Can Things Like ASMR Videos Become Emotional Porn? And What Effect Will That Have on the Younger Generations?

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seoulsearch

OutWrite Trouble
May 23, 2009
14,940
4,581
113
#1
Hi Everyone,

First of all, I must make a disclaimer. I almost always type on a laptop, so I forget how long these posts will be on an actual phone screen. My apologies in advance that nearly all of my posts are rather long (and more like a college term paper,) which might result automatically skipping over them, which I totally understand. :) But for anyone who might be interested...

I've been thinking a lot lately about how a virtually all-digital communication system affects our mental, emotional, and spiritual health. For example, just about every YouTube "influencer" ends their video with, "I love you guys SSSSOOO MUCH!!!" along with a flurry of air kisses floating into the camera. Back in "my day," it was rare to see someone on a screen "break the 4th wall" -- talk directly to the audience as a participating member -- and most people either found this annoying (because it disrupted the fantasy of the mental story) or delightful (because it made them feel as if they were now part of the story.)

Now days, we have an entire entertainment platform BUILT around treating the audience as an active (and sometimes only) participant. But what will that do to our interactions and expectations of others around us?

As a frequent victim of the YouTube rabbit hole, I started out looking for videos promoting relaxation and better sleep and quickly found ASMR. According to Google, ASMR stands for "autonomous sensory meridian response -- a subjective low-grade euphoria characterized by a combination of positive feelings and a distinct static-like tingling sensation on the skin." Just to clarify, all of the ASMR videos I've seen are NOT sexual at all (though I'm sure they're out there if you look,) but rather concentrate on creating a feeling of total relaxation through whispering, soft music, and soft noises (such as scratching, the gentle rustling of opening wrappers or shaking rice in a bowl, etc.)

Some ASMR creators take the experience even further, creating "role plays" in which they are pretending to be an esthetician at a high-end spa or medical clinic, and they invite you to make yourself at home as they offer to provide spa-like services such as facials, massage, and even basic care. For instance, one ASMR role-play is of a beautiful young Australian woman with girlish dimples and bright blue eyes saying, "You fell down! Let me take care of you!" She then proceeds, in a calm, whispering manner, to descriptively check out your injury and apply antibiotic creams and bandages, while administrating detailed, compassionate care. NOTHING about the video is sexual AT ALL. But, it is very much about someone acting as if they are there to care for you in a very complete and immersive as possible way.

On another channel, the host (again, a young, beautiful female), tells you that you are about to receive a host of complimentary deluxe services from the "spa" where she is working. She asks you to choose which candles and tea YOU want, all the while complimenting YOUR choices, then tells you that she has no other appointments for the day and so her sole focus is on YOU. She then proceeds to describe each of the services for YOU as she roleplays them in the video.

While I've only been to a spa once or twice in my life (and I'm a heterosexual female,) I can attest to the fact that the ladies in these particular videos are NOT doing anything inappropriate and aren't even dressed in a very enticing manner (though I realize that's a matter of personal opinion.) Everything they are doing imitates a real professional experience at a real professional business.

But for some reason, my spirit was incredibly agitated and screaming aloud by the end of these videos, and I had to spend a few days asking God why.

It's not at all because of the young women in the video -- I am very much attracted to men. But, I was thinking about two specific things:

* What IF the videos featured young, handsome men saying, "I'm here for YOU, I want to hear about YOUR day, I'm here to take care of YOU, and YOU are my sole focus," even if there was absolutely nothing sexual about it? How would women feel about this? (I'm sure such videos exist, but I know I'm sure not going to try looking for them.)

* How would it affect men to watch gorgeous young ladies on a screen saying to them, "You look like YOU'VE had a hard day. I want to hear all about it, and I'm here to help YOU unwind and feel as relaxed as possible"? I suppose this is part of what happens with porn? (I don't know much about the live porn world.) But even if this is only happening on supposedly casual emotional level, I would suspect that most viewers would be almost instantaneously hooked (because even if nothing sexual was happening onscreen, it can always be carried out in the mind.)

For my own personal definition, I see "pornography" as being anything, whether sexual or nonsexual, that creates a bond or attraction that causes anyone (male or female) to have expectations, thoughts, and distorted thinking about human relationships that God never intended us to have.

