Scientific Research

ASMR is still a relatively new concept, it has only had a name for a little over a decade, and it wasn't something most people knew about until its YouTube boom of the mid 2010s. As such, peer based scientific research is hard to come by, especially on a large scale. Scientists are just now starting to take an increased interest, but often struggle to find enough subjects to take part in the studies as it is a self-reported sensory phenomenon. Many of the studies done involve surveys and questionnaires that are presented to a select group of ASMR and Non-ASMR people, or studies of smaller groups where they can question and show videos in person. Another hurdle scientific research faces is that ASMR can be difficult to recreate in a lab setting. There is no one size fits all when it comes to ASMR, and not just anybody has the performance skills and knowledge needed to trigger ASMR.

Because of some of the studies done, we know that ASMR can create real physiological effects in those who experience ASMR. One study showed that on average people who experience ASMR had their heart rate lower while watching ASMR videos by 3-4 beats per minute. ASMR experiencers also reported significantly higher rates of calm, focus, and excitement when watching the videos compared to non-ASMR experiencers. This study helped to prove that ASMR doesn't just make you feel more relaxed, your body physically becomes more relaxed as well when watching ASMR.

There have been multiple studies done on the higher rates of Misophonia and Synesthesia in those who experience ASMR. Misophonia is disorder when certain sounds, typically sounds produced by other humans, causes a significant negative reaction, often anger or anxiety. Some examples would be strong irritation, anger, or anxiety when hearing someone chew food or chew gum, loud mouth breathing, pencil tapping, pen clicking, or repetitive noises like a clock ticking or water dripping. Synesthesia is a neurological condition in which senses that are not normally connected are merged. For example, somebody who has Synesthesia may be able to hear color, see sound, or taste words.

One study showed that people who self-report ASMR also have a somewhat higher rate of Misophonia. In this study 36% of the ASMR group scored about a 14 on the Misophonia scale, which indicates a significant Misophonic response, this was a 14% higher occurrence rate than the non-ASMR group. Several other reports from 2017 also had similar findings. One study of a Misophonia group found that 49% of the participants self-described ASMR responses to specific sounds and triggers, and another ASMR study found that 43% of the ASMR participants had Misophonia when they had the disorder described to them. Oddly enough, many triggers of Misophonia are also widely loved triggers in ASMR, such as whispering, tapping, pen clicking, etc. A 2015 study showed that Synesthesia is commonly reported amongst ASMR experiencers, about 5.9%. This number may seem small, but Synesthesia is thought to only affect 2-4% of the population. These studies have built off of each other, and have now gained traction to a running theory that Misophonia and ASMR are possibly two sides of the same spectrum, and that they may be linked to Synesthesia. All three are often underreported and misunderstood, and this newfound attention will benefit all three as more research is dedicated to these phenomenons.