Explained: Why Videos Of People Cutting Bars Of Soap Are Getting Millions Of Views Online

We all know that the Internet is a strange place. You never know what the next viral trend is going to be - whether it's an optical illusion that gets people talking or a video of two kids being, well, kids. But this latest viral trend might be one of the weirdest of them all - videos of people cutting up bars of soap.

You might think it sounds straight-up bizarre but it turns out there is reasoning behind it. These videos provoke an Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR) in many people and they just can't get enough.

An ASMR is a 'tingling' sensation caused by certain visual or audio stimulation. Some people describe this kind of reaction as being like a 'brain orgasm'. Other videos that have a similar effect include videos of people poking snow, playing with slime, scooping ice cream or scratching styrofoam.

It's not clear how many people really experience ASMR but it's obviously a fair few as there are even people making a full living out of posting such videos. 25-year-old Nazish from Leeds has over 80,000 followers on her Instagram @asmr.crackle whilst American YouTuber Karina Garcia makes up to a whopping 200,000 dollars (£153,000) a month from posting slime videos.