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‘The Vital Importance of Human Touch’.  

Research over decades has uncovered an astonishing number of poor health outcomes that result when we are deprived of touch. The correlation between anxiety, depression, insomnia, stress and reassuring or comforting touch are large and inversely related. It has been found that touch calms our nervous centre and slows down our heartbeat. Human touch also lowers blood pressure as well as cortisol, our stress hormone. It also triggers the release of oxytocin, a hormone known to make someone feel comforted and put at ease.  

Studies using PET scans have found that the brain quiets in response to stress when a person’s hand is held. The effect is greatest when the hand being held is that of a loved one, but it still works even if it’s just a stranger (Field, 2010). 

Research also suggests a negative correlation between touch and the severity of borderline personality disorder symptoms (Field, 2010). This suggests that the effects of touch extend to our basic neural circuitry. Even our immune response seems to be somewhat governed by touch, with the finding that those who are deprived of human touch are more likely to suffer from immune system diseases. It’s ironic that during a highly contagious pandemic where our immune systems are being the most stressed, we are being deprived of something (human touch) that is so essential to its function. https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/everyone-top/202108/the-vital-importance-human-touch 

What does ASMR do to your brain? 

According to ‘Healthline.com’ To many of us, ‘ASMR’ is a feeling. To ‘Researchers’, it has something to do with how your brain responds to certain stimuli. 

In one small 2018 studyTrusted Source, 10 participants had their brains imaged in an fMRI machine while experiencing ASMR to see what the brains response was. When the participants felt the classic ASMR sensations, their brains showed activity in the areas that control emotion and empathy as well as areas associated with social engagement and related activities. 

Beyond that, the researchersTrusted Source suggest that ASMR may cause the brain to release certain neurohormones. They explain that people report feeling sleepy, comforted, and relaxed with ASMR and that the neurohormones dopamine, oxytocin, and endorphins are closely associated with these feelings. 

The research on ASMR is relatively new. Still, between anecdotal reports and beginning research, it’s starting to be clear ASMR has some benefits: 

• Immediate relaxation. For people who experience the ASMR shivers and tingles, it can be a very pleasurable and relaxing feeling that happens almost immediately with exposure to the stimuli. 
• Improved mood. An early study revealed that 80 percentTrusted Source of participants had improved mood after exposure to ASMR. The benefits declined faster in people with higher levels of depression. 
• Pain relief. The same studyTrusted Source showed that a portion of people who deal with chronic pain found relief that lasted for up to 3 hours after exposure. 
• Deeper concentration. A “flow state” refers to when you lose yourself or your sense of time because you’re so deeply concentrated on something. ResearchersTrusted Source have found similarities between ASMR and the type of focus you’d experience in flow. 
• Better sleep. Early research has shown that ASMR may help get you and your brain into the right state for deep, healthy sleep by promoting relaxation and theta brainwaves. 
• Other benefits. People who enjoy ASMR often report reduced anxiety, fewer headaches, lower blood pressure, and more. While these are in line with what has been proven, more research is needed to back up these claims.