What Is ASMR? New 'Whispering' YouTube Sensation Explained

8 October 2018, 12:07 | Updated: 28 October 2019, 15:53

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People on YouTube are whispering, hair brushing and eating into the microphone in a new video trend - and it's becoming an internet sensation. This is everything you need to know.

One ASMR video creator has over 1million subscribers on YouTube and her most popular video has been watched over 16million times. So why are so many people addicted to watching a person whisper?

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What is ASMR?

ASMR refers to the sensation that some people feel when watching videos which involve close personal attention. Those feelings have been described as anything from tingles down your spine to a feeling of such full relaxation that you fall asleep.

What do ASMR videos involve?

James O'Brien watched SAS-ASMR, who filmed herself eating a big chunk of honeycomb. That's all the video is, but it has notched up over 15million views.

ASMR Raw Honey Comb (EXTREME STICKY EATING SOUNDS) No Talking | SAS-ASMR

SAS-ASMR has got more than 177million views in total, all of which are just her quietly eating a variety of food.

The Australian actress Margot Robbie got 3million views simply for spreading Vegemite on toast and whispering into a microphone.

Other popular ASMR videos include hair brushing, the quiet noise of someone running their hands and nails over an object and head massages.

☺ Relaxing Hair Brushing & Scalp Massage Sounds Stress Relief - Whisper 3D Binaural ASMR Ear to Ear☺

What does ASMR stand for?

ASMR stands for Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response.

Why do people like ASMR videos?

Some people described ASMR videos as giving their brain a similar feeling to an orgasm, but in a non-sexual way. A PeerJ study into it found that 98% of the 475 study participants used it for relaxation, with 82% using it to help them sleep and 70% for stress relief. Only 5% used it for sexual stimulation.

Put simply, some love the videos. Some simply don't understand them.

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Are there any popular UK ASMR videos?

Chloe, who is on YouTube as The UKASMR has over 200,000 subscribers. The video above, in which she slowly whispers into the microphone to help people fall asleep, has been watched over 3million times.