ASMR stands for Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response, which is a tingling, static-like, or goosebumps sensation that some people experience in response to specific triggering audio or visual stimuli. The sensation usually begins on the scalp and moves down the back of the neck and upper spine. People who experience ASMR report pleasant feelings of relaxation, calm, sleepiness, or well-being. The triggers for ASMR vary from person to person, but some common ones include:

• Listening to a softly spoken or whispering voice
• Listening to a person blow or exhale into a microphone
• Listening to mouth sounds, such as quiet clicking of the tongue or tisking
• Listening to tapping, typically with ones nails onto hard surfaces
• Listening to buttons being pressed, mostly those of computer keyboards or video game controllers
• Talking softly or moving slowly
• Tapping or typing
• Close personal attention or eye contact
• Massage, hair brushing, or haircuts
• Humming or chewing
• Light patterns
• Slowly turning a page or folding paper
• Scratching, crisp, or squishing sounds
• Squishing or crunching sounds
• Applying makeup to the face

ASMR videos are popular on YouTube and other social media platforms, and they often feature people creating ASMR-inducing sounds to play out social situations with actions that trigger the sensation. Although there is no good science or research behind the phenomenon, many people describe the feeling as “tingles” that run through the back of someone’s head and spine.