Autonomous sensory meridian response, or ASMR, is a unique sensation some people have when they see, hear, or feel certain triggers.

These could be whispering or other sounds, delicate hand movements, and light touch.

It’s a kind of frisson that some experience when listening to music. ASMR is now the third most popular search term on You tube.

There are ASMR videos of people turning the pages of books, chewing gum or peeling dried glue. Some people like to see an ASMR artist doing their makeup or brushing their hair.

Dr Giulia Peorio is an expert in the phenomenon – she and her team at the University of Essex in the UK have done ground-breaking research which revealed ASMR can reduce one’s heart rate.

“What we found was when people experience ASMR and watch ASMR videos, they showed significant reductions in their heart rate which is consistent with this idea that ASMR is something which is relaxing.

“The sensation of ASMR is not only very relaxing and calming it’s almost also a tactile sensation, so it begins as a sort of tingling or buzzing at the crown of the head that can spread down throughout the rest of the body, so it’s a little bit like frisson.”

But it’s not quite the same, she told Kathryn Ryan.

“It appears to be a distinct emotional response, that said people who do experience things like music induced chills and frisson, also report experiencing ASMR so these two experiences do appear to be correlated at least but they are different.

“The main thing that differentiates them is ASMR is a very relaxing sensation whereas frisson is typically quite activating.

“We typically see increases in heart rate with frisson whereas ASMR is associated with decreases in heart rate.”

Research brought people into a lab and hooked them up to machinery that measured their physiological responses.

They were asked to select a video that consistently induced their ASMR and were compared with a neutral group who didn’t experience ASMR.

“On average people with ASMR showed a reduction in heart rate of 3.41 heart beats per minute that is comparable to other forms of relaxation and other forms of therapeutic intervention such as mindfulness and music induced relaxation,” Dr Peorio says.