Talk:ASMR

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This article requires attention for the following reason(s):
  • Only 3 references, one of which is YouTube.
  • Said references are bare links.

What the bloody hell is this? And do we need it? Spud (talk) 12:44, 13 June 2014 (UTC)

Something-that-sounds-like-woo-but-probably-is-not? See also: binaural beats (something-that-sounds-like-woo-and-is-woo), purported legal highs, etc. Steven Novella has covered it at least once: http://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/asmr/ --ZooGuard (talk) 13:14, 13 June 2014 (UTC)
It's Woo but isn't woo but is maybe woo but can be taken as woo if done the right way. I use them because the videos all talk lightly and sound helps me sleep, no idea about tingles or whatever.--Miekal 14:12, 13 June 2014 (UTC)
I figured there are people who are likely to come to us looking to figure out what the deal with it is, in hopes there's something we can bring to it that Wikipedia doesn't. IMHO it's on mission partly for that reason, and partly because it's popular and real but poorly understood. It is basically a scientific issue, so that makes it relevant to us. EVDebs (talk) 17:46, 13 June 2014 (UTC)
OK, I'm convinced. Spud (talk) 13:20, 14 June 2014 (UTC)
I'm a solid atheist and "ASMR" fan (I hate the name as it seems to be sourced in Chinese "Medicine"). Studied tens of thousands of pages of biology textbooks and aced physics, chem, biology, math. There's nothing crank or woo about the sensation - it's extant and very real. On the contrary, some ASMR people are exposing how woo works by telling you it's just a sensation. Here's an example from one of the more popular ASMR people emulating a quack to show ASMR fans that quack medicine can induce the sensation lulling someone into a false sense of security. It's weird stuff to people who don't get what the sensation is - but it's an extremely relaxing and pleasurable sensation for people who experience it. Calling it "ASMR" is anti-woo because in an otherwise non-self reflecting person, the sensation both is stimulated by a sensation of trust (potentially misplaced) as well as mistakable for magic, spiritual effects, etc. as it requires an almost "hypnotic" state of relaxation to experience it. If you watch some old government MKULTRA hypnosis videos, you'll recognize that the auditory techniques used by the ASMR peeps are well familiar to some. Being someone who doesn't believe in Tarot cards at all, I used to look up videos of Tarot readings just because they evoked this sensation - then I ended up discovering the people making these videos. Ergo - the sensation stimulated in someone who is unaware of it as just a sensation may be abused for woo purposes. Too self-indulgent for you? That's all good - nobody is forcing ascetics to forgo their state of alertness and be forced to watch ASMR videos. JRCHReason (talk) 06:44, 5 July 2014 (UTC)
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What should I feel?[edit]

Because I feel basically nothing. The sounds are relaxing and all, but there's no tingle, much less an "orgasm-like" sensation. Is it like the chill you feel when you hear that solo, or that delicious high-note on your favorite song?~epixSay What? 01:33, 8 December 2014 (UTC)

As far as I can understand, not everyone experiences it, so a lack of reaction is perfectly normal.--ZooGuard (talk) 08:35, 8 December 2014 (UTC)
I get a tingling sensation around my neck and usually get goosebumps and feel like my skin is "cold". It is a strange but very pleasurable feeling. I don't really get the effect from the whispering videos, but videos like woo healing sessions are very effective for me. I actually would like to get a reiki healing or something like that even though I know its total bunk, just to see if it feels as good as just listening and watching to it. — Unsigned, by: 88.115.38.169 / talk / contribs (signed by bot) 14:02, 18 December 2014 (UTC)
There's a sizable variation in individual triggers and sensitivity. Some people are "immune" it seems. And to the above poster, I have had similar ASMR when hearing or reading about new agey medical/pop-psyche woo. --Zipperback (talk) 05:26, 26 January 2016 (UTC)