{"id":691128,"date":"2025-09-20T23:05:11","date_gmt":"2025-09-20T20:05:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/does-asmr-really-help-with-anxiety-a-psychology-expert-explains-the-evidence\/"},"modified":"2025-09-20T23:05:11","modified_gmt":"2025-09-20T20:05:11","slug":"does-asmr-really-help-with-anxiety-a-psychology-expert-explains-the-evidence","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/does-asmr-really-help-with-anxiety-a-psychology-expert-explains-the-evidence\/","title":{"rendered":"Does ASMR really help with anxiety? A psychology expert explains the evidence"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_89 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6af11e41d87c2\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6af11e41d87c2\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/does-asmr-really-help-with-anxiety-a-psychology-expert-explains-the-evidence\/#What_is_ASMR\" >What is ASMR?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/does-asmr-really-help-with-anxiety-a-psychology-expert-explains-the-evidence\/#What_triggers_ASMR\" >What triggers ASMR?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/does-asmr-really-help-with-anxiety-a-psychology-expert-explains-the-evidence\/#Why_doesnt_it_affect_everyone\" >Why doesn&#8217;t it affect everyone?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/does-asmr-really-help-with-anxiety-a-psychology-expert-explains-the-evidence\/#The_bottom_line\" >The bottom line<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"article-gallery lightGallery\">\n<div data-thumb=\"https:\/\/scx1.b-cdn.net\/csz\/news\/tmb\/2025\/covering-ears.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/scx2.b-cdn.net\/gfx\/news\/hires\/2025\/covering-ears.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Credit: Ketut Subiyanto from Pexels\">\n<figure class=\"article-img\">\n            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/scx1.b-cdn.net\/csz\/news\/800a\/2025\/covering-ears.jpg\" alt=\"covering ears\" title=\"Credit: Ketut Subiyanto from Pexels\" width=\"800\" height=\"530\"\/><figcaption class=\"text-darken text-low-up text-truncate-js text-truncate mt-3\">\n                Credit: Ketut Subiyanto from Pexels<br \/>\n            <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Most of us have experienced tingling or &#8220;goosebumps&#8221; at some point, especially when we feel a strong positive emotion such as awe or excitement.<\/p>\n<p>But some people have this response when they listen to certain sounds. <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.vox.com\/2015\/7\/15\/8965393\/asmr-video-youtube-autonomous-sensory-meridian-response\" target=\"_blank\">Online videos<\/a> which feature sounds of people whispering, crackling packets, and brushing or combing a microphone are all geared towards making you feel this positive tingle\u2014the autonomous sensory meridian response, or ASMR.<\/p>\n<p>Not everyone responds to ASMR content. But many who do say it makes them less anxious and helps them sleep. What does the <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/sciencee\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"5\" title=\"Science\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">science<\/a> say?<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_ASMR\"><\/span>What is ASMR?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>ASMR is an involuntary emotional and physical response, typically to a sound, which causes <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0196645\" target=\"_blank\">a reflexive tingling sensation<\/a> on the scalp and back of the neck.<\/p>\n<p>This multi-sensory experience <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.concog.2023.103477\" target=\"_blank\">can make us feel<\/a> euphoria and &#8220;psychological stability,&#8221; meaning we experience less inner turmoil and feel more calm.<\/p>\n<p>However, we still don&#8217;t have much evidence about what h<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>ens in the brain and the body when this occurs.<\/p>\n<p><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/s00221-022-06377-9\" target=\"_blank\">Some argue<\/a> that ASMR is simply an example of <i>frisson<\/i> (French for &#8220;shiver&#8221;). This is when an intense emotional stimulus\u2014such as a tender moment in a movie\u2014triggers tingling or gives us &#8220;the chills.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/fpsyg.2014.00790\" target=\"_blank\">Research suggests<\/a> these so-called &#8220;skin orgasms&#8221; are due to a sudden rush of the chemical dopamine in the brain&#8217;s reward centers.<\/p>\n<p>However, the sense of awe or inspiration felt during a frisson experience is brief, (typically 4\u20135 seconds). In contrast, ASMR is <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/0305735610362950\" target=\"_blank\">usually described<\/a> as inducing an enduring state of calm.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_triggers_ASMR\"><\/span>What triggers ASMR?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Almost everyone <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1098\/rstb.2011.0219\" target=\"_blank\">will jump out of their skins<\/a> if they experience a sudden and loud sound. This is because we&#8217;ve evolved to fear what is unpleasant or unexpected, to keep us safe from danger.<\/p>\n<p>When it comes to sounds that can make us feel good, it&#8217;s not as easy to confirm whether there are universal triggers\u2014that is, sounds that would make most people have the same positive reaction.<\/p>\n<p>Research in ASMR has identified some common triggers, <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.7717\/peerj.851\" target=\"_blank\">including<\/a> whispering, tapping and crackling sounds. But we can&#8217;t say if these sounds would have the same effect on everyone.<\/p>\n<p>ASMR videos often <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/shorts\/3WG714Qu2g0\" target=\"_blank\">combine<\/a> these sounds with video and role play known as &#8220;personal attention.&#8221; This means treating the camera like it is the viewer, speaking and interacting directly with it, and even simulating activities such as brushing hair or applying makeup to the viewer.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"mb-4\" itemscope=\"\" itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/VideoObject\">\n    <meta itemprop=\"name\" content=\"Does ASMR really help with anxiety? A psychology expert explains the\u00a0evidence\"\/><br \/>\n    <meta itemprop=\"url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch\/?v=eR6H8VoPZ4M\"\/><br \/>\n    <meta itemprop=\"description\" content=\"Personal attention ASMR involves role play where the camera is treated as the viewer.\"\/><br \/>\n    <meta itemprop=\"uploadDate\" content=\"2025-09-19T05:51:39-04:00\"\/><br \/>\n        <meta itemprop=\"embedUrl\" content=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/eR6H8VoPZ4M\"\/><br \/>\n    <meta itemprop=\"thumbnailUrl\" content=\"https:\/\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/eR6H8VoPZ4M\/maxresdefault.