
“ASMR is a term used to describe a tingly feeling that begins in the head or scalp and moves throughout the body causing it to relax,” Young said. “It is caused by a variety of visual, auditory and cognitive triggers including whispering, tapping, crinkling and other everyday sounds that people find soothing.”
If you’ve never heard of it, you’re not alone. In fact, many people who have experienced ASMR throughout their lives are surprised to learn that the sensation has a name and that others feel it as well, she said.
Although Young has experienced ASMR since the age of 7, she did not know what caused the feeling or if everyone else could feel it as well. After a friend gave her a progressive relaxation/biofeedback recording, she realized it was possible to seek out triggers that could result in the sensation. In 2009 she discovered Blansert and the early ASMR community on YouTube.
After doing some initial research on the ASMR phenomenon and seeing it featured on “ABC World News Tonight” and “Dr. Oz” and in “Time,” Young determined there was more to learn. In early 2014 she approached Blansert and asked her to collaborate on a book that would examine the occurrence from several angles.
Young will sign copies of the book from 5-8 p.m. Friday at Bookmamas, 9 S. Johnson Ave. Info: 375-3715.