Essay #1: Sound and Sensation, an Intro to ASMR

Sound and Sensation:

An Introduction to ASMR

--------------

My friends in undergrad used to rave about ASMR. They swore it helped them sleep, alleviated their anxiety, and made them “feel good.” 

“It gives me tingles!” one friend said. “I watch them every night before I go to bed.” 

Their discussions of ASMR sounded borderline erotic. Feel good? Tingles? Not to mention, the intimacy of watching these videos in bed, right before falling asleep. 

I was confused. I was icked out. I was curious.

I started Googling.

--------------

A collage of screenshots taken from Instagram reels under the #ASMR.

--------------

On Instagram: glossy mouths chewing wax candy. Acrylic nails tapping and scratching hard surfaces. Phrases whispered into a microphone. “Wood soup” (literally what it sounds like: a wooden bowl filled with water, with small wooden trinkets added to create a ‘soup’ that is then stirred by a wooden spatula). Bars of soap cut into cubes, then sliced open, layer by layer, with a boxcutter. Styrofoam squeezed to release a flood of glitter-water. Glass bottles filled with plastic beads, then dropped down a set of stairs until they shattered, exploded.

On YouTube, videos with thumbnails of (usually thin, beautiful white) women holding up combs, makeup brushes, sponges, plastic ice packs, ceramic bowls, headphones, scissors. “ASMR Girl In The Back Of Class Plays With Your Hair”, or “ASMR Detailed HEARING TEST For Your Relaxation”, or “ASMR | Spa Facial, Layered Makeup, & Stylist Roleplay.” 

--------------

This video starts with ASMRtist Oceans ASMR rolling a fluffy pink pen 

over her face as she complains about your boring class. These skit-style videos

often rely on a POV (Point of View) format, in which the viewer is fully immersed

in the world of the ASMRtist. Originally posted September 23rd, 2024.

Why do I need an ear exam? Does my insurance cover it? Why am I coming

to the clinic at night? I have so many questions for Lunar Eclipse ASMR. 

Originally posted March 27th, 2025.

ASMRtist ASMR Jas wears earbuds and uses the microphone attached

to the wire. This adds to the sensory experience (or, if you're like me, 

it adds to the sensory overload), as you can hear her breathing. I like 

her set up and her makeup, though. Originally posted February 17th, 2022.

--------------

I watched a few, but X’d out. I did not get any tingles or little shivers. I did watch them before bed, but they didn’t help me sleep. I definitely did not “feel good” - at least, not in the way that my friends did. 

But I was entranced by the material landscapes of these videos. They were like pieces of performance art. I was fascinated by the production (camera angles, setting), the objects/props (nails, microphones, glass bottles, soap) and their inevitable waste, the actors (mostly women), and the audience (comment sections).

As I continued watching (and feeling the ick), I realized there were two types of ASMR videos: humancentric and objectcentric. These terms are my own. I'm using them to propose the idea that ASMR videos either center the human actor (their voice, their body) who happens to produce pleasing sounds and visuals, or they rely on the human actor’s interaction with objects to produce pleasing sounds and visuals. 

My next few essays will focus on these terms more in-depth: production, objects/props, waste, actors, audience, humancentric ASMR, and objectcentric ASMR.

--------------

For Claire: My word count is 400.

Citations and Sources:

Screenshots:

The screenshots in my collage are taken from the following users' public Instagram profiles: 

Images with the pink polka-dot cube are taken from @realhunnibee's video posted to Instagram on November 19th, 2024.

The image featuring the blue soup and hippopotamus is taken from @woodsoupgirlasmr's video posted to Instagram on July 12th, 2023.

The "asmr self care night" screenshot comes from a post by @katiesnails_ shared to Instagram on January 13th, 2025.

The screenshot of breaking beer bottles comes from an Instagram post made by @breakingbottlesasmr on November 23rd, 2023.

The image of a girl biting into a plastic cookie comes from an Instagram post made by @joycefultingles on June 9th, 2024.

The watermarked image of "Jane ASMR" comes from an October 11th, 2024 Instagram post made by @jane.asmr.

The screenshot of a plastic hand comes from Instagram user @snowssong11's post made on September 6th, 2024.