In JSMR, Jessica Stanley invites the audience to experience the weird and wonderfully stimulating world of ASMR, otherwise known as Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response.

As the curtain parts on an old-fashioned fortune-telling booth set in an old-style carnival tent, we don headphones and blankets and settle in for an auditory experience.

“Your fate has been decided,” Stanley tells us.

Intriguingly, we are warned that through the innocuous, neutral sounds of tapping, crinkling and whispering that is ASMR, we might experience a “brain-gasm”.

“Feel free to regress to a safer time”, Stanley instructs before indulging in a story of her childhood, and the pleasure gained sharing her stationery with her primary school friends.

All the while, Stanley strokes the microphone with a creepy skeleton hand.

Stanley gently ribs the audience with a passive-aggressive diatribe presented so sweetly that you almost miss the gist.

The presentation’s soothing, restful and comforting nature makes you miss the sting in the dialogue.

We are instructed to write down “words we love to hear” on individual whiteboards hidden under our seats.

Stanley repeats words such as holiday, porridge, and pillow, soon pivoting into interest rates, mortgage, and Optus, all breathily transmitted via a microphone with ear-shaped cups to our earphones.

Apparently, ASMR is triggered by personal attention, such as when having a haircut or having your nails painted.

Stanley gives us an imaginary makeover, accompanied by almost missed, subtle digs.

“Did you know you have large pores?”

“I’ll just add a bit of colour; you have a sallow complexion.”

Feeling disturbed but relaxed, and with our auras positively cleansed, we head off into the night.

JSMR was staged until October 21 at the Festival Hub, Victorian Trades Hall Council, Carlton.

Review by Kathryn Keeble