It’s called ASMR – Audio Sensory Meridian Response – and whether or not there is any factual basis to the belief that listening produces an oddly tingly sensation that brings a sense of relief and satisfaction is still up for debate.
But how do you argue with 20 million people?
While scientists try to work out the evidence to suggest that the brain actually is stimulated while listening to You Tube videos in which someone whispers, or chews, or scrapes a brush, the sites that offer the videos are racking up millions of subscribers and devotees.
The phenomenon began somewhere around 2010, it is estimated. Some people credit PBS’s “The Joy of Painting” with artist Bob Ross, whose soft voice accompanied by the emphasized sound of his paint brushes slapping the canvas has captivated audiences for years, with unwittingly starting the trend. Thousands upon thousands of people now post videos in which they….whisper. About anything. Sometimes sexual undertones are involved, but sometimes it’s as basic as a history lesson. Sometimes the host’s whispers are accompanied by the very close-to-the-mic sounds of eating a banana, or stroking a brush, or cutting hair, or squishing Play-Doh.
People swear that the sounds sooth them, help them sleep, or calm their nerves. Don’t take my word for it.