* Even though these videos are non-sexual, I for one can see how they would be emotional kryptonite for a good number of people, even if it was someone who wasn't interested in or hooked on sexual porn. And even if you weren't into this, how would you feel about your boyfriend/girlfriend or husband/wife watching videos like this on a regular basis? And they very well could have a "valid" excuse, saying that they were using these videos every night to help them sleep. After all, the girls aren't dressed seductively and nothing sexual is going on. Technically, it's "all innocent entertainment."

But is it really?

Personally, I think it would be very easy to become much too attached to creators, videos, and channels like this, to the point where we are thinking things like, "I wish I could find someone like that!!! I want someone who makes me feel that way all the time!" and it causes us to have standards so high that no one could ever meet them.

I think God also made me aware of the second part of what was bothering me so much -- the entire video is one-sided, and I understand that was the point. But I think God convicted me in that there is something very dangerous about these types of fantasies because the focus becomes all about self, with is no opportunity to serve someone else (let alone unconditionally.)

I also found it intriguing that the girl who liked to fancy herself as a high-end spa specialist, ready to cater to your every whim, wrote in her description, "I do not take requests. I'm here to do what I want. I'm not gonna be your best friend. I'm not gonna do something just because you really really want me to. The more loudly you ask for something from me, the more likely you are to (tick) me off."

This was incredibly ironic, as she has several videos in which the VERY THING she does is to set up THAT EXACT scenario (for instance, on a picnic,) in which she talks to you as if she is exactly that ("I can see you're under a lot of pressure. Want to talk about it? I'm totally here for you.") She even has a video entitled, "You + Me Forever."

Clearly, and in the most ironic twist, in almost all of her roleplays, she says, "I'm here to cater to YOU," but the real truth is, everything about her offering to pamper and take care of you -- is really about herself. It's not true service -- it's just about what she gets out of making such videos and the reactions they receive.

One of the most unnerving things I came to in conclusion for myself is that even if you manage to try to avoid one briar patch (physical porn,) an even larger twist of thorns is always waiting for us just around the corner (emotional porn,) and sometimes it's even more shiny and deceitful than the first.

* What are your thoughts? Would you see this type of "entertainment" as emotional porn, or just harmless entertainment? How would you feel if your significant other was watching this on a regular basis?

How can any of us find "love" when an entire generation is being raised thinking that "love" consists of fluffy, confectionery salutations that are emitted by a digital image of a person on a screen blowing us kisses and telling us, "I'm always here for you!" but what they're really thinking is, "As long as it benefits ME"?

I would love to know your thoughts.

Thanks so much for your time, and have a blessed day! :)
 

Lynx

Folksy yet erudite
Aug 13, 2014
24,799
8,103
113
#2
I find this thread EXTREMELY offensive because it is not about me. Not one thing in it asked me my opinion or complimented me in any way.

One star rating. I'd give it zero stars if I could. :p
 

seoulsearch

OutWrite Trouble
May 23, 2009
14,940
4,581
113
#3
I find this thread EXTREMELY offensive because it is not about me. Not one thing in it asked me my opinion or complimented me in any way.

One star rating. I'd give it zero stars if I could. :p
Oh for heaven's sake.

Take your (literal) "Yelp"-ing to another thread, cat! :D This thread isn't an Amazon product!

Lol!!!

There.

Now we've made it all about you! :cool::geek::devilish:

(P.S. -- Please don't let Lynx scare anyone away from posting, lol. All thoughts are welcome, even if it's just to award "more" zero stars.)

Is it really "zero" if tons of people are giving them? *ponders*
 

Lynx

Folksy yet erudite
Aug 13, 2014
24,799
8,103
113
#4
I was making an oblique point that everybody wants everything to be about me, me, always me, hey stop talking about you cause you should be talking about me.

This is why the videos are so enticing.
 

seoulsearch

OutWrite Trouble
May 23, 2009
14,940
4,581
113
#5
I was making an oblique point that everybody wants everything to be about me, me, always me, hey stop talking about you cause you should be talking about me.

This is why the videos are so enticing.
Yes.

I know. ;)

I'm well-accustomed to your sense of humor (and vice versa.) :cool:

And I was just making the point that not everything is about a rating system. :ROFL:

Or vocabulary that I have no idea how to pronounce, let alone decipher. :p

(Obliques? Aren't those the muscles I'm trying desperately trying to tone during ab workouts?!) :LOL:
 

Lynx

Folksy yet erudite
Aug 13, 2014
24,799
8,103
113
#6
No idea. I never do workouts. So what you are talking about has nothing to do with me. Get back to talking about youtube videos - those are on the internet, accessed by computing devices, so I can pretend you are talking about me because I'm a nerd, and I can look for opportunities to give an informed opinion about something and feed my ego.
 

