Why ASMR gives you tingles – Emma WhispersRed

In this of the Science Focus Podcast we look at the growing phenomenon of ASMR. Over the last five or six years, millions of people have logged onto YouTube to watch ASMR – or Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response – videos.

For the uninitiated, the soft whispering voices, gentle tapping and rustling sounds may seem a little odd. But for ASMR enthusiasts the videos can trigger feelings of security and relaxation that can be difficult to explain to those who don’t experience them.

YouTuber Emma WhispersRed is one of the most well known ASMR vloggers on the internet. BBC Focus Magazine’s commissioning editor Jason Goodyer speaks to her about how she got into making the videos, why she thinks people find them so soothing, and why she wants to get the phenomenon officially recognised as a form of therapy.