HILLSBOROUGH, N.C. – Relaxation. Euphoria. Tingling. These are the words used to describe the result of an Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response, or ASMR, trigger. The newly acknowledged phenomenon can evoke responses some call a “brain orgasm.”
ASMR stimuli include auditory, visual and tactile experiences. While decidedly non-sexual, ASMR triggers can be anything that gives a person a tingling sensation that starts in the scalp and moves throughout the body. It creates a blissful calm that many utilize for insomnia, stress or meditation.
“Common ASMR triggers are the sight and sound of pages turning in a book, rain on a tin roof or a tickling whisper in your ear,” said Adam & Eve resident sexologist Dr. Kat Van Kirk. “Others — seeing someone fold laundry, fingernails tapping on a table or watching and listening to painter Bob Ross — are more obscure, but still have a following.”
A recent Hotjar online poll conducted by Adam & Eve asked more than 2,000 visitors whether they had ever experienced an ASMR sensation, what caused it and whether they have or would be willing to engage in any triggers intimately. Fifty-seven percent said they had experienced an ASMR sensation resulting from whispering, light blowing or hand movements. Another 82 percnt of adults polled said they intentionally engage in activities to produce the tingling sensation associated with ASMRs.
“The scientific community has only recently delved into the ASMR movement,” Van Kirk said. “While many people have positive reactions to ASMR triggers, many others aren’t affected at all. And some have negative reactions to the stimuli. However, we believe there is an opportunity to take ASMR experiences to the next level and explore how reaction to certain stimuli could be translated to the bedroom and enhance arousal and orgasm for many couples.”
Adam & Even has created a brief self-evaluation “quiz” to help people assess whether they respond to ASMR triggers and then put the triggers to best use.
Numerous YouTube videos have brought ASMR to light for millions of people. Popular ASMRists TingleBelle and Sweet Whispers contributed to the Adam & Eve ASMR Quiz.
