I find it fascinating that it's something that not everybody experiences. I've also spent the last couple of hours watching Bob Ross videos, jerks.
I found a down to earth article that tries to sum it up to people who don't experience it. I'll highlight some of the key quotes
https://newatlas.com/asmr-free-tingl...mrtists/27667/
"I started to notice that certain voices and accents would give me these "braingasms" as I started to call them, and if I stumbled across the right voice I'd turn to jelly. I remember keeping one poor telemarketer on the phone for ages, just asking her to keep repeating herself as I melted into a pool of sheer relaxation."
"Since then, I've been watching a vast array of long and otherwise incredibly boring videos specifically designed to produce the ASMR response. Most people I've mentioned it to have no similar response at all, and can't imagine why I'd sit and bliss out to an 18-minute video of a Russian girl folding towels, or a Greek girl waving her hands in my face, or somebody tapping their fingernails on a wooden box. You can probably begin to imagine why this is kind of an embarrassing hobby – I'm 36, male, bearded and known mainly for my love of super-fast motorcycles. And yet my brother catches me, asleep, with my phone on my chest and a video still playing. It's a woman whispering softly to me as she pretends to give me a makeover. Not cool.
But for those of us that feel it, it's so refreshing, soporific, hypnotic and addictive that we've just got to go hunting for more of the good stuff. "
Here's what we know about ASMR
Not everyone experiences it. Sorry to those who don't, you're missing out. Those that do tend to respond to very different stimuli, although there are some strong themes:
Soft, soothing voices
Whispering very close to a microphone, or your ear
Even, measured speaking tones
Foreign accents
Mouth noises like lip smacking
Close personal attention, like haircuts, makeovers or doctor's examinations
Handiwork and expertise
Tapping sounds
Rustling or soft crinkling sounds
Gentle handling of precious items
White noise
"ASMR is experienced in different ways, but predominantly as a tingling sensation in the head and scalp area that may extend down the neck and limbs. There is sometimes a trance-like state involved, and it's often coupled with an intense feeling of relaxation."
He links a few videos. I clicked through them skipping from bit to bit. Videos usually fail to keep my attention if I don't feel anything after a few seconds. I'm not going to watch a 40 minute video just in the chance that it might have the triggers I need. One of the videos did work though. There's a scene in which the person is doing a futuristic role play, and at this moment I skipped to (4 minute point) she is doing a retinal scan. That shit literally sent tingles down my spine in addition to my usual scalp and shoulders.