[Science of ASMR]

Participate in a research study about ASMR, Mindfulness, ADHD, & Autism.

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Megan Griffin and Alisha Swindley are undergraduate psychology students in their final year at the University of Lincoln, UK.

Their dissertation is investigating the impact of ASMR and Mindfulness audio-visual clips on reducing anxiety and stress in people who have ADHD, Autism and who are neurotypical, with a secondary focus on ASMR experiencers.

Their thesis is titled: “The Effectiveness of ASMR/Mindfulness on the Reduction on Stress and Anxiety in Participants with ADHD/ASD Compared to Participants without ADHD/ASD”

This study has been approved by the University of Lincoln’s School of Psychology Research Ethics Committee (Ethics approval code: 2025_19310).

The study will take no longer than 35 minutes, via QuestionPro online.

The study will include questions on ASD, ADHD, anxiety and stress. In addition, they will ask you to watch a 10-minute ASMR or Mindfulness video. All information gathered is anonymous.

If you have ADHD and/ or ASD, please consider taking part as they are particularly interested in this population.

A link to participate, along with more details, is below. Continue reading →

In-person ASMR spas & services (updated Nov 16, 2025)

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Do you know that some places in the world offer in-person ASMR services?

Perhaps you do, but I’m not sure most people are aware of this.

Yet, I’ve been seeing these services pop up in the USA, UK, London, Singapore, and other countries since 2015.

They are often called “ASMR Spa” and “ASMR Services”, but they are also offered as “Touch Therapy”, “Soft Touch Services”, “Light Touch Treatments”, “Backscratching Services”, and other names.

Below is a list of examples, followed by some data that demonstrates the desire for in-person ASMR services among many people.

Continue reading →

How much research has been done on ASMR?

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You have probably heard that experiencing ASMR is helpful for sleeplessness and insomnia, helpful for reducing stress and anxiety, and can reduce heart rate and blood pressure.

But how many published research studies support these claims?

Would you be surprised if I said there are over 100 published research studies about ASMR?  Perhaps so, and it isn’t your fault.

Many mainstream reports about ASMR have a statement similar to this, “Although ASMR is a global phenomenon, very little research has been done on this sensation.”

This statement is accurate, but it is also inaccurate.

Let me explain.

It is accurate if you interpret the statement to imply, “Very little research has been done on ASMR compared to the amount of research done on other health topics such as happiness, depression, love, migraines, diabetes, strength training, hypertension, memory, etc.”

Most common health topics have at least a thousand peer-reviewed research studies.  This is simply due to these topics being well-known for decades, centuries, or longer.

The global awareness of ASMR started in 2007, the term “ASMR” was coined in 2010, and the first peer-reviewed research study was published in 2015.

In short, ASMR is a new field of study, so it makes sense that it has not been as studied as many other health-related topics.

So let’s get to the critical question.

How many research studies have been done on ASMR?

The answer is somewhere between 100 and 2000.  Below is a full explanation with helpful links.

Continue reading →

Participate in a research study about ASMR, misophonia, and sound pleasantness.

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Mathilde Bauer is a graduate student, pursuing an MSc. in Cognitive Neuroscience at University College London (UCL) in England.

Her research thesis is investigating the experiences of listening to pleasant sounds (e.g., ASMR) and unpleasant sounds (e.g., misophonia).

Her thesis is titled: “An exploration into sound-induced touch: spatial representations, pleasantness, and visual imagery”.

Mathilde’s faculty advisor for the study is Prof. Sophie Scott, Director of the Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience at UCL.

Mathilde is looking for participants to take her online survey, which has been reviewed and approved by the UCL Research Ethics Committee (Approval ID Number: 1584/002).

The survey is open to individuals who are 18 years or older and have no hearing impairments.

The survey is fully anonymous, will take about 20 minutes to complete, and the results will only be used for academic purposes.

A link to participate, along with more details, is below. Continue reading →

Participate in a research study about the potential links between ASMR and attachment styles (UPDATE: now open to English speakers or French speakers)

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Manon B.C. is a graduate student, pursuing a Master’s degree in developmental psychology at the University of Paris 8 in France.

