Does Bob Ross Make Your Scalp Tingle?
The internet calls this strange phenomena “ASMR”
I recently learned about an odd phenomena that I had experienced before, but never really noticed. It has been described as "a pleasurable tingling that typically begins in the head and scalp, and often moves down the spine and through the limbs." Common triggers include people whispering, light scratchy noises, clicking, watching other people perform simple tasks with their hands, and close personal attention as from an eye exam, hair cut, make-over, etc.
In fact, the most common trigger people cite for ASMR is the videos of famed NPR instructional painter Bob Ross.
The internet has coined the term "Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR)" for this feeling, although I must note that this is not a scientific name or classification. ASMR has not been officially recognized by science or defined in a clinical sense. This is why you won't find ASMR on Wikipedia - it had an article, but it was deleted by editors for its complete lack of any cites or source material.
ASMR is defined as separate from frisson, which is the tingly chill that people experience when encountering an amazing piece of artwork or music. Frisson is described as a "cold chill," which ASMR is not. Similarly, it is not the same thing as the sudden shuddery goosebump-y feeling called "someone walked over my grave" (or its variations).
People have identified roughly half a billion types of videos that you can find on YouTube which can trigger ASMR in many people, including:
- Watching intricate card tricks
- Instructional cooking videos
- Makeup tutorials
- "Unboxing" videos
- Watching someone else clean, groom, or otherwise manipulate something
- This clip from The Matrix
- And of course, Bob Ross
It's convenient that people have given a name to this feeling. But I can't help but wish that the name wasn't trying so hard to seem science-y, because it only has the opposite effect. I also wish it didn't include the word "meridians," which is one of those red flag bogus terms like "toxins" or "energy."
ASMR seems to be one of those things that you either get or you don't, and it's almost impossible to bridge the gap between the two. As someone who has never, not once, in her whole entire life been able to get one of those Magic Eye paintings to work, I can commiserate with the frustration felt by non-ASMR folks in trying to understand what is happening.