“Be mindful of your tingles, anakin”: Exploring the link between autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR) and mindfulness.

Abstract

Autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR) is a phenomenon characterized by a tingling sensation in the scalp that spreads throughout the body in response to specific audio or visual stimuli, usually everyday objects or actions. Though nascent in development, research on ASMR is quickly growing through examination of biological, cognitive, and personality components, as well as comparisons with other similar phenomena like mindfulness. To date, only two other studies have examined ASMR with mindfulness, one as an enduring trait (del Campo, 2019), and the other as a momentary state of being (Fredborg et al., 2017). The goal of the present study was to further confirm the link between ASMR and mindfulness, by focusing on objective reports of ASMR versus traditional self-report methods. Additionally, the relationships between ASMR and personality traits and the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) community were assessed. A sample of 162 participants recruited from MTurk and the ASMR Subreddit completed a survey consisting of comprehensive demographic questions, the Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response Scale (ASMR-15), the Toronto Mindfulness Scale, and the Big Five Inventory-2. Analyses indicated that those who experience ASMR are more likely to experience mindfulness. Results also yielded significant correlations between ASMR and Negative Emotionality, Conscientiousness, and Agreeableness. Additionally, those who identify as LGBTQ+ reported significantly higher scores on the ASMR-15 than those who identify as cisgender and heterosexual. The results of this study, conducted with a more general population, provided important new findings when compared to previous research about ASMR as well as confirmed previous links between ASMR and mindfulness.