POLOKWANE – There are many strange things you can find on the internet and lately, when you log on to social media, you’ll find videos of people chewing into a mic, tapping randomly or cutting sand.

Now some people might cringe when they hear people chewing loudly and you might be thinking, why on earth would people do this or watch this? Other people, might enjoy it and feel relaxed.

If you got a tingly sensation, chances are you’ve probably experienced Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR).

You might also want to read: Are you a sufferer of Trypophobia? Take this test to find out

ASMR is becoming increasingly popular around the world and a driving reason is that it seems to be very helpful for reducing stress and falling asleep.

ASMR can be described as a variety of soothing sensations (eg, tingles, relaxation, calmness, sleepiness) due to a variety of gentle stimuli (eg, whispering, soft talking, light touches, methodical sounds).

There are different types of videos you can find on the internet, mainly Mukbangs, general ASMR and soap and sand cutting videos.

MUKBANGS

A mukbang is an online audiovisual broadcast in which a host eats large amounts of foods while interacting with their audience, however, with ASMR mukbang videos, the hosts usually don’t talk.

SAS- Asmr currently has 2.2 million followers on YouTube

GENERAL ASMR

These videos involve basic triggers including whispering, finger tapping and scratching, among others.

https://youtu.be/FidhD-izZnk

SAND/SOAP CUTTING VIDEOS

These are simple, people cut blocks of sand or bars of soap and the sounds themselves are tingles.

Here is a nice #Satisfying #kineticsand slicing video with reverse. pic.twitter.com/BtKWkICRZo

— Sand Tagious (@sand_tagious) July 25, 2018

Ham-style Slicing 😁 #kineticsand #satisfyingvideos #satisfying pic.twitter.com/flI7uFPTCn

— Sand Tagious (@sand_tagious) June 28, 2018

If you enjoyed one or more of these videos then you were triggered by ASMR.

Let us know which one you enjoyed the most.

raeesak@nmgroup.co.za