What Is Unintentional ASMR and Why It Appeals to Millions?
ASMR stands for Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response. It is defined as a feeling of well-being combined with the tingling sensation in the scalp and down the back of the neck, as experienced by some people in response to a specific gentle stimulus which can be a visual or a sound known as a trigger.
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| Gibi ASMR (Popular YouTube ASMR channel) |
In recent years ASMR has really shot up into the mainstream. ASMR’s popularity was catapulted mainly by videos on YouTube. Ever since it started getting traction on YouTube, ASMR videos have turned into a kind of art form. Popular ASMRtists have gone from simply whispering to the mic to role playing as different personas and full blown themed cosplays with serious production value and high quality.
While popular conventional ASMR videos have hundreds of thousands of videos on average with millions of subscribers following popular ASMR channels, there is a sub-genre or different type of ASMR, that is considered by many to be the “best”/”pure”/”true” form of asmr.
Enter Unintentional ASMR.
What’s Unintentional ASMR?
It is almost the same as conventional ASMR, in that, it gives the same relaxing feeling of well-being and that tingling sensation. There’s one difference, however, UASMR are the videos where the intention is not to induce a sensory response. It can range from medical examination videos, soft-spoken interviews, movie scenes with ASMR triggers, massage and haircut videos, animals doing whatever and Bob Ross.
So what makes UASMR so much better than other kinds of ASMR?
The Realism
When the source of ASMR is an unintentional one, it adds a bit of credence to it, i.e., people find it to be more of an authentic and real experience, viewers can easily imagine themselves participating in whatever is going on in the video. This is not the case for more conventional ASMR channels where, despite a ASMRtist talking or pretending to interact with you personally, the amount of believability or intimacy is nowhere near the unintentional one (except of course, if it is done well).
Video Quality
Most of the UASMR videos have a bit of a grainy, ‘poor’ quality to them. This is because most of them are old videos recorded on cameras with limited resolution and audio recording capability. Even the more new ‘modern’ videos are often recorded with relatively cheaper cameras since they are not meant for professional ASMR. For some reason this amateur, grainy, feel of these videos only enhances the pops and crackles and other ASMR triggers for many people, which is not the case for the professional intentional ASMR videos where the mic sensitivity is cranked up to max and it all just gives you a sensory overload and not a relaxing feeling.
Unintentional ASMR videos are often very candid.
Biggest appeal of unintentional ASMR videos, is the candid nature of the people and their interactions in it. People in these videos are often engrossed in their work with utmost focus and attention. Watching someone do they work with such unhindered and soft manner also kind of feels safe. The mainstream ASMRtists are basically replicating UASMR videos. That’s why they work only when the ASMRtist is doing a good job at it.
Low resolution and sound quality, soft and authentic triggers, white noise, low contrast, retro/old vibe, candid-ness, soft spoken people are all the things that make an unintentional ASMR so much more better than any other type of ASMR.
Some good UASMR sources:
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