There haven't been many studies of the effect of ASMR on the brain. However, of the few that exist, fMRI scans of people who experience tingles show activation in the brain's reward and emotional arousal regions. This is the same region that lights up if music gives you goosebumps. Another study also indicates that people who get ASMR have more blended neural networks, suggesting the response is caused by a reduced ability to control an emotional response from the physical senses.