{"id":86259,"date":"2022-11-16T12:17:59","date_gmt":"2022-11-16T17:17:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/?p=86259"},"modified":"2022-11-16T12:19:02","modified_gmt":"2022-11-16T17:19:02","slug":"report-asmr-musicians-exploring-possibilities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/2022\/11\/16\/report-asmr-musicians-exploring-possibilities\/","title":{"rendered":"REPORT | What Is ASMR And Why Are More And More Musicians Exploring Its Possibilities?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Image by Henrieta Ondrejkov\u00e1 (CC0\/Pixabay)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

ASMR is a gaining in popularity by leaps and bounds, and entering into music making at all levels in a significant way.<\/p>\n

ASMR, or autonomous sensory meridian response, is the term that has been coined for the way some people respond physically to audiovisual stimuli. It\u2019s become a growing phenomenon on the internet, spawning stars like Gibi ASMR<\/a>, who has 4.47M subscribers to her YouTube channel. Gibi offers her viewers what she calls sensory calming therapy via her videos.<\/p>\n

ASMR is intended be used to help people relax and sleep, and to help relieve anxiety in general. The premise is this: some people, estimated at about 25% of the population, experience pleasant physical sensations, also called frisson, as well as a relaxing mood, when subjected to certain kinds of soft noises and also visual stimuli. Soft noises can include whispering, soft sounds from nature, or of nails clicking on a hard surface.<\/p>\n

The evidence shows, however, that even the other 75% benefits from the same pleasurable mood-altering effects. In an interview with the BBC<\/a>, pop singer Alaina Castillo describes it as, \u201cweirdly mundane sounds that grounds you a bit\u201d.<\/p>\n

Social media picked up on ASMR during the pandemic in a big way, and music artists began to use the principles in their work. Pop stars were quick to connect with the growing trend. Billie Eilish\u2019s team contacted Gibi, asking her to work on an ASMR version of her latest release. Singers like Zara Larsson use a soft spoke, whispery style of vocals, delivering their message directly to the viewer of their videos.<\/p>\n

That intimate style is part of ASMR. Along with the sounds, the videos incorporate a personal touch. The ASMR artist speaks directly to the viewer, and offers intimate attention, slow and repetitive movements, and other gentle stimuli.<\/p>\n

But…is it for real?<\/h3>\n

A 2021 study by Japanese researchers, titled Induction of Relaxation by Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response<\/em><\/a>, looked into that very question.<\/p>\n

They tested the responses of 30 subjects, comparing ASMR with classical music. Each of the subjects underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) while they listened to one and then the other. After the experiment, the test subjects also answered a questionnaire about their mood and somatosensation, or the bodily sensations they felt while either played. Somatosensation can include tingling feelings, vibrations, tickling, and other sensations. That physical response is usually felt in the arms, spine, and legs, as well as a tingling of the scalp.<\/p>\n