You used to enjoy those sweet tingles while watching ASMR videos. These days, you never get tingles anymore.
What happened?
You’re experiencing ASMR immunity.
ASMR immunity is an inability to experience ASMR. Some people have never gotten ASMR sensations. But it feels a lot worse to experience tingles and suddenly not have them anymore.
These are the 5 common reasons why you experience ASMR immunity.
#1 Over-exposure
One of the most common reasons for tingle immunity is over-exposure to ASMR videos.
Some people compare ASMR to drugs. You build a tolerance and need higher and higher doses to get the same effect.
In my opinion, you can hardly say ASMR has anything to do with drugs. But you can build a tolerance to it, just like almost anything.
It is often suggested you should take a break from ASMR videos to reset your tingle sensitivity. I didn’t watch ASMR for a long time, though, and the break didn’t help. But it is worth a try if over-exposure could be behind your tingle numbness.
#2 Medication
According to a study conducted in 2014, most participants were unsure whether their medication decreased their ASMR experience.
However, psychiatric medicines could be why you’re experiencing tingle numbness. I’m almost certain antidepressants are the main reason I have trouble getting tingles these days. The withdrawal process is hellish too, so it’s not surprising I’m not able to relax enough to get those sweet sensations.
While antidepressants can help people, they can also numb your emotions. They certainly did for me.
#3 Overthinking
You might also have ASMR immunity because you’re overthinking. Some claim that over-analyzing ASMR can cause numbness to it.
And if you’re experiencing ASMR immunity, obsessing over the issue won’t help.
If you worry and think: “am I gonna get tingles?” every time you start watching an ASMR video, you most likely won’t.
#4 Stress and anxiety
Watching ASMR videos can provide relief from stress and anxiety. Sadly, stress and anxiety can also make you immune to ASMR.
One of my favorite ASMRtists, Gentle Whispering, talks about that in this video. According to Maria (Gentle Whispering), you should relax before watching ASMR videos because you may not experience ASMR if you’re too stressed.
It can be hard to focus on ASMR videos and get tingles if you have a long to-do list to worry about. Also, outside distractions can ruin the relaxing experience.
#5 Lack of variety
This one is related to number #1, over-exposure. If you always watch the same ASMRtists or videos with the same triggers, you can become immune to them.
The solution is to watch videos by different creators and seek new triggers.
Do you always watch medical roleplays because they’re your favorites? Maybe try an ASMR salesperson video next.
Are you addicted to tapping sounds? Try something you never even thought of before, like visual triggers.
How I cured my ASMR immunity
For me, the story had a happy ending. I got my tingles back!
I went to the sauna the night when my tingles returned. That might have helped because the sauna relaxes me. I was ready for bed. I had nothing left to do except watch an ASMR video to relax.
I didn’t expect to get tingles. I simply wanted to relax and ease my anxiety to get sleep. But pretty much as soon as I started to watch the video, I felt the sweet tingles coming back! And they were so strong. Not only I tingled, but I also felt amazing. I was so happy I almost cried!
The video that brought me back my tingles deserves a shoutout for sure. It’s this sleep trance video by Restful Rambles.
I think the visual triggers in the video triggered my tingles. I watched the video in black and white because I’ve set my phone screen to go black and white at night. I don’t know if that made a difference or not.
Many of the factors I mentioned in this post played a role in getting my tingles back:
- I was relaxed (thanks to the sauna)
- I didn’t expect tingles
- I tried new triggers
- It was quiet, and bedtime (=no more responsibilities for the day)
Since then, I’ve experienced ASMR sometimes with other videos. I’ve even experienced it spontaneously in real-life situations. I don’t always get tingles, but sometimes I do, and that’s good enough for me. I never got tingles from any random ASMR video, only from a select few.
ASMR immunity — There’s always hope
ASMR immunity makes most of us tingle addicts sad. We no longer experience those sweet sensations we used to have, often from a young age.
These are the five common reasons why you experience ASMR immunity:
- Over-exposure
- Medication
- Over-thinking
- Stress and anxiety
- Lack of variety
I got my tingles back, so you can too. I didn’t get proper tingles for like a year. So there’s always hope that tinglier times are ahead!
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