50 Best ASMR Youtube Videos That Tingle and Relax

Find out more about the phenomenon that's taken the internet by storm.

By Morgan Greenwald

July 19, 2018

By Morgan Greenwald

July 19, 2018

Hidden on YouTube among the videos of aspiring singers crooning Justin Bieber and amateur gamers playing FortNite is a star unlike the others. Her name is Spirit Payton, and her claim to fame is making noise. In her most popular video, with upwards of 13 million views, you'll find her noisily chewing pickles next to a microphone. Yes, 13 million people have watched Spirit eat pickles—and they love it. Welcome to ASMR.

If you're not one of Payton's 443,000 subscribers, then you're probably currently asking yourself something along the lines of, "Why the heck do people want to watch someone eat a pickle?" The answer, quite simply, is ASMR: or autonomous sensory meridian response. This term is used to describe the sensation, normally a tingling, that people get in response to an auditory or visual cue (like someone eating a pickle). It's been described as a type of auditory-tactile synesthesia, and it can be triggered by everything from whispering to the crinkling of wrapping paper. The term was coined in 2010 by Jennifer Allen, the founder of the first Facebook group for people who experience the phenomenon, and it has been referred to as ASMR ever since.

Because this phenomenon was only recently given a name, the science backing it up is virtually nonexistent. Of the minimal research, one study published in PeerJ found that ASMR results in "temporary improvements in symptoms of depression and chronic pain," while another study published in the International Journal of School & Educational Psychology determined that the phenomenon can soothe stress and help insomniacs. Basically, ASMR makes people happy and healthy.

It's hard to know precisely how many people have ASMR, but it can be said with certainly that the phenomenon is big, given that some of YouTube's biggest ASMR stars have videos will millions of views each, and one in particular—Maria, of Gentle Whipsering ASMR—was even able to quit her job to do ASMR full-time.

So how do you know if you have ASMR? There's no single way to tell for sure, but for starters, you can watch some of the internet's most popular videos and determine whether they elicit a tingling response. And for your convenience, we've compiled some of the best ASMR videos that YouTube has to offer—so get those goose bumps ready, and while you're at it, try these brain teasers to find out whether you're smarter than an astronaut.

1. Triggers to Help You Sleep, by ASMR Darling

Views: 26 million

ASMR Darling combines popular triggers like whispering, pouring water, and playing with tape to create the ultimate lullaby sans lyrics.

2. Sleep-Inducing Haircut, by Gentle Whispering ASMR

Views: 6 million

Many people turn to ASMR videos to fall asleep. On this video, one user commented: "One minute into the video [and] my eyes are closing." And for more traditional ways to drift off, try these 11 Doctor-Approved Secrets for Falling Asleep Faster—Tonight.

3. Raw Honeycomb Eating Sounds, by SAS-ASMR

Views: 9.9 million

With the close-up microphone, viewers get to experience the full trifecta: whispering, eating, and the sound of swallows. But if you'd rather swallow something yourself, check out these 9 Restaurants in America That Serve Real Kobe Beef.

4. ASMR Back Tracing, by WhispersRed ASMR

Views: 1 million

YouTube star WhispersRed uses everything from makeup brushes to Q-tips to create aural and visual bliss. And in addition to watching ASMR videos, you can also use these 75 Genius Tricks to Get Instantly Happy.

5. Celebrities Do ASMR, by W Magazine

Views: 760,000

If you want to watch Salma Hayek eat tostadas or Lucy Hale stabbing a pumpkin, you can always tune in to W Magazine's ASMR interview series. And in other weird celebrity news, don't miss the 50 Crazy Celebrity Facts You Won't Believe Are True.

6. Soap Carving, by 10-Minutes Amazing Life

Views: 116,000

Visual ASMR fans will take particular pleasure in this hour-long compilation of soap carving.

7. Dreamy Scalp Massage, by ASMR Darling

Views: 2.8 million

A popular phenomenon in ASMR is a type of roleplaying in which the video creator treats the camera like the viewer. But if real massages are more your style, use these 4 Secrets for Giving Her a Mind-blowing Massage.

8. Pickle Eating Sounds, by ASMRTheChew

Views: 13.9 million

Yes. Almost 14 million people have watched a woman eat pickles.

9. Ramen Noodles Eating Sounds, by ASMRTheChew

Views: 1.5 million

And another 1.5 million have watched that same woman eat a giant bowl of noodles.

10. Slime ASMR Videos, by The Best Satisfying

Views: 2.2 million

The strange texture and consistency of slime makes it perfect for visually stimulating YouTube videos.

11. Ear Cleaning, by Rapunzel ASMR

Views: 1 million

"The most popular roleplay requests are the ones that involve a lot of what I call 'personal attention,'" ASMR YouTube personality Ally Maque told Motherboard. "An example of that would be, if you go to an eye doctor, for instance, [where] they're going to be very close to you."

12. Face Touching and Hand Movements, by Gibi ASMR

Views: 531,000

ASMR videos by no means have to be complicated. In this video, for instance, one YouTuber simply uses her hands and face to create that tingling sensation.

13. Kissing and Mouth Sounds, by Pelagea ASMR

Views: 12.8 million

ASMR is by no means sexual. However, that doesn't mean that the community can't enjoy the sound that kissing makes. And get your own lips ready to learn The One Thing Everyone Can Do to Be a Better Kisser.

