Science Says: Can a Super Bowl ad give you brain tingles?
A new Super Bowl commercial will expose a vast audience to an internet craze known as ASMR, or autonomous sensory meridian response.
The ad features oddly relaxing images of actress Zoe Kravitz whispering into a pair of microphones and softly tapping on a bottle.
Some people spend hours watching videos of hair brushing or paper crinkling because they say it makes their brains tingle. A few scientists are trying to study ASMR. About a dozen research studies have been published, and there is evidence that there might be something to it.
But so far, there's not enough to recommend it as a stand-alone treatment for depression, anxiety, insomnia—or any other medical problem—despite the claims of its many fans.
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