"This is the world of ASMR (autonomous sensory meridian response)...
ASMR is the term for the sensation people get when they watch stimulating videos or take part in other activities — usually ones that involve personal attention. Many people describe the feeling as "tingles" that run through the back of someone's head and spine. Others say the feeling is deeply relaxing, and can even cause them to fall asleep.
Although the term ASMR may sound very technical, there's actually no good science or research behind the phenomenon...
Add to this the notion of neurodiversity — the fact that all of our human brains are not clones or copy cats, but vary in every possible way they can vary... In any case it is plausible that a subset of the population has a particular pattern of neural hard wiring so that when they experience certain things that are typically quietly satisfying they get a little extra shot to their pleasure center..
Allen and two other researchers from around the country put together an online survey that they hope will give them some answers about why some people get ASMR and others don't. A 2015 study published in PeerJ looked into ASMR and suggested it can improve mood and even pain symptoms through various common triggers, including whispering, personal attention, crisp sounds, and slow movements."
http://www.vox.com/2015/7/15/
http://www.vox.com/2015/7/15/
So, I get this and I would LOVE to discuss it with someone else. I get tingles up my spine and then across my skin, kind of like goose bumps. I didn't know this was an unusual thing until the This American Life episode; I assumed that it was the sensation described by the phrase "a chill went down my spine". Although, like, pleasant - like when you hear a beautiful piece of music.
I have a theory that it's a synesthesia of some kind, between audio and sensory. But it would be super interesting to study... I might try to convince some friends with fMRIs to look into it...
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