If you want to know the best kind of ASMR that’s right for you, see if you relate to any of the categories below. Everyone has a special ASMR trigger unique to them. What’s yours?
What ASMR is best for you? The best type of ASMR for you is the kind that makes you feel good, relaxed, blissful, and comforted. It has the power to give you soothing goosebumps. It’s different for each person. Your response will be through FEELING, not logic. See the official types below.
The 12 Official Types of ASMR
What are the different types of ASMR? The following list of ASMR triggers is known to give people tingles and to help them fall asleep. Each type is explained in detail below the list. This will help you discover what the best type of ASMR is for you:
- Food
- Texture
- Personal Attention
- Elements of Nature
- Motion
- Safe and Comforting Environment
- Talking
- No Talking
- Visual
- Music
- Animal
- Meditation
1) Food-Related ASMR
What is food ASMR? Do you enjoy the sound of someone eating? Or does it gross you out? Food-related ASMR is one of the most popular types of ASMR online. You might be an ASMR foodie if you enjoy any of the following sounds:
- Someone eating
- Candy noises in the mouth
- Subtle smacking of ice cream
- Slurping noodles
- Crunching chips, ice, or crispy foods
- Loud chewing
- Fizzy bubbles in a drink
- Slimy foods
- Squishing or squirting, such as ketchup from a bottle
- Cooking, such as sizzling hot pans or mixing batter
- Loud breathing while eating
2) Texture ASMR
Texture ASMR is the type that gives you tingles when you hear the sound of certain materials isolated or amplified. Texture ASMR might be the right type for you if you enjoy the trigger sounds of:
- Tapping (e.g., the sound of fingers tapping wood)
- Scraping (some people enjoy the sound of dental cleaning)
- Scratching (e.g., fingernails scratching velvet)
- Crinkling (e.g., wadding up a ball of paper)
- Metal (e.g., the clanging of spoons)
- Glass (e.g., the ringing of crystal upon striking)
- Fabric (e.g., amplified stroking of various fabrics)
- Page-turning
- Microphone effects (magnified texture, popping, or tapping sounds)
3) Personal Attention ASMR
Personal attention ASMR is the type that includes someone giving you a specialized service with loving-kindness. Videos that provide personal attention are usually set up where the person in the video gives you personal care. This type of ASMR is usually found in videos and may include:
- Spa/Salon Services – You could receive a facial in a kind and attentive manner.
- Brushing Hair – The person in the video could amplify the sounds of a brush while acting out that they are brushing your hair to help you relax.
- Hair Washing – You could enjoy the experience of having your hair shampooed and rinsed. Lathering and foaming sounds are amplified for a soothing effect.
- Getting a Haircut – This one is really popular on YouTube. If you enjoy the relaxing feeling of sitting in a chair at the salon, this might be the kind of ASMR for you. You’ll get a very kind stylist that makes all kinds of snipping and spraying sounds to calm and relax you.
4) Elements of Nature ASMR
If you enjoy the pure soothing sounds of nature, then elemental ASMR might be the best type for you. This kind doesn’t include any talking or making of sounds. It’s just nature in the raw.
Elemental ASMR is usually a background experience of relaxing ambience. A lot of people turn on a rain or jacuzzi ASMR video and fall asleep to the comforting sounds.
Examples of elemental ASMR include:
- Water – Many people enjoy hours of listening to the rain. Some videos will throw in the occasional thunderstorm. Others get tingles from listening to recordings of ocean waves. The sound of water running in the bathtub, a jacuzzi flowing, swishing ice, or a shower flowing from the other room are all extremely popular ASMR videos.
- Storms – Blizzards, wind, thunderstorms, and distant lightning crashes make some people feel safe and cozy while falling asleep. It helps people appreciate how safe and warm they are in bed.
- Fire – The sound of a cozy fire crackling in the fireplace is a popular choice for ASMR videos. Sometimes they’ll set up a whole room with fluffy blankets, steaming soup, wine glasses, candles, and a crackling fireplace. To plump up the effect, a rainstorm will often be pouring outside the window. Amazing.
5) Motion ASMR
Motion ASMR is the kind that gives you tingles when you hear the lulling hum of a train rolling down the tracks on a long ride across country. This type is related to the experience of moving. Examples include the ambient sounds of:
- Being on a spaceship
- A long flight
- Sleeping on a train
- Riding on a cozy bus, luxury car, or comfy RV
6) Safe and Comforting Environment ASMR
If you’re the type that gets tingles from slipping under warm flannel sheets on a cold and rainy night, this type of ASMR might be right for you.
Many people are comforted by knowing that someone is there, even though the person may not be directly in the room with them.
If safe and comforting ASMR is the right type for you, you might enjoy:
- The ambience of a cozy English cottage lit up by candles and lanterns at night. Someone is boiling and chopping carrots and celery in the kitchen at a distance. A gentle cat is curled up and purring next to the fire.
