it’s love or hate—also have structural
differences in their brains. Many miso-
phonics have more myelin (which
insulates neurons and speeds the
spread of information) than average
in the ventromedial prefrontal cor-
tex, an area associated with quick
decision-making. That might be why
people go “from zero to 60” in their re-
action to triggers, says Jennifer Brout,
a psychologist who specializes in miso-
phonia counseling. Sufferers register
a rustle or a lip smack as threatening
before they can even identify it. By
contrast, scans have linked ASMR to
changes in connectivity across vari-
ous regions of the brain, which could
hinder someone’s ability to control
emotional responses to such stimuli.
Misophonic gray matter also might
warp reality. Our brains constantlyassess our body’s internal state, a
“sixth sense” known as interoceptive
awareness. When it goes awry, though,
it contorts perception of the body like a
fun-house mirror. Faulty interoception
is associated with many mental health
issues, including eating disorders and
obsessive compulsion. Experts like
Brout speculate that misophonia might
also trigger hyperactivity in this region,
sending sufferers into an agonizing
feedback loop where physical symp-
toms of mild discomfort, like elevated
heart rate, worsen simply because one
begins to focus on them and grow more
anxious. Researchers are looking into a
similar link with ASMR, where height-
ened awareness might increase the
intensity of the signature shivers.
These preliminary brain scans
and survey studies are just the firstwhispers of a long and complicated
conversation about love, hate, and
mouth sounds. Some of the questions
psychologists want to answer next
could, perhaps, help us all calm down.
YouTubers want scientists to pay more
attention to the role nonauditory trig-
gers such as hand movements play
in stimulating the tingles. McErlean
seeks to understand how ASMR alters
stress- reducing hormones like oxy-
tocin. Brout thinks these cumulative
efforts could in turn help misopho-
nics cope; at least one of her patients
now watches ASMR videos to help
soothe symptoms of a misophonic
attack. What started as an internet
trend could help uncover deep truths
about the way we experience sound—
and perhaps help us compose a more
pleasurable world for everyone.POPSCI.COM•WINTER 2019 83Popular videos and online discussions reveal common triggers
Sounds of Sensation for misophonia and ASMR—and, in some cases, both.joint cracking personal attention breathing
pen clicking coughing slow movements
finger tapping make-up or paint brushing
throat clearing swallowing bass through walls
hair cutting crinkling plastic singing
latex gloves squeaking clinking glasses
clipping nails lip smacking nose whistles hair dryer
popping bubbles chewing repetitive motion
foot shuffling paper rustling scratching
peeling teeth brushing fabric sounds beeping
heels clicking squishing slime whispering
hiccups crunching lathering soap
snorting page turning sucking teeth
typing water dripping sniffing flossing
slurping fizzing s and p sounds
ASMR Misophonia Both