 <p class="lead" id="first">Fans of ASMR videos are more likely to be sensitive to their surroundings and feelings, University of Essex research has revealed.</p><p>ASMR, which stands for Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response, has swept the internet with millions watching viral clips of whispered voices, delicate hand movements or tapping.</p><p>Mysteriously only some people feel this relaxing tingling sensation that spreads down the spine.</p><p>Dr Giulia Poerio, from the Department of Psychology, has discovered those who feel it are hypersensitive to the world around them.</p><p>The research published in The Journal of Research in Personality uncovered that they are more bothered by noise and movement and are easily overstimulated.</p><p>They are also more attuned to their bodily sensations such as noticing physical changes when experiencing emotions.</p><p>Dr Poerio said: "It really is a double-edged sword.</p><p>"Highly sensitive people may be able to experience intensely pleasurable feelings like ASMR but this high sensitivity also has downsides.</p><p>"For example, the noise of a pen clicking or someone chewing gum could set off a negative reaction, which others would simply ignore."</p><p>More than 500 participants were recruited for the study and assessed for ASMR experience and measured for sensory sensitivity.</p><p>Dr Poerio now hopes to build on the findings with a view to explain how and why intensely positive emotions are experienced -which may lead to new therapeutic techniques.</p><p>"We know much less about positive emotions compared to negative ones, especially when considering complex emotional experiences like ASMR," added Dr Poerio</p><p>"I'm interested in trying to understand these under-researched emotions so that we might find ways of enhancing them in people's everyday lives."</p>