Then, one night, still awake at 1am, she thought, why don't I try this? Sana Qadar: Shivi would also use these videos to help her get to sleep. Shivi: I would just listen to ASMR on the bus home and it was just a really good way to decompress and unwind and enjoy a bit of introvert time, as it were. Sana Qadar: Exhausted, she would board the company bus back to her accommodation and try to unwind. Shivi: I worked in the retail souvenir stores there and talking to hundreds of guests each day. Her shifts were long and frenetic, sometimes ending at midnight or 1am. In 2017, Shivi was working at Disney World in Florida. Today, the lowdown on autonomous sensory meridian response, better known as ASMR. You're listening to All in the Mind, I'm Sana Qadar. Sana Qadar: So what is ASMR and what does the science tell us about it? Is it real or pseudoscience? And why do some people, like me, get the opposite reaction irritation rather than calming tingles? Sharon: I don't know, just feeling like I'm in almost like a dreamier state, and having this just good vibes. Giulia Poerio: So the feeling itself is often described as a tingling which starts in the crown of the head and can spread throughout the rest of the body, it's kind of something that comes in waves and it's quite warm and very, very relaxing, quite euphoric. The idea is these sounds elicit a certain tingly calming sensation in people who can experience ASMR. Sana Qadar: So what is this content, this corner of the internet we're talking about? It's called ASMR, and these whispery, clicky, crinkly videos are massive on YouTube, racking up millions of views. Sharon: And I find it hilarious because I feel like it's probably one of the only types of content that it's actually a compliment when people tell you that they fall asleep to your videos. Shivi: A lot of people will say it helps them unwind after a stressful day or week. Sharon: I'll get messages from people that will say how by videos really helped them sleep or relax or they will even play them in the background when they are studying.

But I'm intrigued by this subculture because many people seem to love it and get a lot out of it. In fact, it's the opposite, I find it incredibly annoying. Sana Qadar: There is a certain corner of the internet that has always intrigued me, not because I'm a fan.

Define whisperings