Her research thesis is investigating the potential links between ASMR and attachment styles.

Manon’s faculty advisor for the study is Dr. Laurence Martel, Professor and researcher at Paris 8 University.

The survey is open to individuals who are between 18 and 60 years old, and who experience ASMR or who at least consume ASMR content regularly.

English-speaking or French-speaking individuals can participate.

The survey is fully anonymous and the results will only be used for academic purposes.

The survey will take approximately 15 minutes to complete.

Below is a link for more information and to participate. Continue reading →

Participate in a research study about the potential links between ASMR and attachment styles (French-speaking participants required)

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Manon B.C. is a graduate student, pursuing a Master’s degree in developmental psychology at the University of Paris 8 in France.

Her research thesis is investigating the potential links between ASMR and attachment styles.

Manon’s faculty advisor for the study is Dr. Laurence Martel, Professor and researcher at Paris 8 University.

The survey is open to individuals who are between 18 and 60 years old, who experience ASMR or who at least consume ASMR content regularly, and who speak French, at least fluently if not natively.

The comprehension of French is necessary, as it would ensure participants understand the questions and the consent they’d need to give to participate in the first place.

The survey is fully anonymous and the results will only be used for academic purposes.

The survey will take approximately 15 minutes to complete.

Below is a link for more information and to participate. Continue reading →

Participate in a research study about the patterns in sounds that trigger ASMR.

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Henrik H. Sveen is a graduate student, pursuing an M.A. in media studies at the University of Oslo, Norway.

His research thesis is investigating the perceptual experiences of listening to ASMR sound examples in regard to cyclic patterns and spatial orientations.

His thesis is titled: “Cyclic Patterns and Spatial Orientations in Impulsive ASMR Sounds”

Henrik’s faculty advisors for the study are Alexander Jensenius and Laura Bishop.

Henrik is looking for participants to take his online survey, which is open to all individuals.

The survey is fully anonymous, will take 10 minutes to complete, and the results will only be used for academic purposes.

In the survey, you will be sharing your experiences after listening to some audio samples and you will also be sharing your prior experiences with ASMR.

Below is a link for more information and to participate. Continue reading →

Participate in a research study about ASMR, stress management, and mental health care accessibility.

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Frank Underwood IV is a graduate student, pursuing a doctoral degree in international psychology at The Chicago School in the United States.

His research dissertation is investigating how ASMR may help fill gaps in accessibility by providing a viable tool for stress management.

His dissertation is titled: “Stress Management in a Socially Distanced World: A Phenomenological Study of ASMR.”

Frank’s dissertation chair for the study is Dr. Jean-Machelle Benn-Dubois, Adjunct Professor at The Chicago School.

Frank is looking for participants to discuss ASMR with him via the Zoom platform. The research study has been approved by the Institutional Review Board at The Chicago School, IRB-FY22-593.

Participation in the research is open to individuals who are 18 years of age, or older, and for those who have knowledge of, or experience with, ASMR as a stress management tool.

The personal interview is fully anonymous, and the results will only be used for academic purposes.

The personal interview, via Zoom, will take approximately 30 to 45 minutes to complete.

Below is a link for more info and to participate Continue reading →

Participate in a research study about ASMR experiences, autobiographical memory, and psychosocial well-being.

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Desmond Chan is a graduate student (M.A. in media education), pursuing a doctoral degree in education at the University of Lapland in Finland.

His prior ASMR research project resulted in the publication, “University Students’ Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR) Experiences in the Light of a Well-being Theory”

His new research project is investigating the relationships between ASMR experiences, autobiographical memory, and psychosocial well-being.

Desmond’s faculty supervisor for the study is Dr. Satu Uusiautti, a Professor at the University of Lapland.

Desmond is looking for participants to take his online survey, which has been reviewed and approved by his supervisor.

The survey is open to individuals who are over 18 years of age and have ASMR experience.

The survey is fully anonymous, will take about 5 minutes to complete, and the results will only be used for academic purposes.

Below is a link to the survey and more info. Continue reading →