My Top Five Favorite Intentional ASMR Videos of all Time: #4

In a list of favorite ASMR videos, it is almost an unwritten rule that Maria aka GentleWhispering be on it.  For many (including myself) Maria was everyone's "ah ha!" moment in discovering the name of our tingles.  It's like "The Neverending Story" when the empress pleads "Call my name!"---Maria says the name, and a whole new world is opened up to enjoy.

Maria (like all on my list) has a remarkable understanding of ASMR.  She caters to tingle sensations:  every gesture is calculated---but has an ease to it---so it looks soft, elegant, and concentrated.  She has been blessed with a voice that is delicate, and an accent that is heart melting.  She is the perfect storm for ASMR.

So how does one choose the perfect Maria video?  When she posts a video, there's no question it's going to be good.  She could be muttering to herself in a corner, and I'd still be drooling with my eyes half shut, with tingles like butterfly wings flying furiously around my spine.  God gosh look what I just wrote there.  I hope that makes sense to someone haha.  The point is that she has an astounding amount of great videos to choose from.  I think that's part of her charm---she is consistent in her ability to deliver the good stuff.

Yet there is one video that I hold in a higher esteem above all her others.  It's not her longest.  It's not her most popular.  It doesn't have a lot of props.  It's not filmed using her fantastical binaural microphone.  At first glance there is nothing that would make this video beat out all her others...but for me it does.

The video is a soft spoken reading of a bed time story about animals hitting the hay.  HA.  See what I did there?  Oh come on, that was funny!  You can find the video here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTNK1cokqeE&list=PL74923993ECEDB74B&index=25&feature=plpp_video

This video brings me back to my childhood, when I used to curl up in bed next to my mom while she'd read me a story.  My mother read to me every night for years.  We have three bookshelves filled with the stories from my childhood, ranging from "Bread and Honey" to "Watership Down."  Seriously.  My mom read all kinds of books to me, and it's because of her that I have a love of literature, metaphors, and words in general.  ANYWAY, Maria creates the atmosphere that the viewer is tucked in (complete with feet all wrapped up in blankets), next to someone who cares for them.  And this is just the setting.  There's more that makes this video #4.

Maria's a smart cookie.  She knows what's she's doing, and she selected a book that sounds perfect when touched.  She uses slow hand movements and a light touch to follow the words on the pages, points out the illustrations, and also makes sure to caress the furry swatch on each page.  She creates different sounds using the same medium.  The authenticity of the video is enhanced by her hand movements because they emulate those a sleepy mother would make while reading to a sleepy child.

Additionally the book choice is perfect because of its simplicity.  From the first pages, you can gather that the book follows the pattern of an animal playing during the day, and falling asleep at night.  No one is going to be biting their nails for the epic conclusion of this piece---it's safe to fall asleep.  

Of course I have to mention her voice.  The way she reads the story feels so genuine.  She sounds concerned with the viewer's comfort.  She sounds like she's trying to lull the viewer to sleep.  She seamlessly varies her soft spoken and whisper voices, and uses both frequently, without sounding artificial.  Her accent also creates the most pleasant sounds when she pronounces words ending with the letters "s, t, d, y, l..." pretty much all the letters haha.

The mixture of comforting nostalgia  caressing secondary sounds, and the voice of a Russian angel make this video my #4 favorite intentional ASMR video of all time.

My top 5 Favorite Intentional ASMR Videos of All Time: #5

I have watched ASMR videos on Youtube for over two years now.  I have hundreds (possibly thousands) of videos I adore and turn to for sleep.  I respect and admire people that put themselves out there and make videos for something so little understood.  Aside from trolls (who I personally don't mind---if you've ever played Xbox Live, you know internet trolls are pieces of cake haha), there are lots of different personalities to contend with, and it does take a certain amount of bravery to make videos.

Finding the perfect ASMR video isn't easy to do because our triggers fluctuate over time.  If we subject ourselves consistently to the same trigger, we "lose" the tingles from it for a time.  Personally, I need variation to keep my tingles going.  I go through lots of videos a night until I find the right one to put me to bed for the night.

That isn't to say I don't have ones I hold as especially remarkable.  I do have my tried and true favorites that I turn to when nothing else can put my mind at ease.  These are videos I have watched hundreds of times.  They are the ones I will always go back to because they are (IMHO) perfect ASMR videos.  The sounds are subtle.  The voices are soft.  The mannerisms are slow and gentle.  After careful consideration, I have chosen my top 5 (as of today...of course, with all the new videos created daily, this is subject to change---and if it does, I will be sure to update this).

Tonight I would like to present #5.  It was created by a lovely woman named Amandine.  You can find it here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vp4M726Hx6E&list=PL74923993ECEDB74B&index=103&feature=plpp_video

I do not understand a word spoken in it, but I don't need to know French to get the multitude of tingles down my spine from this work of art.  Amandine has one of the best soft spoken voices I have ever heard.  Her voice is textured but soft---in essence, her voice is a purr---and she speaks in almost a singsong way.  Her tones rise and fall as if she were speaking a melody (if that makes sense).  When I tried to explain how my ears received her voice (when corresponding to the wonderful woman), I kept falling on the words "velvet" and "silk."  Her voice is a soft caress (and I mean that in the least creepiest way possible).

That's not all that makes this video special.  Amandine's gesturing is practiced --she understands her viewers, and delivers slow methodical hand movements right from the start.  Her scratching isn't abrasive, and her tapping is gentle.  The objects she displays for her video are interesting without being distracting.

