improve mood.
