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While some people watch ASMR videos to relax, it could also be that ASMR is a form of synesthesia, an odd neurological phenomenon in which some people can "taste" shapes or "hear" sounds when exposed to certain smells, among other responses.
"From a personality perspective, people with ASMR tend to be more open to sensory experiences in general," said Stephen Smith, a professor of psychology at the University of Winnipeg in an email interview. "They also tend to score higher on some measures of mindfulness, particularly those relating to being curious about the sensations that their body is experiencing."
Smith said that he and his colleagues are still working through large amounts of brain scan data in hopes of finding more biological clues regarding the secrets of ASMR. But so far, "my colleagues and I found that individuals with ASMR had less distinct brain networks than matched 'control' participants. That said, much more research is needed before scientists can definitively explain why some people love ASMR videos."
And as to why some people don't like them? "I think that it relates to the scenarios that are being depicted. They often involve young females performing personal acts such as applying makeup. The voyeuristic quality of some of the videos could be off-putting to some viewers," Smith said. "Additionally, if a viewer isn't experiencing pleasurable tingling sensations, then watching someone whispering at the
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