The year warms, and it is this time that the recommendations that the bedroom be kept cool appears to be more difficult to achieve. Unless you are fortunate, swinging the windows open is only likely to keep you awake due to the noises of traffic, passing individuals, even other people’s televisions or music playing apparatus. At this time I wish you as much sleep as it is feasible to get, and I hope that the Procrastination Pen can provide some small support towards that.
I have got into the habit of identifying a track from Calm that has been helpful to me this week. As usual, I have found one of the Calm dailies to be infinitely more listenable than the tracks dedicated to sleep. I have been listening to Jeff Warren, but this week I have switched allegiance to Tamara Levitt. It is quite restful, and if you do not take to it there is the advantage that it is quite brief.
I have been spending a brief period in each blog post reviewing a professional ASMR artist. So far, it has been remarkable how many of the “failings” of inadvertent ASMR videos are often shared by professional ASMR videos.
Today’s video is this one:
ASMR Naturopathy consultation (Unintentional, real person ASMR)
Which is a whopping one and a quarter hours in length. Comments are permitted and what a mixed bag they truly are. I have often commented that I think allowing comments is a fundamentally brave decision. But at least if there are three hundred and ninety-four of them a lot of people are fascinated by your video.
The channel is ASMR Beauty it has 131K subscribers and three hundred and eighty five videos and of course ASMR Beauty appears on the ASMR index.
There are notes, and it is refreshing to find a video not touting some sponsor or other.
“758,329 views 9 Oct 2022 #asmrmedicalexam #asmrmedical #asmr
This week’s ASMR video is a naturopathy consultation 🥰 Yvonne was so helpful and really shone a light on just how unbalanced my diet has been lately… this session has really inspired me to take better care of myself and check what I am eating, and I am so grateful that I was able to film it for you all for both educational and relaxation purposes! ✨
As always, this video is not sponsored. I am uploading it with the hope that it helps people relax after a hard day’s work or school. ✨
If you’d like to support my work, please consider donating to my Ko-fi! (https://ko-fi.com/asmrbeauty) Any amount is much appreciated! ❤️
‼️All of my content is footage of real sessions and experiences I have had in London or in other parts of the UK. I upload these sessions with the intention to help people destress, relax and learn‼️”
The video starts loud. In fact, it sounds convincingly like a real medical examination video, complete with excessively intrusive air conditioning. The pace is lovingly slow but the voice, at least to start with, is not your classically amazing ASMR voice. Refreshing is the complete absence of whispering, which makes it more believable, if anything. That said, I have found inadvertent ASMR videos which are more restful from my perspective, than this one.
The question-and-answer session is not something that I commonly cover. I may look-into that in future for my inadvertent ASMR videos, although I doubt counselling sessions, for example, are available on YouTube (I’ll verify that in my video related research, just in case).
What strikes me is how well-spoken the participants are in this video and not something I always encounter. At intervals I did find that it seemed to be going on for a while which wasn’t a great sign. However, if you’re tired and need to sleep perhaps it is just what you need. To be honest, for me, it could have been half the length.
Moving on to the inadvertent ASMR, which is the whole point of this blog (or it has been to date).
Today’s video is this one:
L spine overview.wmv
This features Mr Mushtaque A Ishaque and straight away we realise that the video is not commencing with music – heaven be praised. Mr Ishaque has a great voice. Although the video is filmed in a presentation style his voice is not excessively loud. This is a talent which a number of other people could profit from. He has a measured approach and is a joy to listen to. The video is a little over fifteen and a quarter minutes and surprisingly for a professional video has no notes. Comments are permitted and even more surprisingly these are both positive and lack any off-the-wall comments.
The channel is EdwardTDavis and the whole channel has only fifteen videos. This is still too many for one blog post
Regular readers will be familiar with the channel because it has been covered before.
I think that this time we will filter by including only those videos that are dedicated to examination of the spine. There are four of these and that seems a suitable number to cover in one post. Of course, the above has been reviewed, so we have only three remaining:
The next one therefore is this one:
L spine run through.wmv
This is slightly less than four minutes in length, so it is unlikely to be around long enough to be boring. There are no notes. There is one single abusive comment (I always say that permitting comments on a YouTube video is akin to an invitation to duck).
The video is of the same standard as the previous one and the voice is equally as good. It is nicely paced and never excessively loud. It is not peppered with annoying music or excessive background noise. If it had been quite a bit longer, it would be just the kind of video that I look for in terms of ASMR videos.
