'Maria spends 20 minutes folding towels': Why millions are mesmerised by ASMR videos Rhodri Marsden Friday 20 July 2012 23:53 BST 0 Comments ...

Braingasms and Towel Folding - The ASMR Effect So is it possible that something so easy to trigger, which feels so great, really has no harmful side effects?

Origami was one of many ASMR styles, which include anything from whispering to drawing to tapping gently on household objects. The only obvious thing they have in common is that they are relaxing.

Can the sensations triggered by a whispering voice, the sound of gentle rain or vision of someone folding towels really reduce anxiety and even cure insomnia?

Maria – she asked that her last name be withheld for safety reasons; her videos have sometimes attracted unwanted attention – experiences ASMR, and her YouTube channel, GentleWhispering, melds ...