Lynx

Folksy yet erudite
Aug 13, 2014
24,799
8,103
113
#7
Seriously, these videos are pushed as a way to help you fall asleep? From the description it would keep a guy awake.

No, I don't want a link to one of these videos. I'll take your word for it.
 

Lynx

Folksy yet erudite
Aug 13, 2014
24,799
8,103
113
#8
Nobody has "liked" one of my posts in this thread in at least 28 minutes. Negative two stars. Just in case somebody else gave it a star here or there, gotta pull that down with a negative.
 
G

Godsgirl83

Guest
#9
Nobody has "liked" one of my posts in this thread in at least 28 minutes. Negative two stars. Just in case somebody else gave it a star here or there, gotta pull that down with a negative.
so, laughing at you doesn't count? I have to (y) it? but (y) doesn't begin to justify the way your post affects me and makes me feel.......
 

zeroturbulence

Senior Member
Aug 2, 2009
24,574
4,262
113
#10
Hi Everyone,

First of all, I must make a disclaimer. I almost always type on a laptop, so I forget how long these posts will be on an actual phone screen. My apologies in advance that nearly all of my posts are rather long (and more like a college term paper,) which might result automatically skipping over them, which I totally understand. :) But for anyone who might be interested...

I've been thinking a lot lately about how a virtually all-digital communication system affects our mental, emotional, and spiritual health. For example, just about every YouTube "influencer" ends their video with, "I love you guys SSSSOOO MUCH!!!" along with a flurry of air kisses floating into the camera. Back in "my day," it was rare to see someone on a screen "break the 4th wall" -- talk directly to the audience as a participating member -- and most people either found this annoying (because it disrupted the fantasy of the mental story) or delightful (because it made them feel as if they were now part of the story.)

Now days, we have an entire entertainment platform BUILT around treating the audience as an active (and sometimes only) participant. But what will that do to our interactions and expectations of others around us?

As a frequent victim of the YouTube rabbit hole, I started out looking for videos promoting relaxation and better sleep and quickly found ASMR. According to Google, ASMR stands for "autonomous sensory meridian response -- a subjective low-grade euphoria characterized by a combination of positive feelings and a distinct static-like tingling sensation on the skin." Just to clarify, all of the ASMR videos I've seen are NOT sexual at all (though I'm sure they're out there if you look,) but rather concentrate on creating a feeling of total relaxation through whispering, soft music, and soft noises (such as scratching, the gentle rustling of opening wrappers or shaking rice in a bowl, etc.)

Some ASMR creators take the experience even further, creating "role plays" in which they are pretending to be an esthetician at a high-end spa or medical clinic, and they invite you to make yourself at home as they offer to provide spa-like services such as facials, massage, and even basic care. For instance, one ASMR role-play is of a beautiful young Australian woman with girlish dimples and bright blue eyes saying, "You fell down! Let me take care of you!" She then proceeds, in a calm, whispering manner, to descriptively check out your injury and apply antibiotic creams and bandages, while administrating detailed, compassionate care. NOTHING about the video is sexual AT ALL. But, it is very much about someone acting as if they are there to care for you in a very complete and immersive as possible way.

On another channel, the host (again, a young, beautiful female), tells you that you are about to receive a host of complimentary deluxe services from the "spa" where she is working. She asks you to choose which candles and tea YOU want, all the while complimenting YOUR choices, then tells you that she has no other appointments for the day and so her sole focus is on YOU. She then proceeds to describe each of the services for YOU as she roleplays them in the video.

While I've only been to a spa once or twice in my life (and I'm a heterosexual female,) I can attest to the fact that the ladies in these particular videos are NOT doing anything inappropriate and aren't even dressed in a very enticing manner (though I realize that's a matter of personal opinion.) Everything they are doing imitates a real professional experience at a real professional business.

But for some reason, my spirit was incredibly agitated and screaming aloud by the end of these videos, and I had to spend a few days asking God why.