The next one in the spine series on this channel is this one:
C spine run through.wmv
This one is a little less than three and a quarter minutes, like the last one it’s somewhat on the short side. There are no notes, the comments at least seem relevant, if not helpful, to an ASMR-orientated audience.
Again, there is no music. The voice continues to be excellent. Air conditioning noises are so muted as to be easy to disregard. Shame this wasn’t forty one minutes in length, it would be a great one to drift off to. As it is, I think all the videos this week are going into The Procrastination Pen playlist.
Sadly, a playlist of short-length videos, as seasoned readers will be aware by now, is simply an invitation for YouTube to slot in unsuitable adverts in between. For which I apologise. Those so disposed can now subscribe to YouTube and pay for an Ad-Free experience. I have not tried this myself and so I cannot comment if it ultimately works out as a good deal.
The next (and last) video on the subject of the spine, on this channel, is this one:
C spine overview.wmv
This is a little more substantive at thirteen minutes in length. Again, it has no notes. Comments are permitted; there is one bland comment which just possibly could have been left by an ASMR fan.
The participants have been the same throughout and the quality of each of them has been good. I am trialling all of them in the Procrastination Pen playlist and I hope that you agree they are all worthy of that (feedback is always welcome).
The Edward Davis playlist on the Procrastination Pen is here:
The overall playlist of videos covered so far on the Procrastination Pen is here:
The videos weeded out because over time they are just not as good as the others is in this archive list:
I keep this in case subscribers to the Procrastination Pen have personal favourites that they want to hear.
The playlist of videos requiring age verification is here:
I can’t be bothered to stop my listening to log on, this interrupts the experience. You may not mind this in which case this list is for you.
I hope that you find the playlists restful and I hope you get plenty of sleep.
If you liked this blog article why not follow this blog.
I am noticing on YouTube, a number of channels dedicated to the collecting of inadvertent ASMR videos and, sometimes the creation of playlists of such videos, which in many ways replicates the work that I am doing.
There are also blogs out there producing some quality work in this area, so it is feasible that any ASMR-related output has been accomplished even more professionally elsewhere. If you do have a favourite outlet for ASMR material pass it along and I will feature it. I may even listen to it personally.
For the moment I am carrying on doing what I have done for over a year now, reviewing videos, generating playlists, occasionally editing the playlists when I don’t feel that they are fit for purpose. If you happen across this blog in your search for better ASMR material, by all means, give me some feedback and I’ll try to incorporate any relevant suggestions.
Of late, I have been listening to Calm because I have a subscription and, for me, that subscription gives some value, in that without it, I doubt I would be maintaining any kind of meditation discipline. Its value as a sleep aid I have found a bit variable. Indeed, I have found that the Calm daily meditations are more restful in many cases than the items dedicated to sleep. Not least that a number of the items dedicated to sleep incorporate music, which, personally, I do not find helpful in assisting me to get off to sleep. Your mileage may vary.
Today’s Calm item is just the same and, again, it is one of my favourite voices on there, Jeff Warren. Who, coincidentally, once in a while has something useful to say as well. Don’t take this as a recommendation to start splashing your cash. Heaven forfend. I am certain that with a bit of discipline there are other, free, options available.
However, if, for example, you already have a Calm subscription you may want to give the above a whirl.
For a few weeks now I have been giving a professional ASMR video a review. Today’s comes via a slightly esoteric route, in that I have been trying to learn Italian via Duolingo, without success, for way – way too long. It was for this reason that a video in Italian, by a non-Italian ASMR artist rather appealed.
The video is this one:
ITALY’S Old School Eye Exam is SO Relaxing | Real ASMR sounds
It is from LaLek ASMR a channel with three hundred and ten videos, 242K subscribers and whose output seems to incorporate an impressive number of massage videos. As expected, the channel also appears on the ASMR Index.
The video has notes, some of which are dedicated to self-promotion, so a precis of which are as follows:
“2,152,940 views 14 Feb 2025 #EyeExam #MedicalASMR #ASMR
Ciao a tutti! 🌿✨ Today, I’m taking you inside an old-school eye clinic in Italy for a real eye exam with a gentle, professional old-school eye doctor and vintage optometry tools. This classic vision test includes trial frames, Snellen Eye Test Chart, near and far vision testing, and vintage optometry equipments—all creating unintentional ASMR with soft-spoken moments, gentle tapping, and soothing sounds. 💆♂️👓
If you love medical ASMR, real eye exams, and the nostalgic charm of old-fashioned clinics, this video is for you!”
