Weird ASMR Question

[Archpaladin Zousha]

ASMR, as I understand it, is supposed to make your head tingle, but for some reason, I don't seem to get that tingle when I listen to ASMR-styled videos and such.

Instead, I seem to get a head tingle when I hear children screaming or crying in public, and I find that MORE THAN A LITTLE concerning.

ASMR is supposed to be pleasurable, and kids shrieking is decidedly not. Anyone here knowledgeable about this kind of stuff who might be able to shed some light on this? Is something wrong with my brain or ears? Thanks in advance for listening to my weird situation.

[The Random NPC]

I've never experienced ASMR, but I have experienced frisson which is similar. From what little I remember, not everyone feels it, either because the levels nessessary to trigger the response is at a different level or because they're incapable of feeling it. I think I remember someone explaining it as a kind of pleasurable short circuit of the brain. If you feel concerned about it, I would recommend a medical professional.

[Ninja_Prawn]

I don't think it's that unusual to get ASMR from triggers other than what you find in the videos. For me, I have to be in a very specific mental state (melancholic, introspective, partially derealised) and my body needs to be slightly colder than what would be a comfortable temperature. At those times, I get ASMR without any aural trigger at all, and it's somewhat pleasant. The videos, on the other hand, do nothing for me.

Clearly the screaming and crying of children is a strange thing to respod to, but it's probably nothing to worry about (in my opinion, as someone with no medical knowledge). At the end of the day, ASMR is a poorly understood phenomenon that seems to be different for different people, so it's hard to make any concrete statements.

[Strigon]

ASMR, as I understand it, is supposed to make your head tingle, but for some reason, I don't seem to get that tingle when I listen to ASMR-styled videos and such.

Instead, I seem to get a head tingle when I hear children screaming or crying in public, and I find that MORE THAN A LITTLE concerning.

ASMR is supposed to be pleasurable, and kids shrieking is decidedly not. Anyone here knowledgeable about this kind of stuff who might be able to shed some light on this? Is something wrong with my brain or ears? Thanks in advance for listening to my weird situation.

It's worth noting that ASMR is not just a "head tingle" - rather, that's how it's usually described in lieu of a better explanation. It's one of those deals where people who get it know what it is, but people who don't will have a hard time understanding.
There are lots of things that can cause your head to "tingle" in many different ways. Most have nothing to do with ASMR.

My understanding is that it's primarily a psychological phenomenon - though it has a physiological basis as well. I've only ever heard of people enjoying it, though, so the first question is "do you enjoy the sound of children screaming or crying?"
If not, then it's probably not ASMR. If so, then it may be ASMR that's just a quirk of your particular brain. I sincerely doubt it's significant in any way, or indicative of a problem.

[Archpaladin Zousha]

No, I definitely do NOT enjoy the sound of screaming children, which was part of why I was concerned in a "Why would I get what people say is a pleasurable response from something that's the opposite of pleasurable" way. So that's a good thing. Thanks for confirming that at least!

[gomipile]

I wouldn't say that the ASMR response itself is inherently pleasurable in and of itself for all enjoyers of ASMR content. For me, at least, it's more like a spice that goes along with the whole experience of consuming "ASMR content." I don't typically consume black pepper by itself, but I enjoy its flavor as part of some foods. If you put it on ice cream, or sprayed it in my face while there were children screaming nearby, I probably wouldn't enjoy it, even though I can honestly say that I like black pepper.

[Bohandas]

I wouldn't say that the ASMR response itself is inherently pleasurable in and of itself

Indeed. My personal hypothesis is that it's a learned response deriving from that sort of voice's use in [REDACTED] movies and [REDACTED] clubs.