28-year-old Maria of YouTube channel GentleWhispering uploaded a video entitled "What is ASMR?" on Dec. 15, 2014. The video shows the Russian woman explaining a perceptual phenomenon dubbed "Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response" using a soothing voice that is characteristic of the triggers involved in the experience.

In the video, Maria describes ASMR as a "pleasant, tingling feeling that you experience when you hear unique, soft voices, or hear certain soothing sounds, such as tapping. Or, both." She proceeds to enumerate more examples of ASMR triggers while creatively utilising graceful hand gestures and various props in order to further demonstrate the relaxing element of this phenomenon.

In an article by Caitlin Gibson of The Washington Post, the author claims that many are highly skeptical about ASMR, especially those that do not experience its intended effect. Professor Craig Richard of Shenandoah University School of Pharmacy says that ASMR and the physiological states that it reportedly triggers are highly associated with mammalian hormones that the human body naturally produces. "It's the same molecules involved when an infant is comforted by its mother. . . . It's endorphins, it's oxytocin, it's serotonin," Richard says.

Maria, whose last name she had omitted due to safety reasons, had gained more than 300,000 subscribers since she first started uploading her videos back in 2011. She is only one amongst a massive community of video bloggers uploading footage of themselves demonstrating the meditative art form called ASMR.

The "What is ASMR?" video had accumulated close to one million views since it was uploaded in the past month. Watch this video here.

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