Comments are permitted and surprisingly, are positive and seem to lack the off-the-wall and damning. Perhaps such commentators take a little while to catch up.
The video is a little less than thirty minutes and it is surprising how effective hearing an ASMR video in another language actually is. However, there are quite loud equipment noises. It is also punctuated by ads sadly. There are various electric motor noises, beeps and clicks. None of these seem excessively loud. The summation by the eye specialist is a little louder and somewhat faster than the rest. It isn’t terrible but does not stand up well in comparison with the nicely quiet presentation that has gone just before.
Today we return to a channel that I did promise I would revisit after a moderately successful first review of it.
The channel is Farsight Channel and will be familiar to regular readers.
The video is this one:
Macleod’s examination of the sensory system of the upper limbs
A little less than five- and three-quarter minutes long. Omar and Amy as in the previous article, and by this time I am getting used to that artificial voice (maybe that is just me). A video of that voice would not be unpleasant for us I feel, even though there seems a slight discontinuity between the sound and the video.
Macleod’s examination of the cervical spine
Ben and Omar again. Omar’s responses are so abrupt and flat that it is laughable, definitely not Omar’s genuine voice (in fact, I doubt that Omar is even the “patient’s” name).
It is just over two minutes long and, in every respect, follows the findings indicated for the previous videos in this post.
Macleod’s examination of the ear
Omar with Amy, and I have decided that I like the artificial voice of Amy a lot more than the artificial voice of Ben. Shucks, am I admitting to liking a synthesized voice? Well not really, just that I think it is better than another computer-generated voice.
This one is less than one minute so there is barely time to take in what the participants are saying before it is all over. Again, the narrator is not as quiet as the participants.
Macleod’s examination of the upper limbs motor function
Ben and Omar, but this time a narrator who is different to the one we have had previously, not only that, but he has a markedly superior voice. Much preferred intonation and volume for our purposes.
Omar responds “no” in a completely flat tone which, if you have listened to the ones that went before in this post, you will be completely familiar with.
This is just less than six minutes, so a positive marathon in terms of some in this post but miniscule compared to some we have seen.
Macleod’s examination of lower limb motor function
This is just over five minutes long. Ben and Omar, same narrator as above and this narrator would have been great for all of the videos. Perhaps I will be entering into some judicious weeding of videos from the main Procrastination playlist into the archive list and including only those with this narrator. I’ll let them bed in and see if they are all deserving of long-term membership.
Macleod’s examination of the Hip joint
Just over six and a half minutes, Ben and Omar the participants again. These have all been very similar, which is remarkable in that there has been little to dislike about any of them. I sometimes resort to pointing out minor niggles to distinguish between them (like the narrator’s voice for example). Here we have the preferred narrator of the two featured in this blog post. Already then, we are on a good footing (given the narrator is talking for much of the video).
Definition, just because I thought a picture would be useful – lumbar spine
Macleod’s examination of the respiratory system
Amy with Omar and this time with my preferred narrator. So preferred participants (for this set anyway) and preferred narrator, so something of a jackpot. It is nearly thirteen minutes and so reasonably long for the posts we have been covering this time.
Definition Cricosternal distance distance between the cricoid cartilage and the suprasternal notch (labelled as Jugular notch below)
Macleod’s Examination of the cardiovascular system
Just over twelve- and three-quarter minutes, Amy with Omar, and the last of the videos in this particular post. The preferred narrator in fact a good video to go out on.
In a previous blog post I pointed out that there was a whole page of videos on the Internet that had no affiliation (that I could determine) to YouTube, and that therefore I was unable to embed in a WordPress page for viewing.
In addition, I felt that the videos could be better shown to you if I took them and uploaded them to YouTube on my channel. However, I am not a copyright expert, and in my amateur way rather thought some very well-paid people in threatening clothing might send me a formally-written letter if I tried it.
So I looked out for a contact email and found that the owner Dr Michael Koller had died. This is not only very sad but very regrettable in that I could not ask him if I could upload these videos to my channel on YouTube. I have approached Stritch via email, but each time I look at the website there seems to be another email to try and so to date I have not received permission (or a flat refusal) to use them.
