The ASMR stars earning thousands from ‘whisper porn’ by giving ‘brain orgasms’ to their devoted followers
A BEAUTIFUL girl gazes into the camera and calmly whispers before picking up a packet of sweets and crackling the packaging into the microphone.
It sounds like a niche sexual fetish, but millions of men and women are tuning into these videos - which they claim trigger incredible 'brain orgasms'.
Welcome to the weird world of ASMR - or Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response, to give the trend it's full name.
ASMR is the pleasant tingling feeling on the skin in the scalp, neck and spine when reacting to certain gentle sounds, sometimes called a "brain orgasm".
Sounds like crinkles or water running produce it, and some people even feel it when someone talks to them softly.
As I watch this video of the young woman rustling, I find myself zoning out from everything around me, weirdly entranced as the woman whispers her name and wiggles her fingers seemingly straight at me.
The crackle of the wrapping sends a little shiver down my neck - I can see why people are into this, it feels so strangely intimate.
Viewers who tune in to watch people tapping, crinkling, whispering and rummaging, claiming the soothing sounds help them sleep, boost their mood and improve anxiety.
But others dismiss it as some kind of sexual fetish - especially as many of the people making these videos are pretty young women who are raking in cash from them.
Spine tingles
While the women making these videos claim they are not intending to be sexy, plenty of male listeners disagree.
Ben*, who watches ASMR videos in his spare time, says: "I feel like I'm committing a crime when I listed to ASMR, it's so good.
"I find it hot as hell and it makes me sweat under the collar a bit. I'm not a big kink person but to me, it's just ridiculously hot."
While listeners might be drawn to the videos for different reasons, ASMR's popularity is soaring.
ASMR is the fifth most popular YouTube search term, there are over 13 millions videos dedicated to it on the site - and those starring in the clips are reaping the rewards.
She achieved overnight success after just one video rocketed her following from 200 to hundreds of thousands.
Now, with over 31 million views clocked up, she’s just bought a brand new £40k Jaguar E-Pace and last year exchanged contracts on her own home. She earns around £30k-a-year, which isn't bad given this is her side hustle - her main job is as a scientist.
She discovered ASMR during a university Physiology lecture about the working of the ear. The sounds of a barber shop were played which sent tingles down her spine.
She says: "It’s like that feeling when you are a child and you draw shapes on your friend’s back – whatever the name is for that. It’s just so soothing."
'I'm having the last laugh'
At 22, Sophie-Michelle is one of the younger stars of ASMR. She's been making videos for just over three years, and, by partnering with brands, rakes in up to £70k a year.
She used the money to pay her way through university and it's now helping her pursue acting.
"Boys at university used to laugh at me when they found out I did ASMR but now the joke is on them," she says. "I never let myself feel judged or doubted my intentions."
She has half a million subscribers and her most popular video boasts 2 million views, but her reasons for getting into the trend are very personal.
"It was the first thing that really helped me to fall asleep and lessen my anxiety. It quickly turned into my version of Netflix and what I use to wind down," she says.
"Now this is my full-time career and I make more money than I ever did in previous jobs. I used to work in marketing but I packed it in to do ASMR full time.";
That was a good decision - Lucy now makes up to £3k a month thanks to advertising revenue and brand partnerships, with her videos clocking up 42 million views to date.
'It's not sexual'
As well as 'sound triggers' videos (brushing hair, scrunching paper), all three girls do more controversial 'role play' ones - and it's these which cause raised eyebrows.
They involve girls dressing up as anything from nurses to mermaids, always speaking directly to their audience.
But all three girls insist their success isn’t about men watching pretty girls gazing into the camera, and that their content isn't sexually motivated.
Lauren, 25, says: "YouTube wouldn’t allow any type of porn – it’s so far away from that it’s insane. It’s like saying a massage has to be sexual. People can have a massage just to relax.
"But anything online can be used inappropriately.
"Anyone can whisper – ASMR is about creating a connection, being a presence and offering support."
Sophie-Michelle is also adamant there's nothing sexual about her videos - although she knows not all viewers see it that way.
“I know that older men do prey on younger ASMR channels which does put me off," she says.
"But rather than being sexual, it’s comforting, caring and makes you feel safe and secure.
“It’s upsetting and frustrating when people say ‘whisper porn’ – porn and ASMR are absolutely world’s apart.”
Beauty and braingasms
That said, Sophie-Michelle admits part of the job is to look a certain way - beautiful and sexy. But she insists this is only problematic because of some "opportunistic" girls who make click bait videos capitalising on the misplaced belief ASMR is sexual.
“If someone is visually appealing, you are going to feel more comforted," she reasons.
"It just comes down to being presentable – I’m hardly going to be on a video with say, snot all over my face.”
Lucy adds: "I make an effort to make sure all my videos are gender neutral.
"There are also loads of successful ASMR artists who are faceless or men, it’s not all about looks."
No matter how hard they try, the women can't always keep creepy fans at bay though.
"There are a lot of foot fetishists out there who are interested in seeing my feet," Lucy says, when asked about any weird messages she's received.
"But once you go down that sort of road, you don’t come back so no, I would never do it."
Instead, all three focus on the therapeutic side of ASMR, and Lucy and Sophie make extra cash from creating tailored videos for subscribers with more specific needs.
Lucy explains: "I have done a lot of custom videos. One that sticks out in my mind was a request from a female swimmer who was suffering with performance anxiety about driving in the pool.
"So she asked me to record a specific hypnosis video with her name. Something like that you can charge about £200."
Lauren adds: "I do bespoke videos for people suffering with particular anxieties or PTSD – they just want to hear me speaking to them personally. A lot of them are in the army, away from home and feeling homesick and ASMR is their comfort.
"My cousin took her own life age 20 and that brought home to me that people are struggling and this content can help."
In fact, this dedication to her job is why Lauren's turned down offers for shows like Celeb Goes Dating, Shipwrecked and The Circle.
Sophie-Michelle is mindful of who is watching her videos at all times.
She has a young audience, with many 11 and 12-year-old-girls reaching out to tell her how much she's helped them with their anxiety.
She gives the money made from one video to a charity each month, and her subscribers choose which one.
Misunderstood by the mainstream
However, Sophie-Michelle took ASMR into the mainstream last year with an appearance on ITV's This Morning where Eamonn Holmes called the sounds "just irritating".
That's apparently a common reaction - while some are soothed by the sounds, others find them intensely irritating.
WHAT IS ASMR?
Here's everything you need to know...
- ASMR is an increasingly popular trend which sees people tune in to various sounds and roleplay to trigger head tingles, also known as a brain orgasm
- It stands for Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response - and it's a tingling sensation that can be felt on the skin, usually in the scalp, upper neck and spine
- ASMR is becoming increasingly popular, with the online community tuning in to YouTube videos that show people whispering and cutting up objects into a microphone
- People who experience being paid close attention can experience the pleasant feeling - and it's something they are now seeking out more of, often to help them relax or get to sleep
- It can be induced by certain sounds, such as soft speaking and water being played with
Dr Giulia Poerio, a psychologist at the University of Sheffield, conducted one of the world's first scientific studies on the effects of ASMR last year.
She told The Sun that while it doesn't affect everyone, it can give viewers a relaxing, almost trance-like feeling.
This is what it's about for Sophie-Michelle, who advises sceptics to give the videos a go.
"If you watch it with friends, you will laugh – you need to give it a chance and watch it alone," she says.
"But open your mind and ASMR could really help you."