“ASMR is a deeply relaxing and comforting feeling, usually accompanied by tingling sensations in the head,” says Craig Richard, PhD, an ASMR researcher and founder of ASMR University. The”tingling” starts in the back of your neck, travels across your scalp, and moves downward, following the line of your spine, he says. Some people feel it in their shoulders, limbs, and lower back, too.

You can experience ASMR getting a haircut, being treated by a doctor, watching someone paint skillfully, hearing someone whisper, or listening to crinkling sounds — the triggers are endless and vary from person to person, he says.

ASMR can be felt even if you aren’t actively seeking it out; it’s why Bob Ross painting or hands rapidly cooking a dish can feel so relaxing to watch, for example. “If someone experiences ASMR while watching a video, then that person can refer to it as an ‘ASMR video’ for them,” Dr. Richard says. “Many videos are labeled as ASMR videos because they contain popular ASMR triggers, but not everyone has the same triggers.”

In addition to the visceral reaction, people say ASMR makes them feel happy, peaceful, relaxed, comfortable, sleepy, and even euphoric.

One study found that people experiencing ASMR use it to relieve chronic pain, although those findings were just self-reported. About 80% of ASMR fans watch the videos at night time to prepare to go to bed, according to the same survey. So how do you tap into this magical stress-reliever? Allow Dr. Richard to explain…

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It’s kind of unclear, because there hasn’t been a ton of research on ASMR. What we do know is that the feelings of calmness and relaxation are likely due to the release of endorphins, oxytocin, serotonin, and other neurotransmitters in the brain, Dr. Richard says. “In infancy, it’s a parent’s touch and voice that are most effective at comforting a stressed infant, and it’s likely that these pathways of being comforted are still important in those experiencing ASMR,” he says.

Most ASMR triggers involve someone caring for the viewer (like a role-playing “doctor” talking to a “patient” or even getting your hair blown out IRL), and Dr. Richard explains that ASMR may be using the same biological pathways important for being comforted and relaxed when we’re stressed.