ASMR?

[Heaven]

After I found out what my daydreaming was called and that other people experienced it too, I started looking all throughout the internet to find out anything that I could. 

One blog that I found had suggested/mentioned ASMR and linked some videos, I've watched a pretty good amount of them, trying different ones that all focus on different things. 

At first I was really confused, as I continued to watch the video i felt a tingle in my lower back. I've experienced this tingling feeling in that area sometime when listening to music with headphones and I always thought it was strange and could never think of an explanation for it.

I'm not entirely sure what ASMR is but based on the things i've read about it people seem to say that a tingling could start in your head and move down to your back or legs and that it is supposed to help you relax and most people talk about using this to help with their insomnia.

This is the part that confuses me, for me, I experience the tingling, but it's only in the one spot, the left side of my lower back. The tingling also seems to have the opposite effect on me. The tingling doesn't really relax me, I usually just end up laughing or squirming because the tingling sensation tickles me. There have been times when watching a video when I'll start to feel like I'm falling asleep but I've never actually fallen asleep. 

Based off the videos I've watched I have noticed that ear to ear whispering and crinkle sounds seem to make the tingling more intense. 

After I've ended the video, sometimes I've had experiences where the left side of my lower body (such as my lower back or leg) will feel kind of sore (for lack of a better word) or almost like it's just been asleep and now it's not. 

I know this post isn't about maladaptive daydreaming, but i'm really curious about ASMR, do any of you know anything about it? 

[Emma]

"Autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR) is a neologism for a perceptual phenomenon characterized as a distinct, pleasurable tingling sensation in the head, scalp,back, or peripheral regions of the body in response to visual, auditory, tactile, olfactory, or cognitive stimuli. The nature and classification of the ASMR phenomenon is controversial,^[1] with strong anecdotal evidence to support the phenomenon but little or no scientific explanation or verified data.^[2]"

OK so that is just the opening of the wiki page which to me seems to muddle things rather than clear them up.  I've never heard of this before and it seems like, you are right, it's controversial and I still don't understand what it is (if it is anything).  Some of the descriptions of random triggers (the sound of rustling paper) seem really weird, but aside from that, I have to ask:  If the definition I quoted above is true, doesn't this happen to everyone?  I mean, doesn't everyone get a pleasant tingling sensation around their head / back of neck when they are slightly excited about something?  Happens to me, for sure.  

[Alex]

I am REALLY sensitive to this and I'm the same that many triggers for me make me squirm instead of relax me. Other triggers are pleasant, but whispering for instance is really uncomfortable and I get it mostly on my left side as well, in my butt, lower back, shoulder-blade. I wonder why it's only my left. I didn't know what it was for a long time too, and the same with me that there were some songs I would listen to as a kid that would give me a very uncomfortable tickling in my back. 

It's definitely something. I'm shocked there's no science behind it so far as I experienced this before I knew what ASMR even was. Not everyone can feel it though, but a lot of people can.

[Canna]

Lol Asmr is quite the trend now. I'm not sure if it works on me. I haven't felt tingles but i have felt myself squirm, as someone else mentioned. For relaxing I prefer white noise like water running or an air conditioner.

[Heaven]

Whispering is really uncomfortable for me too. I've always noticed that when my friend would lean in and whisper something into my ear, I would always get the tingling feeling in my lower back. I'm really intrigued by it, especially because not everyone can feel it, when I was telling my mom about it she thought it was kind of crazy.  

Alex said:

I am REALLY sensitive to this and I'm the same that many triggers for me make me squirm instead of relax me. Other triggers are pleasant, but whispering for instance is really uncomfortable and I get it mostly on my left side as well, in my butt, lower back, shoulder-blade. I wonder why it's only my left. I didn't know what it was for a long time too, and the same with me that there were some songs I would listen to as a kid that would give me a very uncomfortable tickling in my back. 

It's definitely something. I'm shocked there's no science behind it so far as I experienced this before I knew what ASMR even was. Not everyone can feel it though, but a lot of people can.