Although the physiological and neurological mechanisms involved in ASMR have long been unclear, researchers have uncovered possible explanations.
A real phenomenon
Do you know ASMR? These are these famous little tingles or shivers triggered by various external stimuli (tapping, whispering, etc.) and which instantly cause a feeling of relaxation.
To try to better understand them, researchers carried out the investigation.
To do this, they examined more than 1000 articles and filtered 54 on the theme of ASMR, published in a scientific journal.
“We found that ASMR is a clearly defined phenomenon that is experienced and described by many people in very similar ways“, explains Tobias Lohaus.
Watching “ASMR” videos was thus associated, for 25 to 30% of people, with short-term positive effects, such as “mood change” or some “physiological changes” (slower heart rate and lower blood pressure).
In addition, studies have repeatedly shown that this great thrill is associated with “a reduction in so-called delta waves, generally linked to deep sleep, but which, more recently, have also been linked to states of consciousness“, specifies Neuroscience News magazine.
For Tobias Lohaus, these are perhaps precisely “these states of consciousness that arise in this state of relaxation“, he assures.
Specific brain areas are activated
Researchers also claim that very specific brain areas are involved when listening to these particular noises:
“At the neurobiological level, ASMR has been associated with altered electrophysiological response patterns, activation of specific brain areas (particularly the anterior cingulate gyrus and movement-related regions), and atypical functional connectivity patterns as well as ‘physiological changes, such as reduced heart rate’they emphasize.
However, no long-term effects of this practice have been noted.
“We have yet to discover any studies demonstrating the long-term mental health effects of ASMR“confirmed Tobias Lohaus.”This will require future studies examining the effects of ASMR videos over a longer period of time and comparing them to watching control videos.”