Ephemeral Rift's Consecratio Salium [ ASMR ]

Ephemeral Rift's Consecratio Salium [ ASMR ]

     Ephemeral Rift is an ASMRtist in the over 100,000 subscribers club. Chances are, if you've known about ASMR for a while, you've probably seen one of his videos. If not, you should check out his channel. He is one of the most well known male ASMRtists.
     This upload from ER is a bit unconventional. I'm not sure whether I'd classify this as a roleplay or not, but it definitely creates an atmosphere that pulls you in. The video starts with a close up of an empty mortar. Dripping water can be heard calling to mind a damp dungeon beneath a castle. A deep whisper echoes through the entirety of the video. The whisper may be in Latin, though I don't know enough to say for sure. I only recognized one phrase that reminded me of playing Resident Evil 4. The mortar is soon filled with salt, and a pestle slowly grinds it as the whispering chants continue. Eventually the mortar, pestle, and salt are carefully removed and the screen fades to black.
     I have to say that this video has one of the strongest ambiances of any ASMR video I've seen. The choice to keep a tight camera focus means that the scene can be set in each viewer's head. The high quality audio reinforces what your imagination conjures.
     Negatively this video is somewhat eerie. I'm pretty sure that was the idea behind it. The creepy feeling might trigger ASMR for some, but for others it might undermine the relaxation. When I first clicked the link for this video I was uncomfortable with the atmosphere. It made me anxious. After sticking with the video for a few minutes though I adjusted and experienced some very strong ASMR.
     This video contains a male voice whispering and making mouth sounds, grinding sounds, water dripping, and a few instances of tapping. Its runtime is 22:49, but there is a 10 hour version for anyone who wants in to play all night.
     If an eerie atmosphere is your trigger this is the video for you. Even if it isn't though, I'd recommend watching it at least once to see how well made it is. Then you can look through ER's other videos to find something that suits you better. Definitely go to his channel and encourage him to keep making interesting videos. Thanks for reading.

Dana ASMR's [Korean ASMR] 미용실 헤어컷 롤플레이 HairCut Roleplay

Dana ASMR's [Korean ASMR] 미용실 헤어컷 롤플레이 HairCut Roleplay

     I don't know if ASMR is more well known in South Korea than other countries, but it does seem that there are a plethora of Korean ASMRtists. Today's review is of Dana ASMR. Although she does offer a few videos in English, I decided to focus on one of her more common Korean uploads.
     The video starts with an empty backdrop. When Dana first enters the frame she speaks softly in Korean. I'll state here that I do not understand much Korean, but I do believe it is one of the most beautiful languages I've heard. The fact that I don't understand exactly what is being said may contribute to triggering my ASMR. The video, as the title says, is a haircut roleplay. Dana spends most of the time off camera as a hairdresser wouldn't stand in front of you for an entire haircut. She continues to whisper in your ear as you hear the sound of scissors styling your hair. There are a few stretches where all you hear is the scraping of the scissors opening and closing. These lapses in speaking help to draw you in to a deeply relaxed state that you can only achieve when sitting in a hairstylist's chair.
     This video has a runtime of just under 30 minutes which should make it perfect to help you fall asleep. It contains soft speaking and whispering in Korean, haircut sounds, personal attention, and water sounds from a spray bottle.
     The sound quality in this video is by no means bad, but it does seem to be lower than some of Dana's other videos. Other than that there is very little to say negatively about this roleplay.
     I'd recommend that after you've watched this video you check out the rest of Dana's channel. You'll find plenty of tingle-inducing videos, in both Korean and English, to enjoy. Thanks for reading.

Aphiction ASMR's Nerdy purchases and unboxing ASMR

Aphiction ASMR's Nerdy purchases and unboxing ASMR

     YouTube is teeming with new ASMRtists trying to break in to the community. In an attempt to review more than just the most popular uploaders I dove in to the list of channels that try bring tingles to the internet. After clicking a few videos I landed on this unboxing from Aphiction ASMR.
     This video probably caught my eye because I too am an aficionado of nerd culture. Aphiction sits on his bed and unboxes a new copy of World of Warcraft: Warlords of Draenor. As he goes through the contents of the package he softly describes each piece, in an accented voice, while simultaneously tapping on or scratching them. He follows up by showing off a second purchase: Monster Hunter 4 for the Nintendo 3DS. The video runs for 22:37 and has an atmosphere of one of your buddies showing you a recent purchase while he tries not to wake up his sister in the next room.
     The negative side of this is what you'd expect from a newer ASMRtist. He doesn't have some of the high end equipment that the more well known whisperers do, so the video and sound quality isn't perfect.
     At the time of this review Aphiction only had 20 subscribers, so you should go check out this video and get in on the ground floor. I hope this encourages people to branch out and try new ASMRtists from time to time.