- An old tavern glowing warm from candelabra on the wooden ceiling beams. You’re safe in the next joining room. Soft chatter and the sound of glasses lulls you to sleep in the background. There is a fire, snacks, and you are super cozy.
- The comforting white noise of a fan blowing.
- A luxurious bedroom set up just for you with ultra plush blankets, a crackling fire, soothing rain outside, warm hints of spiced cider floating in from the kitchen, soft lanterns glowing, and it’s time for you to get in bed and fall asleep.
7) Talking ASMR
Talking ASMR is the kind where someone speaks to you in such a way that it gives you tingles from your scalp all the way down your spine. This type of ASMR usually doesn’t involve regular talking, the way that we usually speak. It includes the following unique ways of talking:
- Trigger words – There are certain words that people say to bring on an ASMR response. It’s not always the word itself, but often the way it’s said that makes it special. For example, whispering, “I love you,” in a gentle way can trigger the response for some people.
- Reading – Some people love it when they are read to. A lot of people watch ASMR videos of someone reading a book, even a very boring book (it doesn’t matter). The point is, it’s relaxing and helps you feel like you’re with someone. Often, the reader will be whispering as they read to help you fall asleep gradually.
- Encouragement – Many people enjoy listening to someone whispering kind words of encouragement and compassion. In a world where many people are lonely and starved of love, this kind of ASMR is reassuring and soul-healing for a lot of people.
- Gentle whispering – The pure sound of whispering itself evokes an ASMR response for certain people. It doesn’t even matter what the person is saying. It’s the sound of the whispering that gives ASMR.
8) No Talking ASMR
Some people find talking and whispering absolutely annoying and distracting. There are a lot of ASMR viewers who prefer their experience without someone messing it up with talking. That’s why it’s important to find the right kind of ASMR for you. What some people enjoy, others might find irritating. It’s important to look into other formats of ASMR without someone yapping. You might be surprised by the rewards you discover.
9) Visual ASMR
ASMR is not always triggered by sound. Sometimes people see things that draw out the response.
Often, the combination of beautiful colors, comforting scenery, and trigger sounds all go together for the ultimate ASMR experience.
See if any of the following visual ASMR triggers bring out a response in you:
- Beautiful bright and cheerful colors
- Glowing or twinkling lights
- Pleasant-looking people with kind eyes
- Pristine nature in all its glory
- Soft and comforting textures like cashmere or silk
10) Musical ASMR
Many people are not aware that certain types of music and tones are considered ASMR.
A large percent of the population get chills when they hear a song that they love. This is an automatic ASMR response that many people experience as a natural phenomenon.
A study from Scientific Research, An Academic Publisher, showed that listening to 528 Hz reduced stress by lowering cortisol (stress hormone) and increasing oxytocin (the “cuddle” hormone). 1 They compared it to music at 440 Hz, which did not reduce stress.
Musical ASMR includes:
- Frequency-Specific Ambient Tones – Many people enjoy listening to tones of musical ambience in the background. This can include certain frequencies such as 528 Hz, which some people consider a “miracle” or “healing” tone.
- The Sound of AUM – This sound in particular has been linked to the origin of creation, or the “big bang”. Yogis have known for thousands of years that this particular sound restores balance and turns things back to a state of peace and harmony. Many people experience ASMR with the sound of AUM (or OM). Some ASMR videos feature the chanting of AUM. It’s even better when a living master does it.
- Calming Ambient Music – There are a million different kinds of music that fall into this category. If it gives you tingles, it falls into this genre.
- Morphic Field Sounds – This kind of ASMR consists of a morphogenic frequency that gives some people blissful goosebumps.
- Tones for Vagus Nerve Stimulation – A lot of people get tingles from this type of sound. You can find all kinds of YouTube videos that feature it.
A study from the International Journal of Yoga showed that chanting OM (same as AUM) deactivated the part of the brain that processes fear (right amygdala). 2
The sound of AUM can calm and still racing thoughts if you’re fully relaxed.
11) Animal ASMR
Many people get tingles or goosebumps from hearing certain animal sounds. Animal ASMR includes the following sounds:
- A cat purring
- Birds chirping in a forest
- Crickets trilling in the woods
- Owls singing
- Frogs chanting on a moonlit stroll beside a large lake
12) Meditation ASMR
Meditation is the winner for producing the maximum ASMR effect. If done correctly, this practice can induce a state of utter bliss, goosebumps, tingles, influx of light, and absolute joy.
There are many different practices in this category that give people a first-rate ASMR effect. Meditation ASMR includes the experience of bliss and tingles with any of the following:
- Prayer
- Meditation
- Practice of Gratitude
- Loving-kindness Contemplation
- Deep Breathing Practices (pranayama)
- Kriya Yoga
- Qigong
- Guided Meditation
Some people say the effect from meditation ASMR comes from an influx of Universal energy. Others attribute it directly to the presence of the Holy Spirit. Some say that it’s God activated within them. Others give credit to the Divinity inside, or the Higher Self. Whatever you want to call it, the effect is very real and measurable.
