ASMR: The Viral Sensation Helping Millions Find Their Calm
For many people, the soothing sounds of whispers, tapping fingers, or a hairbrush brushing through long hair can trigger a very calming and even tingling sensation throughout the body. This is the realm of ASMR, a sensory experience that has led to a thriving online community. ASMR is no longer a niche interest as it grows in popularity through social media apps like TikTok; it is a worldwide trend. But what exactly is it about these relaxed, often intimate videos that captivates so many people?
Pixabay image of woman creating ASMR content
What is ASMR and Why is it So Popular?
ASMR, or Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response, refers to the tingling feeling that some people experience on their skin when exposed to specific sounds, which often begins at the scalp and moves down the neck and spine. It can create a state of calm and relaxation, almost like a natural sedative. According to the Sleep Foundation Organisation, many people have reported that it also helps them “sleep or manage conditions such as depression, anxiety, and chronic pain.” Over the last decade, ASMR videos, which often include soft-spoken or whispered speech, tapping, and crinkling noises, have become a huge trend. On TikTok alone there are 35.9 million videos uploaded with the hashtag ‘ASMR.’
How Karuna Satori Became an ASMR Sensation
But for 33-year-old content creator Karuna Satori, ASMR was more than just relaxing free time; it became a calling. Her journey led to her creating a thriving YouTube channel with over 1.2 million subscribers. Karuna Satori discovered ASMR in 2014, despite having never heard the term before. She recalls routinely searching for 'massage videos' on YouTube, drawn to the relaxing, sleepy effect they created. “I’ve known about the feeling ASMR gives long before I’d come across the actual name. It was in 2014 that I was routinely typing “massage videos” in the YouTube search bar as they oddly gave me a sleepy, relaxing effect. One evening, I’d grown tired of the massage videos, and came across a video of a woman dressed up as a doll. I clicked that video, and it was like opening a built-up flood gate of ‘tingles’. That sensation I’d felt since childhood was now found again. The video, although amusing, gave me back the tingle sensation ASMR gives, now it just had a name for it. I was hooked.'”
“I clicked that video, and it was like a built-up flood gate of ‘tingles’”
After experiencing the powerful impact of ASMR for herself, Karuna felt motivated to share the experience with others. “I felt so excited that I felt the need to try to give it to others myself. A few months later, the channel ‘Karuna Satori ASMR’ was born.” When Karuna started her channel she didn’t expect it to grow into the massive platform it is today. Her most viewed Youtube video currently has 8.8 million views. Although she can’t “directly explain” how she’s managed to achieve this following she says: “maybe it’s the environment I like to keep on my channel personally – as someone who grew up with absent/abusive parents, I often provide a nurturing, maternal aspect to my channel, and I do know we all crave that in life.” Comments on Karuna’s YouTube channel usually consist of people opening up about their lives or how the video has made them feel. Examples are: “I’m healing from childhood trauma and this gave me comfort - thank you Karuna.” “I feel like your channel is the safest place in the entire world.”
Karuna’s Youtube Channel
The Therapeutic Power
ASMR has become a valuable tool for many struggling with various mental health challenges. The content creator is a firm believer in ASMR's therapeutic effects, having seen firsthand how it helps her audience cope with everyday difficulties. Fay Dillon a 24-year-old from Manchester has had her own struggles with sleeping at night due to stress in her day-to-day life; ASMR has been the only help for Fay’s insomnia.
“It soothed me like nothing I had tried before”
“I had tried everything possible to try to fall asleep and also stay asleep and one evening an ASMR video came up on my TikTok For You Page and it was like it was meant to be, it soothed me like nothing I had tried before,” she says. Ever since then it has become a nightly routine for Fay: “I watch 10-15 minutes of it when I get into bed and it takes my mind off of anything worrying me. It gives me chills in a good way.” Karuna explains how it’s not just the relaxing nature of these videos that help people sleep but it’s also because of the “consistency and predictability of the sounds.” Many ASMR videos feature repetitive sounds that help the brain relax and this predictability can be comforting as it creates a ritual that signals to the body that it’s time to wind down.
Karuna also explains that the tingle sensation itself can offer more than therapeutic benefits. The ASMR experience is thought to engage the parasympathetic nervous system according to Meghan Dassani. This is the part of the body responsible for relaxation and stress recovery. “If the viewer is experiencing the tingle sensation, that alone helps alleviate physical pain, making it a fantastic start to help heal or manage those with chronic pain and/or stress,” she says.
Challenges of Being an ASMR Creator
Despite ASMR's great success, making content presents specific hurdles. “Believe it or not, I’ve only had one challenge in the eleven years I’ve done ASMR – finding a quiet place to film! I bet you could ask any other person practicing ASMR what challenge they faced/face, and they’d tell you the same! It seems there is always noise!” she laughs. ASMR requires an almost silent room to truly emphasise the noises being created. Karuna also explains how sometimes she can find it difficult to continue to create new experiences of that tingle sensation. However, “the good news is that even with ASMR being so ‘new’ in study, there is no evidence that people simply ‘stop’ expereicing it. So I forever believe I can recreate something, or give someone, the experience of ASMR,” she adds.
The Future of ASMR: A New Form of Therapy?
As ASMR grows in popularity, more researchers will investigate its potential uses in mental health. Karuna stays committed to delivering a comfortable and relaxing environment for her audience. She is convinced that ASMR is more than a trend; it is a powerful tool for healing, stress relief, and emotional support. Whether it's through simple triggers like whispering or role plays, ASMR has shown to be a unique and effective way for people to find relief in an often overwhelming world. As more individuals discover its benefits, ASMR is likely to evolve further, confirming its position as legitimate therapeutic practice that benefits millions of people across the world. With this ongoing research, could ASMR one day be recognised as a mainstream form of therapy?
Only time will tell, but for now, millions continue to find comfort and calm in it’s soothing sounds.
Written by Rhiann Hanson