It's not at all because of the young women in the video -- I am very much attracted to men. But, I was thinking about two specific things:

* What IF the videos featured young, handsome men saying, "I'm here for YOU, I want to hear about YOUR day, I'm here to take care of YOU, and YOU are my sole focus," even if there was absolutely nothing sexual about it? How would women feel about this? (I'm sure such videos exist, but I know I'm sure not going to try looking for them.)

* How would it affect men to watch gorgeous young ladies on a screen saying to them, "You look like YOU'VE had a hard day. I want to hear all about it, and I'm here to help YOU unwind and feel as relaxed as possible"? I suppose this is part of what happens with porn? (I don't know much about the live porn world.) But even if this is only happening on supposedly casual emotional level, I would suspect that most viewers would be almost instantaneously hooked (because even if nothing sexual was happening onscreen, it can always be carried out in the mind.)

For my own personal definition, I see "pornography" as being anything, whether sexual or nonsexual, that creates a bond or attraction that causes anyone (male or female) to have expectations, thoughts, and distorted thinking about human relationships that God never intended us to have.

* Even though these videos are non-sexual, I for one can see how they would be emotional kryptonite for a good number of people, even if it was someone who wasn't interested in or hooked on sexual porn. And even if you weren't into this, how would you feel about your boyfriend/girlfriend or husband/wife watching videos like this on a regular basis? And they very well could have a "valid" excuse, saying that they were using these videos every night to help them sleep. After all, the girls aren't dressed seductively and nothing sexual is going on. Technically, it's "all innocent entertainment."

But is it really?

Personally, I think it would be very easy to become much too attached to creators, videos, and channels like this, to the point where we are thinking things like, "I wish I could find someone like that!!! I want someone who makes me feel that way all the time!" and it causes us to have standards so high that no one could ever meet them.

I think God also made me aware of the second part of what was bothering me so much -- the entire video is one-sided, and I understand that was the point. But I think God convicted me in that there is something very dangerous about these types of fantasies because the focus becomes all about self, with is no opportunity to serve someone else (let alone unconditionally.)

I also found it intriguing that the girl who liked to fancy herself as a high-end spa specialist, ready to cater to your every whim, wrote in her description, "I do not take requests. I'm here to do what I want. I'm not gonna be your best friend. I'm not gonna do something just because you really really want me to. The more loudly you ask for something from me, the more likely you are to (tick) me off."

This was incredibly ironic, as she has several videos in which the VERY THING she does is to set up THAT EXACT scenario (for instance, on a picnic,) in which she talks to you as if she is exactly that ("I can see you're under a lot of pressure. Want to talk about it? I'm totally here for you.") She even has a video entitled, "You + Me Forever."

Clearly, and in the most ironic twist, in almost all of her roleplays, she says, "I'm here to cater to YOU," but the real truth is, everything about her offering to pamper and take care of you -- is really about herself. It's not true service -- it's just about what she gets out of making such videos and the reactions they receive.

One of the most unnerving things I came to in conclusion for myself is that even if you manage to try to avoid one briar patch (physical porn,) an even larger twist of thorns is always waiting for us just around the corner (emotional porn,) and sometimes it's even more shiny and deceitful than the first.

* What are your thoughts? Would you see this type of "entertainment" as emotional porn, or just harmless entertainment? How would you feel if your significant other was watching this on a regular basis?

How can any of us find "love" when an entire generation is being raised thinking that "love" consists of fluffy, confectionery salutations that are emitted by a digital image of a person on a screen blowing us kisses and telling us, "I'm always here for you!" but what they're really thinking is, "As long as it benefits ME"?

I would love to know your thoughts.

Thanks so much for your time, and have a blessed day! :)
ASMR is just like the old self-help audio tapes for stress and relaxation where the author or speaker talks to you in a soothing, calming tone while guiding you through relaxation techniques and stuff. So ASMR isn't really new, it's just being presented in more creative ways.

 

seoulsearch

OutWrite Trouble
May 23, 2009
14,940
4,581
113
#11
ASMR is just like the old self-help audio tapes for stress and relaxation where the author or speaker talks to you in a soothing, calming tone while guiding you through relaxation techniques and stuff. So ASMR isn't really new, it's just being presented in more creative ways.


Exactly.

Now days, instead of listening to bland-looking tapes (and I'm smiling because I wonder how many of our younger friends here will be wondering what those things are,) it's a beautiful young person on a screen interactively saying they want to help you reach your deepest state of relaxation, all the while emphasizing that they are there to take care of you.

