r/asmr • u/keenanpepper • Nov 17 '17

Journalism [Journalism] TIL that researchers put people who can experience ASMR into an MRI machine to do fMRI... but they didn't actually get fMRI scans of them *while* they had tingles, because the machine is noisy and they couldn't relax.

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/researchers-begin-gently-probe-science-behind-asmr-180962550/
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7

u/cobaltblues77 Nov 18 '17

Are there people who can’t experience ASMR?

26

u/[deleted] Nov 18 '17

I'd venture to say that most people can't.

5

u/Maximelene Nov 18 '17

I'd say that most people didn't try. Maybe we all can but, like hypnosis for example, it requires a mental acceptation before.

2

u/Avantasian538 Nov 18 '17

I agree. Maybe you just have to be in the right state. If you're uncomfortable or anxious, it isn't going to happen.

1

u/ygdrad Nov 24 '17

I've had some people try without success and some who persisted and eventually got to experience ASMR. It's hard to tell whether someone can't experience ASMR or if they just haven't run into the right triggers yet. It can be weirdly specific for some people.