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p>\n             <iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Personal Attention ASMR for Sleep\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/eR6H8VoPZ4M?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n         <\/p><figcaption class=\"text-darken text-low-up mt-4\" itemprop=\"caption\">Personal attention ASMR involves role play where the camera is treated as the viewer.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_doesnt_it_affect_everyone\"><\/span>Why doesn&#8217;t it affect everyone?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Not everyone responds to ASMR triggers, with <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.7717\/peerj.3846\" target=\"_blank\">some estimates<\/a> suggesting only one in five people can experience ASMR.<\/p>\n<p>Whether or not you do is <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.concog.2023.103477\" target=\"_blank\">likely due<\/a> to personality type and your predisposition to susceptibility, meaning how easily others can influence you.<\/p>\n<p>Studies <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.concog.2023.103477\" target=\"_blank\">have found<\/a> those who respond are typically younger, experience more negative emotions, and are more introverted and critical. But they also tend to be more open to trying new things.<\/p>\n<p>Some <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.concog.2023.103477\" target=\"_blank\">research<\/a> has suggested &#8220;expectancy effects&#8221; could play a role. This is like a placebo\u2014people who are invested in ASMR&#8217;s potential as a therapeutic tool may be more likely to feel its effects.<\/p>\n<p>However, we still don&#8217;t know precisely how ASMR works to induce positive emotions.<\/p>\n<p>More than a dozen studies have <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.7717\/peerj.7122\" target=\"_blank\">reported<\/a> on how <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.concog.2020.103053\" target=\"_blank\">the brain<\/a> behaves <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.ibneur.2024.12.001\" target=\"_blank\">during ASMR<\/a>. But the findings across them are inconsistent and many have a very small number of participants or no comparison group, so we can&#8217;t draw conclusions.<\/p>\n<p>Studies looking at the body&#8217;s response during ASMR experiences have had similarly mixed results. Some <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1037\/cns0000368\" target=\"_blank\">have found<\/a> people may experience both increased sweating (linked to the stress response) and decreased heart rate (linked to relaxation).<\/p>\n<p>To describe this apparently contradictory state, some <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.concog.2023.103477\" target=\"_blank\">researchers<\/a> have coined the term &#8220;arousing relaxation.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Another <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.concog.2023.103477\" target=\"_blank\">theory<\/a> is that the <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">social<\/a> or erotic aspects of ASMR videos are a more important trigger than sounds or other stimuli\u2014basically, that it is a kind of sexual arousal. But we would need more evidence on this.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_bottom_line\"><\/span>The bottom line<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Without being able to identify universal triggers, it&#8217;s also difficult to apply ASMR as an evidence-based tool in therapy. To date, there are no clinical trials that link ASMR with short- or long-term therapeutic effects.<\/p>\n<p>Nevertheless, many people in the &#8220;whisper community&#8221;\u2014those who produce and consume ASMR content online\u2014claim ASMR helps them to relax, sleep better and reduce stress.<\/p>\n<p>So, there&#8217;s no harm in ASMR if it helps you relax. But we would need more research to establish whether it&#8217;s effective as a clinical intervention for anxiety, insomnia or other conditions.<\/p>\n<div class=\"d-inline-block text-medium my-4\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tProvided by<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tThe Conversation<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"icon_open\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<use href=\"https:\/\/medx.b-cdn.net\/tmpl\/v6\/img\/svg\/sprite.svg#icon_open\" x=\"0\" y=\"0\"\/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/svg><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"article-main__note mt-4\">\n                                                This article is republished from <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\" target=\"_blank\">The Conversation<\/a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/does-asmr-really-help-with-anxiety-a-psychology-expert-explains-the-evidence-252181\" target=\"_blank\">original article<\/a>.<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/counter.theconversation.com\/content\/252181\/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced\" alt=\"The Conversation\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\"\/>\n                                            <\/p>\n<p>                                        <!-- print only --><\/p>\n<div class=\"d-none d-print-block\">\n<p>\n                                                 <strong>Citation<\/strong>:<br \/>\n                                                 Does ASMR really help with anxiety? 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Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMN63nwsw68G3Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more Like this articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/sciencee\/\" target=\"_blank\" >Science category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/medicalxpress.com\/news\/2025-09-asmr-anxiety-psychology-expert-evidence.html\" target=\"_blank\" >Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Credit: Ketut Subiyanto from Pexels Most of us have experienced tingling or &#8220;goosebumps&#8221; at some point, especially when we feel a strong positive emotion such as awe or excitement. But some people have this response when they listen to certain sounds. Online videos which feature sounds of people whispering, crackling packets, and brushing or combing&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":691129,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/scx2.b-cdn.net\/gfx\/news\/hires\/2025\/covering-ears.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-691128","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sciencee"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/691128","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=691128"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/691128\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/691129"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=691128"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=691128"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=691128"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}