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Science Vs

ASMR: How Whispering Hijacks the Brain

Science Vs

Spotify Studios

Education, Science, Health & Fitness

4.412.4K Ratings

🗓️ 12 May 2022

⏱️ 40 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

ASMR is huge. People say these videos of someone whispering or making soft sounds can make them feel all tingly inside, and even help them feel calm and less anxious. So, what’s going on here? We talk to scientists who have looked into what’s happening in our bodies and brains when we experience an “autonomous sensory meridian response.” You’ll hear from Dr. Giulia Poerio, Dr. Bryson Lochte and Professor Craig Richard — as well as ASMR artist Mike Bryant - aka The Velvet Whisperer.  Craig Richard has a podcast called "Sleep Whispers" if you want to check it out: https://www.silkpodcasts.com/  Transcript: https://bit.ly/3yy5Gt5 This episode was produced by Meryl Horn, with help from Courtney Gilbert, Wendy Zukerman, Rose Rimler, Michelle Dang, and Ekedi Fausther-Keeys. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Fact checking by Diane Kelly. Mix and sound design by Bumi Hidaka. Music Written by So Wylie, Bumi Hidaka, Bobby Lord and Peter Leonard. Thanks to the researchers we got in touch with for this episode, including Dr. Damiaan Denys, Dr. Phil Gander and Matt Frank. And thanks to Nolwazi Nene, the Zukerman family and Joseph Lavelle Wilson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0

Okay, okay, how about this? Hey, how's it going?

0:05.0

Get a little closer to the microphone.

0:07.0

Hi, I'm Wendy Sockerman and you're listening to Science Passes from Kimlet.

0:12.0

Do-do-do-do-do-do.

0:15.0

This is the show that fits facts against feeling dingly.

0:21.0

Do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do.

0:25.0

Is that right? Am I doing a run?

0:27.0

Yes, absolutely.

0:29.0

Yes.

0:31.0

On today's show, ASMR.

0:34.0

If you don't know what it is, it's this massive trend where you watch videos of people whispering or making soft sounds.

0:42.0

And you're supposed to get this lovely bodily reaction.

0:47.0

And the person coaching me here is Mike Bryant.

0:50.0

He's a vocal instructor who makes ASMR videos and goes by Velvet Whisperer.

0:55.0

His friend suggested the name.

0:57.0

I had no idea what I should use.

1:00.0

And so he's like, well, the based off the tone of your voice that kind of has a velvet quality to it.

1:05.0

What did you think when your friend was like, you have a velvety into your voice?

1:10.0

You know, I take that as a compliment.

1:13.0

The first time that Mike heard about this weird ASMR world was back in 2015.

1:20.0

At the time, Mike was really stressed out about work and having a lot of trouble getting to sleep.

1:26.0

So one day, a friend texted him a link to a video that he thought would help.

...

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