The upshot is that the blog posts on this page tend to be a little dry as they are not dotted with friendly-looking embedded videos. However, given I habitually recommend that you go to YouTube to play the videos in my usual posts, and in this case, you simply have to go to the page to play the videos, there isn’t a great deal of difference.
I would feel that I wasn’t doing my part in telling you about the material that is out there if I simply limited myself to YouTube.
However, I don’t want to dwell too long on material that cannot be actively linked to (other than via URL) so although it will make this blog post a long one, I intend to cover off the remaining videos on that page in this blog post.
As part of this process, we satisfied ourselves that where there were complete and part videos under the same title. That the part videos were simply parts of that complete one. That is, you could get the material from all the part videos simply by watching the complete one. This will save time here; I can link the part videos for interest but cover only the complete videos. In addition, the included text files seem to only be of academic interest to those on the course for whom it was intended, so we have no need to review those.
15 Minute Screening Neuro Exam; Dr Michael Merchut
This starts quietly and thankfully devoid of startup music. The video is just over twelve minutes in length. Dr Merchut turns out to have a great ASMR voice, and had this been available on YouTube it would have been in the Procrastination Pen playlist. This is a loss to the list and to the ASMR community.
I’ll ignore the part videos as they have nothing extra to contribute. The complete video starts with startup music, which fortunately is neither too long nor too loud. Dr Merchut returns and gives a reasonably lengthy introductory speech. The entire video is a little over forty seven and a half minutes.
His voice is not quite so excellent in this one, but this is in comparison with the last one which was actually rather good.
Nancy again the “patient”. She featured in our previous blog post.
Again, I think if this video had been on YouTube, then it would have already been in the Procrastination Pen playlist.
Again, I’ll focus on the complete video only. In this case it features Dr Koller. We know that we are on safe ground with Dr Koller, in fact we have already added one of his videos to the Procrastination Pen playlist from YouTube.
This also begins with startup music but this time it is really going for it. The video quality is also on the abysmal side of poor. The sound has the normal background we would expect by now (air conditioning again).
The video is a little less than twenty-three and a half minutes. The initial presentation style is a little halting and, although this is the point of the video, it proves to be distracting.
Dr Koller is doing the narration which is great but somewhat intermittent (more narration by Dr Koller would be welcome as he has a good voice).
The music then kicks in again at breaks in the video. The sound has a metallic edge to it.
Although Dr Koller is as good as we are used to, the way the video is structured makes it more stimulating than anyone really needs when they are trying to get to sleep. Even if it were possible, I do not think that this one would be finding its way into the Procrastination Pen playlist.
This time just one video available, again with Dr Koller. This is just less than twenty-five and a quarter minutes and thank goodness there is no startup music. There is an ever-present air conditioning background drone though.
Dr Koller still has a good voice for our purposes. In this case though, I’m not certain the subject matter is that fascinating to anyone who isn’t in the medical profession. However fascinating is not that useful in getting off to sleep so this video might be a great fit.
Part way through we have loud clunks due to equipment noises (metal drawers being pushed in and out), just the kind of noise to stir someone from sleep as they were dozing off.
A great deal of thought has gone into the positioning of gowns and drapes in this video and apart from equipment noises, it is a good video for us. It’s a shame about the equipment as otherwise it would have been a great Procrastination Pen playlist candidate (well had it been on YouTube in any case).
Full Body Skin Exam; Estelle Kahn MS4 and Dr Anthony Peterson
In this case there is no “complete” video, so no choice other than to review each in turn.
Unfortunately, there is start up music and it is really dynamic stuff too. Estelle initially does not have a true ASMR voice, sometimes this happens when the person is presenting rather than examining someone however.
This introduction is a little over four minutes in length. If you are watching it is slightly distracting that Estelle seems to be reading a script which is slightly off camera.
I’m pretty sure that even had I the opportunity, this one would not be in the Procrastination Pen playlist.
It starts with door opening noises which are a little distracting. We see this in student assessment videos of course, soft-close not being a thing in medical establishments.
Dr Peterson has an excellent voice. He might be worth checking for elsewhere in case there is other material available. As expected, Estelle’s voice is much more muted during the examination. The examination is gentle and methodical and the whole video lasts only a little under nine and a quarter minutes. There are occasional equipment noises, equipment not having been designed to slide quietly in use apparently. All-in-all it is quite a good video. If it had been on YouTube this would be a strong Procrastination Pen playlist candidate.