The first 50 times I watched this video (I'm not sure if I am exaggerating) I didn't get past the paint/ink (like I said, I don't speak French, so I'm guessing) mark.  I was asleep every time before she got through identifying the colors.  I still haven't been able to watch the video in its entirety without passing out.  The potency of the video, and the harmony of voice and movement are what make Amandine's video my reigning #5 favorite intentional ASMR video of all time.

Cat Attack During Filming of Shoe Store Roleplay

My cat loves shoes.  Seriously.  He loves to shove his head in them, so naturally he was upset when I took his shoe garden to use for my ASMR video.  He's a weirdo.  <3

Bonus Zombie Footage

Hey guys!  Here is a few extra minutes of zombie feather.  I thought the pop rocks were too loud in this clip, so be careful when listening with headphones.  Happy Halloween!

Zombie Makeover Role Play for Spine Tingling Relaxation

This was so fun. Thanks so much to MsMementoVivere and NRYoung14 on youtube for suggesting this to me...I hope I did you guys proud. I decided to tweak my voice a little and play around with the theme, because why not? It's close to Halloween, and I thought I'd get a little drama-bomb with it lol. I hope you guys enjoy it, may all your treats be tingles, and happy viewing! 

Can you guess what's coming?

Experimenting With Visual and Audio Triggers

You'll notice this video seems a bit disjointed---that's because I moved a lot of the clips around from their original spots. Since I was doing a few visual elements (finger painting, bubble blowing, and some other things I edited out until I can perfect them a little more), I wanted to space them out in case they didn't work for anyone.  I also played with the amount of pressure I tapped with.  Let me know if there's anything you especially love, and I will continue to include those elements in upcoming vids.  As always, sorry about the edits and background noise (until I get a new camera, this is what I have to work with), and I appreciate how kind everyone's been regardless of the flaws.  Happy viewing!

For those who need a quick fix:
0:00-7:17 Clock tapping
7:24-13:33 Wooden Instrument
13:34-18:15 Typewriter
18:32-23:17 Paintbrush
23:39-28:51 Watch
28:54-31:00 Plastic scissors
31:10-37:30 Pumpkin
37:35-44:28 BLOWING BUBBLES! SO FUN!
44:44-50:28 Indiana Jones rock
50:44-57:06 Wooden Dragon wall decoration
57:24-1:04:48 Xbox controller
1:04:49-1:25:27 Fingerpainting

Hello Kitties!

A few people had asked to see the diabolical duo that plague my video making, so here is a brief movie featuring them.

Comprehensive Physical Examination Role Play for Relaxation (ASMR)

Someone awesome lent me a tripod to make this, so I played around a bit with it.  Did it go as smoothly as I hoped?  No.  Was it better than a tower of cat food to balance my camera on?  Oh yes.  I hope it translates into tingles for you.  I used a different method of video processing (not sure if it will make a difference), and I tried experimenting with angles and sound distance as well, so let me know what you think (as far as it feeling more or less realistic and enjoyable).  As always, sorry about the white noise and copious amounts of editing, and happy viewing!


Here are the links to the videos I used as references to make this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5tK3Ikb7ug
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_-ALfUmmiA&feature=plcp

My next role play will be up in a few days---can you guess what it is?

Relaxing Sound Assortment

In this video, I cover a bunch of sounds and two requests I've gotten. I hope you all get super tingly. Happy viewing! 

For those whose tingles need a quick fix:

0:00-1:55 Talking and some nail tapping
1:57-5:00 Tapping and gilding nails over cans
5:04-12:05 Mirror tapping
12:25-15:49 Fun with matches
15:55-18:28 Tapping, sliding nails, and rubbing crystal ball
18:36-21:49 Abacus 
21:55-31:02 Chalk and chalk board
31:16-40:07 Jewelry and figurines
40:08-43:25 Mr. Peanut wooden pan thing
43:26-49:35 Wooden and plastic toy tapping, scratching, rubbing, and screwing/unscrewing noises
49:39-54:41 Balloon touching, bouncing, and marker writing
54:44-57:59 Frosted Glass tapping (melts my brain)
Requests:
58:05-1:08:41 Pouring liquid, washing makeup brushes, lather sounds
1:08:44-1:17:02 Rinsing brushes in sink
1:17:03-1:26:51 Brushing my hair and whispering.

Assorted Sleepy Sounds Video Coming soon

I'm currently working an Assorted Sleepy Sounds Video.  I hope to have that one up very soon.  Stay tuned.... :)

Relaxing Soft Spoken Potion Brewing Role Play

Pay no attention the the black wire that appears to be connected to my magic crystal ball...that's just one of my really long and thick stray hairs. Well I think this video was cursed. I had to nix the first attempt, and I don't feel much better about this one. I had numerous technical difficulties, the flow felt off, social interference, as well as a cloudy sky that rained on my parade (rimshot). I will revisit this theme again, but until I do, I hope I can elicit some tingles out of you for now. I really wish this had gone better, because I'm hoping more people will post videos like this---when I was little, I got so many tingles from scenes from "Death Becomes Her," and (more recently) from the potion scene in "Alice in Wonderland." Both have inspired this video, and I wish I had done them more justice---but the universe trolled me mercilessly. Le sigh. Anyway, I hope this works for you (if not, I apologize). 

Happy Viewing! 

Ps. Here are the links to the aforementioned film scenes that triggered me:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8EZ-aP8tDrc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOFYIqKH_4Y

What I Have to Work With

I have told you all about my diabolical kitties and their determination to take down my ASMR videos.  Here is an instance of that.  Warning:  not an ASMR vid, I'm speaking in my regular voice.