Sensory stimuli you just CAN'T stand

Post Reply New Topic

Oohhh. I hate LED lights. I also hate some wall textures too. What sucks is my bedroom wall texture is the worst one I have ever felt.

Popcorn. I would actually enjoy popcorn a lot more if it weren't for the hard kernels and kernel shells. Getting those stuck in my teeth has never been pleasant.

More than one person talking at once.

I find it interesting that almost everything everyone is writing down are things that would not have been issues had we lived a couple hundred years ago, or if we could somehow isolate ourselves in nature.

Exceptions that exist in nature make sense, though. Dogs barking are trying to bother you enough to go away so they don't have to attack. Babies crying are so sad and filled with emotion so you pay attention and help. Onions, no idea. Plant protection from being picked?

I think we would be afforded more space from some of these things in the distant past. However, barking dogs are just as effective for NT ears. Everyone knows their loud call means "stay back". I'm not sure there's additional need for it to also a painful experience. Crying (shrieking) babies produce a similar pain and they certainly shouldn't be emitting a "go away" sound.

Well, I guess I don't hate all ASMR, but most videos I've come across that are considered ASMR were too much for me to listen to.

Certain voices

Motorcycle

Another vote for LED lights, especially as headlights on cars, I'm blinded for a few seconds after one passes me. All my screens are permanently on the lowest brightness, and I use blue-light apps on my phone and tablet which reduce it even further.

Any liquid with 'bits' in it: Soup, fresh orange juice, etc.

Uncomfortable clothes, I'm always in pyjamas as soon as I get home.

Having dirty hands.

Although I have quite a few sensory issues, none of them are really EXTREME. So essentially I can usually "stand" it when I'm out in public, but I get more easily frustrated when I'm at home wanting to relax.

I'm not going to list the more common things, but I have two things that seems to be very uncommon (even in the autism community):

- Pruney fingers or just newly washed hands. I hate the dry feeling of the skin on the fingertips having been stripped of the natural oils. I can stand it, but I can't really use my hands properly until the skin is back to normal again. The worst is touching my own/others hands/fingers when they are pruney, that I can't stand.

- The feeling of small puffs of air on my skin, usually from when someone is close to me and I can feel their breath on my skin. It's a horrible feeling, I don't know why.

Ok, I wasn't supposed to list more things but I have to mention the sound I hate the most atm, which is my brother using his Xbox controller. UGH!! I get angry as soon as I hear it and have to walk away or wear earplugs if I have to be near him when he's playing. I also have issues with some foods, especially cooked vegetables. I love stews and some soups, but when there are big chunks of vegetables (nowadays I can eat larger chunks of cooked onion and bell pepper though) I will leave them on the plate like a kid.

Ohh that's annoying! I can have pieces stuck in my teeth for days. I still enjoy popcorn though.

Something weird I've noticed regarding ASMR is that some sounds that I would find annoying IRL, are actually one of my triggers in videos. For exmple; I can find it irritating to hear people whisper, especially close to my ear, IRL. However, I love it in videos (depends on the voice though). I would also probably be distracted and annoyed with people tapping things IRL, but I loooove it in videos. I HATE mouth sounds IRL and in most videos, but there are a few videos that I can actually get tingles from it (if it's not wet sounds).

It's a fine line though. Sometimes I could come across a sound in a video that makes me cry because I hate it. What I hate the most with a lot of ASMR videos, or rather ASMRtists, is when I can hear them breathing (even if you can barely hear it). I HATE the sound of beathing so much, especially nose breathing.

The benefit of ASMR though, is that you can turn it off immediately if something is upsetting you, which you can't do IRL

ASMR videos. Never heard of these before. ASMR is Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response. ASMR produces a feeling of well-being euphoria combined with a static-like tingling sensation in the scalp and down the back of the neck and upper spine. ASMR is often triggered by specific auditory or visual stimuli. For example:
* listening to a softly spoken or whispering voice
* listening to quiet, repetitive sounds resulting from someone engaging in a mundane task such as turning the pages of a book
* the sound of rain, fingers scratching or tapping a surface, the crushing of eggshells, the crinkling and crumpling of a flexible material such as paper, tearing paper or writing.
* watching somebody attentively execute a mundane task such as preparing food
* loudly chewing, crunching, slurping or biting foods, drinks, or gum
* listening to fingers scratching or tapping a surface
* hand movements, especially onto one's face
* receipt of tender personal attention, often comprising combined physical touch and vocal expression, such as when having their hair cut, nails painted, ears cleaned, or back massaged, whilst the service provider speaks quietly to the recipient.

This is rather interesting. So the very things many Aspies dread produces in the NT population the opposite reaction, a sense of well-being, a type of euphoria, a sense of relaxation.

I understand the dislike of florescent lighting because this is one of my sensory problems. But LED lighting didn't make any sense to me. But I am glad it was discussed here. Apparently LED lighting is just much, much brighter than normal lighting. The brilliance of the light can blind an individual. But maybe the problem that Aspies are reporting with LEDs is not limited to Aspies but the brilliance problem is also experienced by NTs. I have converted most of the lighting in my house to LEDs. I purchased a number of LED chandelier bulbs. They were extremely bright and provided great lighting for the room but they were impossible to look at. They blinded you. My wife who is an NT ordered me to remove them. They were just too painful. I also purchased a number of bright LED night-lights. I love them because at night when I walked in the pitch darkness, I was hitting my toes on things. These night-light LEDs solved that problem, but the rest of my NT family just hates them. They are too, too bright.

I'd be rather curious to know what correlations there are between ASMR and other neurological traits (just out of interest, not with any expectation of profound discoveries.) My impression is that, of the autistic folks here who've said they experience ASMR, there seem to be a high proportion who experience migraine, synaesthesia, or other "atypical" sensory processing. It's something I've experienced life-long, and I always considered it a run-of-the-mill sensory artefact; so I have to admit, I find the video fad rather bemusing, and none are as effective as the "natural" sensory stimuli that trigger mine. There's no overlap for me between ASMR triggers and the sensory stimuli that I have difficulty with, but it seems that this can be the case for some of us.

I saw an interview with Denis Istomin when he was at a restaurant in Australia. There were glasses clinking and plates being moved in the background. I loved how Denis kept his composure. That would have rattled my concentration. I wish I could have his composure in interviews.

Possibly, but it's also been suggested that people on the spectrum experience the ASMR sensation in greater frequency than NTs. I don't know the purpose (maybe just a control), but I saw a question related to ASMR on one of the online AS questionnaires as well.

I can relate to a lot mentioned here though I didn't list them. However, those who don't like strong fragrances probably wouldn't like my house. I love candles. I actually love ASMR (except eating sounds!) but I can get why many people don't like it. It helps me sleep.

As I was reading your comments, I thought of a few more sensory stimuli I like/dislike. Dislikes include:

Tight ponytails. (mostly a problem during my childhood)

The way my hands get soft after a shower, especially between my fingers.

The handheld head massager. The back of my head is super sensitive so a head messager feels like pure torture.

Likes include:

Freshly washed sheets and comforter on my bed. (who wouldn't love that?)

Swinging on a swing set.

Walking/pacing.