Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR) can help students experience less stress and anxiety through sensation methods, according to the largest Facebook community for ASMR.
ASMR is a tingling sensation that some people experience with certain triggers. Some triggers include whispers, sounds, slow movement, or touch. The sensation can be used as a tool to help individuals relax, lower anxiety and reduce stress.
College students may experience stress or anxiety due to balancing out different responsibilities simultaneously, but ASMR can help. Videos on YouTube focusing on the sensory phenomenon show viewers different methods to relax. It depends on what triggers that tingling sensation.
Nicole Lemus, a psychology major at CSUN, said ASMR is a stimulus to create a sensation that is enjoyable.
“It is extremely helpful because it allows you to only focus on the sensation and that helps take your mind off of the stressful subjects such as assignments, papers, or deadlines that a college student encounters every day,” Lemus said.
According to the American College Health Association, a study from 2015, stated that stress was the highest factor to affect a students academically by 30 percent. Anxiety was the second highest at 21.9 percent, followed by sleep difficulties at 20 percent.
GentleWhispering, a YouTube channel on ASMR focuses on a young woman named Maria who whispers in the camera to make viewers feel calm through her voice. ASMR Darling, another channel, includes multiple videos using whispering methods. Relaxing ASMR, on the other hand, provides different content such as cleaning, drawing, opening packages, and creating different noises with various objects. The videos are meant to help calm one’s mind, body, and sleep patterns.
Fabiola Procopio, an environmental and occupational health major, said she has felt tingles from her head to her spine.
“I have felt that tingling sensation while watching someone bite into an ice cream bar,” Procopio said.
Emma Barratt and Nick Davis, authors of “Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR): a flow-like mental state” focused on gathering information by people who experience ASMR. The phenomenon has not been scientifically proven, but the feeling is real to many people.
“I experience those tingly sensations that run from my head to my neck, and down my spine with multiple triggers such as touch, whisper, and the sound of nails tapping a table,” said Jazmine Ruiz, another student. “I am intrigued with ASMR and will use those triggers more often during my most stressful times.”
