I’ve been struggling a little with time of late, and so my attention to reviewing has not been what it was. However, this week I have come across a reasonable Calm track. Although I have to caution people that it contains music, and as you know I do not find music as actually being that effective in pushing me off to sleep.
The track is this:
https://www.calm.com/app/player/7JQNaQVDM
Afternoon Nap
Refresh your mind & recharge your body with a special nap story. After a brief intro and soothing music, you’ll wake up to gentle birdsong.
NARRATOR
Erik Braa
AUTHOR
Calm
As I say, it is not for me. However, given it is dedicated to sleep I thought I should at least give you the chance to try it. However, be aware that most advice is that when you are sleep deprived, try to stick to your normal sleep routine rather than topping up with additional naps as this track would seem to suggest.
Personally, if I get an opportunity for sleep (and I can make use of it) I fill my boots. Who knows when the next such opportunity will present itself.
This week I came across a post which shows that I am certainly not alone in having problems getting off to sleep. I certainly hope that some of the people who are responding to the person posting got the opportunity to read the Procrastination Pen.
This week the professional ASMR artist is PollyTingle ASMR the channel has sixty two videos, seven playlists, 86.2K subscribers so not quite as popular as some we’ve heard of late. The video is this one:
ASMR Cranial Nerve Examination by a Neurologist 🌙 Quiet Voice / ASMR Cranial Nerve Examination
It is a little over twenty-four and a half minutes in length. Of course, it has notes (I’ve truncated them a bit) “1,773,407 views 7 Feb 2022 #asmr #asmrneurologist
This video features pleasant, relaxing music, a quiet voice, and a variety of neurological manipulations.
Unfortunately, I was ill while filming this video, so my voice is a bit sore and I have a slight fever (because of this, I cut out almost half the video 😰). But everything is fine now, and I plan to gradually return to the channel. The next video will be a continuation of the Hobbit book reading, and then I’d like to film some light but interesting trigger video (if you have any ideas, please write in the comments, I’d be very happy!)
Have a good rest, see you soon ❤”
The video is in Russian, and you need to turn off the English US option or you will have a lot of very loud interjections (presumably made by some automated process). The first “so” on the track made me jump off my chair, for example. These will really mess up any restful feelings that you might otherwise have had. Once I discovered that, I realised that the voice is actually very good.
I am not sure why the voice on the English US option is so loud but it really ruins the video in terms of ASMR. I notice that (rather uniquely for a professional ASMR artist), the comments are turned off. It is potentially possible there were any number of negative comments from English-speaking listeners that encountered this problem.
With the Russian speaking version, I have zero idea what is being said (I speak no Russian). However, it sounds very restful. There are, as expected, other noises; paper turning, brushing noises, clicking noises, rustling noises, liquid noises, writing noises. There is also a quiet musical back track (if this was an inadvertent ASMR video this would discount it from the Procrastination Pen playlist).
As you know I would prefer it was just the voice, which, assuming you only listen to the Russian version, is calming without straying into whispery. Quite a feat, given that most professional ASMR videos seem to very much focus on the whispery end of the spectrum.
The drive for the perfect playlist for ASMR sensations (or alternatively just to cause you to drift off to sleep) means that I am concerned that sometimes I have not been sufficiently critical of videos and that some “dead wood” still hangs around in the Procrastination Pen playlist.
I think that as the list continues to grow in size some of the older videos might get a severe pruning. I am thinking particularly of those with perky music at some point during the video, those with air conditioning noises or those which incorporate the odd clang or thud from the movement of medical equipment. Regular readers might be a bit surprised at the videos that get removed in this purge.
If you are not a regular reader, well hey, welcome. This is the Procrastination Pen which for over a year now has been reviewing medical videos (and occasionally videos on other subjects too) with a view to finding any that might produce ASMR effects. Sometimes we have a great day and sometimes it is more “challenging”.
Today I have a URL, and on that URL a whole gamut of videos on medical subjects. It’s odd for me to stray far from YouTube but given someone else has gone to all the effort of collating these videos into one place let’s give it a try at least.
The URL is this one:
It has thirty-two videos (discounting the introductory one) so this might be a very long day in review terms. I suspect if the history of reviewing videos is accurate, we will be fortunate to find one in all of those thirty-two that is of much value but I’m game if anyone else is.
The first video is this one:
Advanced Life Support / Code Blue – How to lead a cardiac arrest (ALS/ACLS simulation)
On the face of it, not the most inspiring ASMR title. Comments are permitted but there are not obviously any ASMR-related ones.
It is a professionally produced video and therefore as we have come to expect there are notes, which are these:
“368,741 views 3 Feb 2017 Most Popular
How to lead a cardiac arrest /code blue using the advanced cardiac life support (ALS/ACLS) algorithms. This 360-degree medical simulation video shows a well-led ALS scenario, unscripted and in real time.
