SilkASMR: Sensory Overload Hub
Walking through the hallways of Aspire, you will notice these small devices strategically placed in the corners. They are actually Homedics noise machines that are used in the facility to create an audible healing environment.
In floatation however, we opt to use Pandora and listen to meditation radio. While dealing with the stresses of work, the smooth sounds tend to calm us and give us mental clarity which is a necessity for being productive. Dr. Marina Masic, the Saturday float attendant is pretty knowledgeable about binaural beats and she has explained to us how hard it is to obtain that kind of relaxation from a main stream app or anywhere online uninterrupted. She creates MSEs through audio and visual applications.
That’s where SilkASMR comes in. Silk acts like a hub for all things audio related for relaxation. In short ASMR is an acronym for Autonomous sensory meridian response. It’s that tingle you feel on your scalp, head, neck or back when you hear certain noises; a sense of euphoria. Not everyone experiences it however and it can be triggered by a number of things usually different for each person. For me, whispering does not do it but binaural beats does and relaxing music does.
Initially, the app was confusing for me to use as there were so many options and I had no idea where to start! Each track has a demo for you to preview prior to buying it. I found myself in the whisper section demoing different artists speaking about everything ranging from cooking curry chicken to deep sleep hypnosis.
My absolute favorite feature of the app is the playlist option. It allows you to not only add your favorite songs to a list but you can layer them meaning you can play more than one simultaneously. Sensory overload! You can mix different binaural beats, binaural beats with relaxation music or different sounds. If you have never experienced ASMR, this playlist option is a good way to test the waters with a medley of sounds until you find the right combination. Also, if you’re like me it takes a while to notice when the music has stopped, this is a set it and forget it kind of thing. Three other neat things that are available under the playlist option is that you can set the playlist on a timer, have certain songs repeat twice (for those of us who have favorites) or let the layer combination repeat until infinity (which is pretty amazing).
The SilkASMR app is free and you are given 40 free crystals which are used for purchasing songs just for downloading. You can also get free crystals by doing surveys and clicking links in the app which is also a plus!
I would love it if Silk added more relaxation music however, I do think the app is worth downloading for personal use. We will be making the switch from Pandora! An added functionality for the app is if you ever wondered about pairing binaural beats with floatation as a floater or floatation center owner. Models like the i-sopod come with built in speaker capabilities or if you have an oasis you can just plug in using your iPhone or iPodYou could easily sync it to any speaker using your Iphone or Ipad or just listen to the sounds in the office. I also think it would be cool if Silk allowed you to use your own music to take advantage of the playlist feature. That would be dope! To download the SilkASMR app click here!
