Hear the Tap, Feel the Scratch: The Transgressive Intimacy of ASMR: 51 (European Connections: Studies in Comparative Literature, Intermediality and Aesthetics)

How do digital experiences shape intimacy? What role do sensory stimuli play in creating connections across virtual spaces? ASMR (Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response), a growing cultural and media phenomenon, invites us to reconsider the ways intimacy, care and relaxation are nurtured through immersive soundscapes and visuals.

This book situates ASMR within the landscape of contemporary affective culture, exploring how sounds, visuals and tactile elements build intimate and soothing connections in digital environments. Through a detailed analysis of ASMR videos, it reveals how posthuman perspectives and post-cinematic aesthetics blur the boundaries between human and non-human, reshaping our experience of media and creating new spaces for connection, care and emotional resonance. Ultimately, it uncovers how ASMR opens the door to new forms of transgressive intimacy, challenging traditional notions of closeness in today's world.

Joanna Łapińska, who holds a PhD in Cultural Studies, is a postdoctoral scholar who has taught at the University of Vienna and Paris Lodron University of Salzburg. She led a research project on ASMR funded by the Austrian Science Fund. Her academic interests include ASMR, posthumanism, affect theory and self-care. She has published widely in film and media studies.