I find it to be yet another fascinating, albeit sobering, study in how technology is always walking the tightrope between the beneficial and the nefarious.
 

Lynx

Folksy yet erudite
Aug 13, 2014
24,799
8,103
113
#12
ASMR is just like the old self-help audio tapes for stress and relaxation where the author or speaker talks to you in a soothing, calming tone while guiding you through relaxation techniques and stuff. So ASMR isn't really new, it's just being presented in more creative ways.

Hmm... ostensibly the same, or at least ostensibly going for the same end goal - to help the viewer fall asleep - but the youtube videos in question have a whole other layer or three.
 

Lynx

Folksy yet erudite
Aug 13, 2014
24,799
8,103
113
#13
Also, holy cow were those cassette collections ever bulky! I had forgotten what a chore they were.
 

JustEli

Well-known member
Dec 23, 2018
1,374
983
113
49
#14
A form of meditation? Whereas one gives up control? If you are not giving control to the Lord
then whom are you relinquishing to? There being but two powers in existence.
 

Lynx

Folksy yet erudite
Aug 13, 2014
24,799
8,103
113
#15
JustEli: Huh? Who said anything about giving up control or meditation?
 

JustEli

Well-known member
Dec 23, 2018
1,374
983
113
49
#16
Guess Im speakin bout the third layer and beyond.
 

PennEd

Senior Member
Apr 22, 2013
12,821
8,596
113
#17
Hi Everyone,

First of all, I must make a disclaimer. I almost always type on a laptop, so I forget how long these posts will be on an actual phone screen. My apologies in advance that nearly all of my posts are rather long (and more like a college term paper,) which might result automatically skipping over them, which I totally understand. :) But for anyone who might be interested...

I've been thinking a lot lately about how a virtually all-digital communication system affects our mental, emotional, and spiritual health. For example, just about every YouTube "influencer" ends their video with, "I love you guys SSSSOOO MUCH!!!" along with a flurry of air kisses floating into the camera. Back in "my day," it was rare to see someone on a screen "break the 4th wall" -- talk directly to the audience as a participating member -- and most people either found this annoying (because it disrupted the fantasy of the mental story) or delightful (because it made them feel as if they were now part of the story.)

Now days, we have an entire entertainment platform BUILT around treating the audience as an active (and sometimes only) participant. But what will that do to our interactions and expectations of others around us?

As a frequent victim of the YouTube rabbit hole, I started out looking for videos promoting relaxation and better sleep and quickly found ASMR. According to Google, ASMR stands for "autonomous sensory meridian response -- a subjective low-grade euphoria characterized by a combination of positive feelings and a distinct static-like tingling sensation on the skin." Just to clarify, all of the ASMR videos I've seen are NOT sexual at all (though I'm sure they're out there if you look,) but rather concentrate on creating a feeling of total relaxation through whispering, soft music, and soft noises (such as scratching, the gentle rustling of opening wrappers or shaking rice in a bowl, etc.)

Some ASMR creators take the experience even further, creating "role plays" in which they are pretending to be an esthetician at a high-end spa or medical clinic, and they invite you to make yourself at home as they offer to provide spa-like services such as facials, massage, and even basic care. For instance, one ASMR role-play is of a beautiful young Australian woman with girlish dimples and bright blue eyes saying, "You fell down! Let me take care of you!" She then proceeds, in a calm, whispering manner, to descriptively check out your injury and apply antibiotic creams and bandages, while administrating detailed, compassionate care. NOTHING about the video is sexual AT ALL. But, it is very much about someone acting as if they are there to care for you in a very complete and immersive as possible way.

On another channel, the host (again, a young, beautiful female), tells you that you are about to receive a host of complimentary deluxe services from the "spa" where she is working. She asks you to choose which candles and tea YOU want, all the while complimenting YOUR choices, then tells you that she has no other appointments for the day and so her sole focus is on YOU. She then proceeds to describe each of the services for YOU as she roleplays them in the video.

While I've only been to a spa once or twice in my life (and I'm a heterosexual female,) I can attest to the fact that the ladies in these particular videos are NOT doing anything inappropriate and aren't even dressed in a very enticing manner (though I realize that's a matter of personal opinion.) Everything they are doing imitates a real professional experience at a real professional business.

But for some reason, my spirit was incredibly agitated and screaming aloud by the end of these videos, and I had to spend a few days asking God why.