Produced with Rewind VR studio and filmed in the Education Centre at University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
For further information visit ww.oxfordmedicaleducation.com or comment below.”
The video is just shy of eight minutes and it begins in a bit of a hurry, and it is quite loud. Thankfully no startup music but sadly for us that is really all there is going for it ASMR-wise. It has shouting, loud equipment noises and the kind of frenetic activity almost designed to maximise sleeplessness.
Further videos are as follows:
Cardiac Arrest and ALS (Code Blue) Simulation – Training Video with Questions
It is slightly less than seven minutes the notes are:
“168,813 views 8 Mar 2017
This interactive 360-degree training video demonstrates a cardiac arrest (code blue) as if the doctor is leading an arrest for the first time. The doctor will ask questions in the arrest. PAUSE THE VIDEO WHEN YOU SEE THE INFORMATION BAR APPEARING and try to answer them – there are a number of options each time.
Produced with Rewind VR studio and filmed in the Education Centre at University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
For further information visit ww.oxfordmedicaleducation.com or comment below.”
It starts without startup music again, which is great for us. However, it is frenetic and loud (just like the last one). This is not going to be suitable for us.
Cardiac Arrest Experience – Patient point of view in advanced life support / code blue
The notes are:
“182,696 views 8 Mar 2017
This 360-degree video is filmed from a patient’s point of view and demonstrates what happens if you have a cardiac arrest in hospital. You (the patient) would be unconscious throughout.
If you have been a patient or relative involved in cardiac arrest please comment below – we’d love to hear from you.
This is a well-led cardiac arrest and results in a successful outcome (return of spontaneous circulation). In practice most arrests are unfortunately not successful.
Produced with Rewind VR studio and filmed in the Education Centre at University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
For further information visit ww.oxfordmedicaleducation.com or comment below.”
Just less than seven and a quarter minutes, no startup music, however it is far too loud for us.
Cardiac Arrest (Code Blue) Advanced Life Support – Mental Health Training
The notes are: “51,203 views 8 Mar 2017
This 360-degree training video demonstrates how to manage a cardiac arrest (code blue) using an automated defibrillator. It was filmed as part of a series to train mental health staff how to manage medical emergencies in mental health facilities.
Produced with Rewind VR studio and filmed in the Education Centre at University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
For further information visit ww.oxfordmedicaleducation.com or comment below.”
Just over seven and a quarter minutes, there is no startup music but as before it is loud and frenetic and so not much use to us either.
Cardiac Arrest and Advanced Life Support (ALS) in 360 Degrees – TRAILER
For which the notes are: “35,322 views 12 Dec 2016 Most Popular
Trailer for our Cardiac Arrest and Advanced Life Support (ALS)/ Code Blue simulation videos. These are clips of three 360-degree medical simulation videos we’re producing at Oxford Medical Education to train doctors in running cardiac arrest situations.
Produced with Rewind VR studio and filmed in the Education Centre at University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
For further information visit ww.oxfordmedicaleducation.com or comment below.”
Only a little over one and a half minutes but it is excessively loud in any case.
Choking and Cardiac Arrest (Code Blue) Advanced Life Support
A little less than two- and three-quarter minutes the notes are: “38,966 views 12 Feb 2017
This 360-degree training video demonstrates how to manage a cardiac arrest (code blue) due to choking. It was filmed as part of a series to train mental health staff how to manage medical emergencies in mental health facilities.
Produced with Rewind VR studio and filmed in the Education Centre at University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
For further information visit ww.oxfordmedicaleducation.com or comment below.”
Again, it starts loud, it continues loud and so it is not useful for us.
Respiratory Examination – Clinical Skills
A little less than eleven minutes. The notes are: “376,646 views 27 Feb 2015 Clinical Examinations
This video – produced by students at Oxford University Medical School – demonstrates how to perform an examination of the respiratory system. It also indicates common pathologies encountered. It is part of a series of videos covering basic clinical examinations and is linked to Oxford Medical Education (www.oxfordmedicaleducation.com).”
The start is with an introduction, the person has a good voice for us and it is not excessively loud. The actual examination though is a little on the echoey side as if filmed in a large corridor. The examination is also dogged by background noise (likely air conditioning). However, the medical professional has a good voice for our purposes.
This is a good video for the procrastination pen playlist.
I think that I will conclude the blog post at this one and continue in a second post, failing that this blog post would become really large indeed. To the point of boredom, I imagine.
That’s it on this occasion, more next time.
The University College London Hospitals 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.
Until next time.
Photo by DeepAI
The Procrastination Pen 