… like a wave of warm tingly honey slowly pulsing out of the back of my brain and down my spine.

From as far back as I can remember I’d get this feeling periodically. I told my mom about it when I was a kid and she became concerned. I asked friends if they ever felt it. None had. It became mine alone.

Only recently did I search for it online. It has a name – ASMR (Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response), and it’s clear that I’m not alone anymore.

When I was a child it seemed to happen all the time. It was unpredictable, but generally came on when I listening to someone I liked speaking softly, and watching them perform some task like reading a book or working on an art project. It helped if the lighting was low and we were physically close, even touching – like leaning against each other while coloring with crayons. When it started I’d feel a warmth growing in my head. As the sensation grew my breathing would slow. The hypnotic, syrupy feeling would make my head tingle as it slowly spread down my back into the rest of my body. If I didn’t interrupt it, it could last over ten minutes. After it faded I’d feel relaxed, energized and happy.

As I grew older it happened less and less.

The last time it came on strong was at work – over a year ago. She and I were talking. There must have been something about her voice, her proximity, her … j’ne sais quoi. Time slowed down. The familiar tingle …

Months later I’d admit this to her. She had never heard of these symptoms before but declared it “sexual.” I assured her it doesn’t work that way. It’s different. It feels like … intimacy and safety and home.

http://youtu.be/1bd2RE0OjyE

What do you think Bill whispers to her?