It's not at all because of the young women in the video -- I am very much attracted to men. But, I was thinking about two specific things:

* What IF the videos featured young, handsome men saying, "I'm here for YOU, I want to hear about YOUR day, I'm here to take care of YOU, and YOU are my sole focus," even if there was absolutely nothing sexual about it? How would women feel about this? (I'm sure such videos exist, but I know I'm sure not going to try looking for them.)

* How would it affect men to watch gorgeous young ladies on a screen saying to them, "You look like YOU'VE had a hard day. I want to hear all about it, and I'm here to help YOU unwind and feel as relaxed as possible"? I suppose this is part of what happens with porn? (I don't know much about the live porn world.) But even if this is only happening on supposedly casual emotional level, I would suspect that most viewers would be almost instantaneously hooked (because even if nothing sexual was happening onscreen, it can always be carried out in the mind.)

For my own personal definition, I see "pornography" as being anything, whether sexual or nonsexual, that creates a bond or attraction that causes anyone (male or female) to have expectations, thoughts, and distorted thinking about human relationships that God never intended us to have.

* Even though these videos are non-sexual, I for one can see how they would be emotional kryptonite for a good number of people, even if it was someone who wasn't interested in or hooked on sexual porn. And even if you weren't into this, how would you feel about your boyfriend/girlfriend or husband/wife watching videos like this on a regular basis? And they very well could have a "valid" excuse, saying that they were using these videos every night to help them sleep. After all, the girls aren't dressed seductively and nothing sexual is going on. Technically, it's "all innocent entertainment."

But is it really?

Personally, I think it would be very easy to become much too attached to creators, videos, and channels like this, to the point where we are thinking things like, "I wish I could find someone like that!!! I want someone who makes me feel that way all the time!" and it causes us to have standards so high that no one could ever meet them.

I think God also made me aware of the second part of what was bothering me so much -- the entire video is one-sided, and I understand that was the point. But I think God convicted me in that there is something very dangerous about these types of fantasies because the focus becomes all about self, with is no opportunity to serve someone else (let alone unconditionally.)

I also found it intriguing that the girl who liked to fancy herself as a high-end spa specialist, ready to cater to your every whim, wrote in her description, "I do not take requests. I'm here to do what I want. I'm not gonna be your best friend. I'm not gonna do something just because you really really want me to. The more loudly you ask for something from me, the more likely you are to (tick) me off."

This was incredibly ironic, as she has several videos in which the VERY THING she does is to set up THAT EXACT scenario (for instance, on a picnic,) in which she talks to you as if she is exactly that ("I can see you're under a lot of pressure. Want to talk about it? I'm totally here for you.") She even has a video entitled, "You + Me Forever."

Clearly, and in the most ironic twist, in almost all of her roleplays, she says, "I'm here to cater to YOU," but the real truth is, everything about her offering to pamper and take care of you -- is really about herself. It's not true service -- it's just about what she gets out of making such videos and the reactions they receive.

One of the most unnerving things I came to in conclusion for myself is that even if you manage to try to avoid one briar patch (physical porn,) an even larger twist of thorns is always waiting for us just around the corner (emotional porn,) and sometimes it's even more shiny and deceitful than the first.

* What are your thoughts? Would you see this type of "entertainment" as emotional porn, or just harmless entertainment? How would you feel if your significant other was watching this on a regular basis?

How can any of us find "love" when an entire generation is being raised thinking that "love" consists of fluffy, confectionery salutations that are emitted by a digital image of a person on a screen blowing us kisses and telling us, "I'm always here for you!" but what they're really thinking is, "As long as it benefits ME"?

I would love to know your thoughts.

Thanks so much for your time, and have a blessed day! :)
Not good. Even harmful.
 

seoulsearch

OutWrite Trouble
May 23, 2009
14,940
4,581
113
#18
Hmm... ostensibly the same, or at least ostensibly going for the same end goal - to help the viewer fall asleep - but the youtube videos in question have a whole other layer or three.
One of the things I prayed about before posting this thread is that I know some people have probably never even heard of ASMR, and would immediately go check it out as a result of reading about it.

I told God that it was my sincere prayer that nothing about this thread (or any other threads I write) would cause someone else to sin, or, worst of all, become addicted to a genre that they would have otherwise not known about. Although I have a habit of talking about topics that aren't talked about as much, I won't post a thread if I think it's going to be a starting point for someone else's fall.

