Science

Hushaway – a new platform helping neurodivergent children via ASMR triggers and other sounds

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HushAway is a gentle sound-based wellbeing platform that helps children, especially those who are neurodivergent, anxious, or emotionally overwhelmed, find peace, focus, and emotional safety.

The platform is using ASMR triggers, Solfeggio frequencies, binaural beats, & soothing narration to support emotional regulation for all children.

A little backstory from the founder, Nicola Maria Rose (Nikki),

“HushAway® began because I kept meeting overwhelmed parents and exhausted children with big feelings that had nowhere to land. I wanted to create a soft place, a ‘Sanctuary of Sound’, to help them feel a little safer in their bodies, drift into sleep more easily, and find their way back to themselves after a hard day.”

The concept and goals of the founder and this project were so compelling that I joined their team.

The founder has also announced the official launch of the platform today, along with great things on the horizon,

“The full HushAway® Sound Sanctuary, with 400+ stories, soundscapes and affirmations, is coming soon. If you’d like to be first to hear when it opens, there’s an invitation list on the site you can join. “

Click the link below to learn more about the Hushaway platform, soundscapes, team, and goals.

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Insights and Data from Studio ASMR, an in-person ASMR Spa in Poland

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In-person ASMR services and therapies are growing slowly.

Here is a list of in-person ASMR services around the world, and here are some insights from an ASMR therapist.

In this post, I’m happy to share some insights from Santina Zienkiewicz, the founder of the in-person ASMR spa, “Studio ASMR” in Trójmiasto, Poland.

She also shared some data she collected from her ASMR spa clients, which you will also find below.

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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)

/ Dr. Richard / 1 Comment

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.

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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.

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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)

/ Dr. Richard / Leave a comment

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 →