Body scan meditation enhances the autonomous sensory meridian response to auditory stimuli.
Sarah Glim, Lynn Braun, Sophie Hayd, Amelie Kuenz, Felicitas Rosak, Jule Vom Bruch
Perception June 1, 2022 DOI: 10.1177/03010066221098104 (opens in new tab) via PubMed
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractA brief mindfulness exercise that directs attention to bodily sensations can intensify the pleasant, tingling skin sensations known as autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR). This finding suggests that attentional processes play a key role in how ASMR unfolds, and it helps clarify the crossmodal sensory mechanisms—the intertwining of hearing, sight, and touch—that underlie the phenomenon.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Intervention | Mindfulness exercise |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Crossmodal processing |
| Key finding | A prior mindfulness exercise focusing attention on the body enhances the perception of ASMR-associated tingles. |
Abstract
Autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR) is a pleasant, tingling sensation on the skin that can be elicited by certain auditory and visual stimuli, with the intertwining of sensory modalities and emotional reactions observable in this phenomenon resembling that of synesthesia. The current study shows that the perception of ASMR-associated tingles can be enhanced by means of a prior mindfulness exercise in which attention is drawn to the body. This finding contributes to a better understanding of the crossmodal mechanisms behind ASMR and emphasizes the role that attentional processes play in its unfolding.