Are ASMR parties the next big thing?

If you’ve ever been on TikTok or YouTube, then you know just how popular ASMR is. 

Since the mid-2010s, ASMR — or autonomous sensory meridian response, a warm tingling sensation often accompanied by feelings of calm and relaxation — videos have proliferated the internet, and gone from niche to mainstream. 

But until recently, and despite a few in-person spas that have started offering such services in the last few years, the trend has lived mainly online in video form and it’s largely been a solo experience. 

But Tinglesbar ASMR Spa & Collective — the world’s first dedicated ASMR spa — is changing that, per Wired. 

How it works

Launched in 2018, the Toronto-based business combines ASMR with in-person roleplaying in group settings, where handfuls of strangers can get lost in spine-tingling sounds and sensations for a couple of hours together. 

Some scenarios include:

• A “‘90s/2000s summertime birthday party” with face painting, games, and sound baths.
• An immersive classroom experience complete with lice inspections, arts and crafts, and throwback snacks. 
• A Harry Potter-themed one that promises to “un-petrify” you.

The group roleplay hangouts range from ~$20 to ~$50, and are guided by licensed professionals with backgrounds in wellness and performance art. (Solo sessions are also offered, starting at ~$100, and are customizable, with roleplaying available for an extra ~$35.)

Why it works

To start, we live in an age of anxiety, and ASMR offers a little reprieve from life’s stresses. 

• Not everyone experiences ASMR, but for those who do, it can be deeply soothing. A 2018 study found that when people who experience ASMR watch ASMR videos, their heart rates slow and their positive emotions increase significantly. 

While the roleplay isn’t necessary to experience ASMR, founder Tammy Lung told Wired that the added comfort of a nostalgia-inducing scenario can “help break down people’s walls to make the most of the experiences.”

Plus, immersive and multisensory wellness experiences are in high demand. 

• Other businesses banking on the formula include Miami’s Scratcher Girls, where pros with well-manicured nails offer a massage-like back-scratching experience with elements of ASMR, and “art bathhouses” like Submersive.

And although tech has made our societies more antisocial, people are touch-starved and still crave connection. Quietly enjoying a gentle head scratch beside other strangers, even in the form of a lice check, is one way to satisfy that itch.