Thanks, "it depends and it's different for everyone" was the answer I was expecting, but I wasn't sure if there was something else to it that resulted in such a large population of ASMR videos springing up so quickly. I'd think if it were 100% varied, they'd all be super niche, but the fact that they're all labeled similarly and part of an overarching "ASMR" movement made me think there was some common thread that made them "work" for everyone.

I'm watching/listening to the video you linked and the metal clinking sounds (and the lady's voice/accent) are nice and pleasant, but they're not "doing" anything for me worth a 30 minute video quite yet -- will keep watching with an open mind and put some more effort into finding what's right for me. :)

One thing I'll mention is that if you don't already know what ASMR feels like, you probably don't get it at all.

I doubt anyone's first ASMR experience will be through an ASMR video. It's more like something you've experienced on and off since childhood, at the store, the library, the barber shop, the doctor's office, etc.

And when the ASMR videos started getting popular, everyone who experiences ASMR heard about them and thought to themselves "So that's what that sensation is called! I thought I was the only one!"

So don't treat it like a spiritual journey where you'll find some lost part of yourself. It's really just a tool for relaxation, and if you "get the tingles" that's just a plus.