82 WINTER 2019 • POPSCI.COM
When someone
with ASMR hears their
triggers, their heart
rate typically drops.Levels of the happy
hormones dopamine
and oxytocin may
increase in the brain.ASMR’s full-body buzz
often starts at the scalp,
but it’s not yet clear
what’s so special about
the top of the head.Videos can also
spur excitement—as
evidenced by many
viewers’ increased
fingertip sweat.The primary
sensations those with
ASMR report are
calmness, relaxation,
and sleepiness.People with misophonia
report clenched muscles
in response to things like
chewing or pen clicking.Scientists have
observed spikes in body
temperature, heart rate,
and blood pressure in
distressed misophonics.Some patients describe
a sensation of rising
pressure in their chest,
arms, and head when
they hear triggers.Cues can provoke
intense anxiety and dis-
tress, but the prevailing
emotion is anger.Misophonics might
sometimes jump to
moral judgments about
an unpleasant noise—and
the person making it.Misophonic agony ASMR ecstasy
what does
sound feel like?
Two people can have radically different
reactions to the same noise. Here are the
physiological responses that distinguish an
ASMR addict from a miserable misophonic.