Dr Peterson presenting and this is great as he has by far the better voice for us. There is no startup music – yay. There are occasional loud moments; watch the volume. Dr Peterson appears to be consulting notes at intervals, although if you’re just listening you will not notice that. The whole video is somewhat under three and a half minutes. This would’ve been a good Procrastination Pen playlist candidate (had it been on YouTube).
Reviewing the complete video again, the entire video is thirty-seven and a quarter minutes. It starts with some positively starship enterprise style music; very grand; very distracting. Straight away we seem to be in the soundscape of a public area, there is some kind of hubbub in play. Dr De Stefani is narrating this one. He does not have as good a voice as Dr Peterson sadly. There are telephone noises which Dr De Stefani has to talk over.
When the examination of the baby commences it quietens down a great deal. Of course with examination of a baby, the baby starts to complain about it. Not substantially so though. In fact, this was a good baby to choose as she appears to be so chilled under examination. After a while she does lose patience and lets us have it crying wise.
Background medical establishment noises continue; a repeating electronic beep sound at one stage, sounds of other babies at some distance who are a bit less chilled, muted conversations from adjacent rooms, distant equipment noises, an occasional telephone and of course the continuous accompaniment of air conditioning noises.
Although this is in part a great video, I think these distracting noises would discount it from the Procrastination Pen playlist.
Definition:
Foetal Alcohol Syndrome: effects that occur as a result of a mother drinking (alcohol) while pregnant.
Just the one video to look at a little over twelve minutes and it starts with startup music and there is a constant background hiss happening as if the entire thing was recorded on an LP and then poorly stored.
For some reason after a minute that hiss disappears entirely. Dr Sterling does not have a natural ASMR voice but by no means the worst that we have heard.
The delivery is measured and even and accompanied only by the hmm of air conditioning.
It’s sad about the start as otherwise this could have been a good video for us.
Looking at the complete video then, it is just under twenty five and three quarter minutes. Dr Lento has an impressive voice, impressive in its volume I mean. After the start-up music it is quite surprising to find the voice of the presenter louder than the music.
The “patient” is Sal – or that is what it sounds like. The volume also exposes the metallic sound to the audio track which we encountered with a previous video in this blog article.
This video really isn’t a suitable one for our purposes.
Only one video to review, eleven and three quarter minutes and again with the startup music. The videos are now starting to fall into a theme. Dr Bill Hopkinson who immediately has a better voice for us. He is quieter, more measured in expressing himself but he does attempt to compensate for that with the loudest washing of his hands I have encountered thus far.
We encounter Sal again as the “patient” – they obviously had him around and so were going to make good use of him. This one seems to have less background noise, certainly less hiss than encountered in previously videos in this article.
The actual video quality is no better though, not that I suspect you would be watching in any case.
PCM2 Musculoskeletal Provocative Exam; Dr Neeru Jayanthi
In this case there is no “complete” video so there is no choice other than to review each video in turn.
Less than three quarters of a minute so do not blink. Dr Neeru Jayanthi who on the basis of this amazingly brief video has a good voice for our purposes. Eric is the “patient” here. There was still time to sneak in introductory music (boo), although the background noise for some reason is a great deal more muted in this one, probably not enough here for me to consider it for the procrastination pen playlist.
Just a bit more than three and a quarter minutes – none of these are winning any length contests. This would be a good candidate for the Procrastination Pen playlist if it ever appeared on YouTube (hint Stritch hint).
Just less than one- and three-quarter minutes probably not long enough for any playlist, in fact the way these are going it would be better to combine them into one long playlist – which I sense is probably how it was filmed in the first place and then they were divided up for (presumably) educational purposes.
Just over one- and three-quarter minutes, again no extraneous noises and a good presentation. A good combination of these videos would make one good one for the Procrastination Pen playlist – assuming anyone uploaded it to YouTube.
The overall playlist of videos covered so far on the Procrastination Pen is here:
The videos weeded out because over time they are just not as good as the others is in this archive list:
I keep this in case subscribers to the Procrastination Pen have personal favourites that they want to hear.
The playlist of videos requiring age verification is here:
I can’t be bothered to stop my listening to log on, this interrupts the experience. You may not mind this in which case this list is for you.
I hope that you find the playlists restful and I hope you get plenty of sleep.
If you liked this blog article why not follow this blog.
The Procrastination Pen 