The influx of energy comes from above the head and pours in from the crown down through the entire body. The energy is magnetized towards the polarity of the Earth. The Earth also has a polarity that returns an equally charged current upward through the body. Most people with ASMR feel the downward current first.
Yogis have known for thousands of years that the ball of energy resting at the base of the spine in every individual serves as a primary source of bliss and joy. It’s known as kundalini. In Christianity, it’s known as the Holy Spirit. It’s the same force.
Kundalini is usually dormant unless the person has an awakening or an increase in awareness. It can be activated by any of the above practices, but the fastest way is through initiation by a master into the practice of Kriya Yoga. This must be done in person.
After initiation, the practice must be performed daily for many years. It gradually awakens the powerful life force energy within.
If you’re interested in learning how to work with or harness this energy, there are many different ways to do it. Kriya Yoga requires a lot of concentration, discipline, and mental endurance. The last Kriya in the set gives amazing ASMR maxed out (if done right)! All in the quiet and privacy of your own home.
Kriya Yoga builds up your body of light.
Note: Kriya Yoga cannot be learned online or by watching a YouTube video. It must be taught in person by a master in the art. The true and authentic Kriya Yoga requires the transmission of a living spark from the master to the student, which is necessary for the practice to be effective. It is not customary for a true master to give Kriya initiation through a video.
Those who are ready will find it when the time is right.
If you’re the type that has a hard time sitting still, another way to get in touch with ASMR energy is the practice of qigong. This practice is more active and combines breathing, movement, and meditation all-in-one. It specializes in the harnessing and manipulation of life force energy (same energy that’s felt with ASMR).
What Does ASMR Mean?
ASMR stands for “Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response.” It’s a pleasant feeling that runs through the entire body when triggered by certain sounds, experiences, or visual stimuli.
What Does ASMR Feel Like?
ASMR feels like a blissful influx of energy that starts at the top of the head, often somewhere in the scalp. The feeling is described as having the “tingles”, which run from the scalp, down the spine, and through the arms and legs. The skin is often covered in goosebumps. ASMR feels relaxing, blissful, peaceful, joyful, elevating, and wonderful.
What are ASMR Videos all about?
ASMR on YouTube is very popular these days. You can find ASMR videos that feature any of the 12 listed categories above. See the list to determine what kind is right for you. It’s important to keep in mind that everyone is different and responds to only certain types of ASMR.
What are ASMR videos supposed to do? They’re designed to reduce stress, promote relaxation, help you fall asleep, bring comfort, make you feel good, and to put you in a better mood.
Does ASMR Work on Everyone?
Many people have ASMR and don’t know it. The reason is because most people in today’s society don’t know how to stop and be quiet. ASMR is only experienced in a state of relaxation and stillness. It’s important to stop what you’re doing in order to enjoy and experience ASMR fully.
One barrier to experiencing ASMR is trying too hard or the inability to let go of tension. ASMR is all about the natural ability to shut down the thinking analytical mind, while opening up the higher realm of feeling.
ASMR is feeling based, not thinking based. This is probably one of the most important aspects of the ASMR experience that many people aren’t aware of.
Another barrier that prevents some people from experiencing ASMR is the inability to get in a comfortable position and relax the body. If you’re carrying any stress or tension, it can interfere with and block the experience. It’s important to relax all your muscles, take a few deep breaths, and just enjoy.
Unfortunately, many people think that they don’t have ASMR because they don’t enjoy the sound of people eating. Many people find that absolutely gross and repulsive! What they don’t know is that their ASMR might be triggered by a completely different category. For example, they may love the sound of rain or a crackling fire. Remember, all people are different.
What triggers one person, may not trigger another. What one person hates, another may love. Experimenting with the 12 different types above may lead to a new discovery about yourself. Most people laugh out loud when you show them a video of someone crunching on onion rings. Yes, it’s weird to many people. But to others, it’s heaven.
How do You Know if You Have ASMR?
You know that you have ASMR if you get tingles or bliss from experiencing any of the 12 types of ASMR listed above. If you get pleasant chills, joy, or goosebumps from anything on the list, then you have ASMR. Make sure you go into the experience without critical thoughts, which can be a barrier to relaxation. If you truly enjoy the experience, you’re more likely to experience ASMR.
References:
1. Akimoto, K., Hu, A.L., Yamaguchi, T. and Kobayashi, H. (2018) Effect of 528 Hz Music on the Endocrine System and Autonomic Nervous System. Health, 10, 1159-1170. [Google Scholar]
2. Kalyani B G, Venkatasubramanian G, Arasappa R, Rao N P, Kalmady S V, Behere R V, Rao H, Vasudev M K, Gangadhar B N. (2011) Neurohemodynamic correlates of ‘OM’ chanting: A pilot functional magnetic resonance imaging study. Int J Yoga, Jan-Jun; 4(1): 3–6. [PMC Free Article]