It's a funny thing. I was bouncing some ideas off a few CC friends before I wrote this, and we were talking about how different things affect different people in different ways, and then comparing a few things that might or might not act as triggers. For example, most ASMR videos bore me to tears, and I find the noises to be annoying, not soothing. The whispering aggravates me because if someone is talking, I actually want to be able to hear what they're saying. One person acutely observed that, "One person's thorn might be a tasteless Saltine to someone else."

When I stumbled across the roleplaying ASMR's, it wasn't a trigger for me per se. I was thinking more about the psychology of the person behind it. What kind of person creates videos that are all about, "I'm here to pamper you," but in her personal info, basically says, "Phooey on you. This is my party and I play by my own rules, so play along, or get out."

For me, the trigger is wondering what the motive is behind this. Was there some kind of abuse in her background that gives her some kind of driving need to feel that she's receiving perfect praise for doting on someone, while at the same time, admitting that she generally doesn't like people, and that these videos are one of the few times she "doesn't feel like killing everyone around her"? (I found this info after digging into a few of her other videos.)

However, I was also thinking that if it was an attractive MALE who was producing this content, I would become emotionally triggered fairly quickly. My first boyfriend was an EMT and volunteer firefighter, and part of what attracted me to him was his caring nature. When we were snowmobiling one night and hit a wire fence that had blended in with the dark of night, his first concern wasn't to check the snowmobile, or even to check himself. Instead, the very first thing he did was run over to me and start checking my hands and arms (that had taken the brunt of the force) to make sure I didn't have any broken bones or injuries.

Consequently... a caring male face on a screen asking if I was ok and telling me he was there to look after me and that his sole focus was me and not a thousand other women would be dangerously fragrant catnip for the scars on my sometimes-still-fragile heart.

But that's just me.

As was said earlier in this post, the thorn in my side might be a colorless, flavorless bland cracker to someone else.

Along with not causing anyone else to stumble, it is also my sincere prayer that this thread also doesn't produce any ideas that would cause us to be deceitful with others.
 

Subhumanoidal

Well-known member
Sep 17, 2018
3,645
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#19
I've seen such videos and found them so cringe worthy I couldn't last long.
And the "whispering" is horrendous. Because they can't whisper the same way one would sitting next to you. They have to crank up their mic sensitivity to be heard, filling their audio with white noise. And the whisper is so loud and forced and often with voice cracks that it does more to agitate than calm.

And I couldn't help but look at the ones that do "massages" and such and shake my head in disbelief at just how stupid they look.

It astounds me that these people get millions of subscribers. And the noise only ones it's even more amazing. Some big lipped bimbo scratching her nails across a sequined purse? What a horrible sound. 🤯

Umm... yeah. I'm not a fan...
 

Lanolin

Well-known member
Dec 15, 2018
23,460
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#20
sorry no idea what it is never heard of it till now

I think you tube (and tv screens, video games etc) in general acts a bit like a warped mirror. You only see what you think you want to see if you are curious about it but it will always give you a distorted view. It also is a has a bit if a hypnotic effect on people. Before you know it, you have wasted hours of your life doing nothing but staring and listening at a screen of someone elses life.

Thats not to say that books cannot act in the same way but for some reason you always have a sense of control in reading a book. You can always put it down and stop reading if you want to. You can read several different books at the same time. You can dip in and out. Therss no in your face advertising in books, unless you are reading a magazine perhaps. You can think ABOUT what you are reading, and go at your own pace but often when watching something you dont really think about what you are watching as in the process of watching something your mind doesnt process things in the same way as its all coming at you at once.

just some thoughts. I dont know if 'emotional' porn means you just like seeing people emotionally naked like it gives you a thrill to see someone cry or whatever. I think if something touches your heart it has somehow reached you.

but theres always been new ages guru and people in marketing who want to make a buck about saying its all about YOU (as long as you are paying the big bucks to hear it) I mean prostitutes are in the business of making their clients feel good arent they. as long as they get paid.


as for love, well lots of people are miseducated about what love is. Love isnt about ourselves feeling good necessarily. Jesus died on the cross for us because he loved us. He didnt give us money and tell us how good we were and then ask for payment. Ok yes, he massaged and washed his disciples feet but not because they necesarily wanted it lol. Their feet was dirty.