14. Food Slime ASMR, by Satisfying Slime ASMR

Views: 1.8 million

If you've ever had the desire to watch slime get poked by a pair of chopsticks, then this is the video for you.

15. Reading DMs, by Jeffree Star

Views: 4.4 million

Even YouTube stars outside of the ASMR community have cashed in on the trend. Makeup guru Jeffree Star, for instance, recently published a video in which he reads his boyfriend's direct messages (or DMs) in a soft whisper.

16. Head and Ear Massage, by ASMR Barber

Views: 830,000

While some people fall asleep after a good massage, others drift off simply after watching someone else get one.

17. Traditional Italian Barber, by ASMR Barber

Views: 849,000

If you prefer shaving in person versus watching someone else do it online, then don't miss the deals on these Must-Have Grooming Products.

18. Gaming Store Roleplay, by Gibi ASMR

Views: 4.4 million

"You just got that SWEET birthday money and you want to blow it all at a gaming store? I can help with that," the description for this video reads.

19. Marble Run, by Jelle's Marble Runs

Views: 1.5 million

ASMR or otherwise, this maze featuring more than 100,000 marbles is pretty mesmerizing.

20. IKEA ASMR, by IKEA USA

Views: 2 million

Some smart brands, like IKEA, have started to utilize the soothing effects of ASMR in their advertising efforts.

21. Bob Ross' The Grandeur of Summer, by Bob Ross

Views: 6 million

Many consider painter Bob Ross to be the father of this soothing phenomenon.

22. Water Beads, by ASMR PPOMO

Views: 1 million

Gel beads are a win-win for the ASMR community, as they're visually pleasing and create a soothing whooshing sound that one user described as "heaven."

23. No Talking, Just Sounds, by MassageASMR

Views: 17.6 million

Welcome to the ultimate ASMR experience: Ten hours of tapping, crinkling, scratching, and brushing like you've never seen before.

24. Slow, Deep Breathing, by JellybeanASMR

Views: 7.6 million

Let Jellybean's deep breathing take you away to dreamland.

25. Treating Your Migraine Roleplay, by Cutebunny992

Views: 3.4 million

Suffering from a headache that won't go away? Let this roleplaying video take care of that (or at least, let it put you to sleep so you won't feel your pain anymore).

26. Neck and Back Cracking, by ASMR Barber

Views: 856,000

And on the opposite side of the spectrum from ASMR people, This Is What It's Like to Be Allergic to Sounds.

27. Gentle Eating, by Gentle Whispering ASMR

Views: 700,000

This YouTuber combines soft chewing and whispering in this video that pleases all the senses (and might make your mouth water).

28. Fancy Letters, by ASMRSurge

Views: 3.5 million

Though his handwriting is admittedly not the greatest, ASMRSurge's calligraphy video is satisfying nonetheless, what with its swift motions and flawless ink quality.

29. Zen Garden, by ASMRSurge

Views: 2.6 million

There's a reason they're called zen gardens, after all.

30. Dental Visit Roleplay, by Fairy Char

Views: 2.8 million

Evidently, even something terrifying like going to the dentist can be turned into an ASMR video.

31. Aloe Vera Challenge, by SAS-ASMR

Views: 9.7 million

"I used to hate the sound of people chewing but your channel has cured it," one user wrote on this video of YouTuber SAS-ASMR eating an aloe vera plant. Her verdict? "It's not good!"

32. Ear Licking, by FrivolousFox

Views: 3.9 million

People in the ASMR community can't resist the sweet sound of a tongue against the earlobe.

33. Poking ASMR, by Dana ASMR

Views: 3.4 million

In this video, User Dana ASMR plays with slimes of all shapes and sizes—even ones shaped like a Starbucks Frappuccino.

34. Eating Chalk, by Rappeler

Views: 3.4 million

This is the opposite of nails on a chalkboard in the world of ASMR.

35. Dogs Eating Popcorn, by Jenna Marbles

Views: 2.8 million

Famous YouTuber Jenna Marbles got into the ASMR spirit when she threw a bunch of popcorn on the bed and let her dogs go wild.

36. Magnetic Zen Garden, by ASMR Darling

Views: 1.2 million

Everyone should have one of these at their desks to stay calm.

37. Chopping Tomatoes, by Wryfield Lab

Views: 800,000

Or rather, watching a chopped tomato be turned back into a whole tomato with the rewind feature.

38. Bag Folding Tutorial, by Gentle Whispering ASMR

Views: 455,000

Because sometimes these videos are relaxing and useful!

39. Studying, by ThePhDExtreme

Views: 200,000

This video is simply a still camera recording the noises in a classroom, and yet hundreds of thousands of people find comfort in its simplicity. Are you one of them?

40. French Press Tingles, by Karuna Satori

Views: 80,000

With little more than a french press, Karuna Satori manages to create yet another aural experience.

41. Water Spritzing, by ASMRMagic

View: 4 million

The sound of raindrops falling is soothing, but getting wet? Not so much. Luckily, you can experience all of the best parts of a rainstorm with this video, courtesy of ASMRMagic.

42. Taps For Naps, by Gentle Whispering ASMR

Views: 5.5 million

Trouble falling asleep? Let these tapping sounds help you pass out. (And if that doesn't worry, you can always try these 17 Sleep Products People Swear By.)