GentleWhispering's Fabulous Fabrics Fantasy

GentleWhispering's Fabulous Fabrics Fantasy

     Today I'll be reviewing the most recent upload from one of the most popular ASMRtists on YouTube. If you haven't heard of GentleWhispering, then you probably haven't known about ASMR for very long. It's easy to see why she has gained such popularity among the ASMR community. Her videos are always of the highest quality, her slight accent triggers many listeners (myself included), and the joy she gets from making videos is apparent after only a few moments.
     This video has a run-time of 38:53. It is relatively simple compared to many ASMR videos. It purely consists of GentleWhispering gently whispering about a stack of fabric. She starts by commenting on the fact that whispering videos are more intimate than soft spoken ones. This immediately seems to draw you in to her confidence as she unfolds the secrets of her fabrics. After counting the fabric the camera angle changes (which is itself rare) and GW spends more time describing the tactile and visual properties of each fabric.
     I try to find at least some fault in each video I review so that I don't just seem like a big ASMR fan-boy. This doesn't have any obvious failings like background noises or poor quality. The only problems people might have with this would deal with their personal taste which could easily be circumvented by watching one of GW's other videos that you might find more interesting.
     This video contains a female, accented voice; whispering; fabric sounds; and hand gestures. Go check out this relaxation aid and see if fabric is your ASMR fantasy. While you're on YouTube check out GentleWhispering's channel for a wealth of other ASMR videos including a soft spoken version of this one.

Unintentional ASMR - Mettanando Bhikkhu (or Dr. Mano)

Mettanando Bhikkhu

Dr. Mano

     This review will bring some unintentional ASMR videos to your attention.
     I found the first set of videos on Videojug while researching a college project. They feature Dr. Mettanando Bhikkhu answering questions about Buddhism and meditation. I first found them before I knew what ASMR was, and I listened to them while going to sleep for months after discovering them. These videos have been uploaded to Youtube now.
     The second set of videos I found on Youtube while looking for the first set. They show the same man, now going by Dr. Mano, speaking about meditation again. This group of videos eventually lead me to look for more videos that helped me relax, and thus I discovered the wide world of ASMR.
     All of these videos include triggers such as soft speaking and accented speech. The Dr. Mano videos also have some background noise that is at times irritating and other times triggering. The Mettanando set is unfortunately interrupted periodically by a female voice over reading the questions. Nothing against female voices, but the contrast in volume is hard to balance.
     Even if you aren't a Buddhist these videos are very relaxing, and if you're like me they should trigger your ASMR. Check them out and see if they help you meditate. Thanks for reading.

Pigsbum53's Ear Examination Role Play

Pigsbum53's Ear Examination Role play

     My first review will focus on one of the first videos I watched after finding out that ASMR is a real thing. Pigsbum53 is one of my favorite ASMRtists, and this video is a big reason why. Her soft, gentle voice and British accent trigger my ASMR within the first sentence. This video features soft speaking, whispering, accented speech, puffing air past the microphone, and brushing the microphone.
     This role play starts with Pigsbum asking you questions about your ears in a soft voice. She then proceeds to lean toward you and whisper as she uses a tool to examine and clean your ears. Her slower speech patterns help enhance the relaxing atmosphere of the video. After cleaning your ears she gently blows in to them to test your eardrums. At the end of the exam she offers medication for the ear and tells you to come back for a follow up. If you hit the replay button you can have your follow up right away.
     This video was re-posted with enhanced audio which left a slight white noise in the background. I personally thought that the white noise made the video an even more effective tool for triggering ASMR. The only negative I found in this video is that it is a bit too short. It runs only 13:01 which isn't usually enough time for me to fall asleep to it.
     Go check out this video and see if it triggers your ASMR. Leave a comment there to encourage Pigsbum to make more videos. Thanks for reading.