ATMOSPHERE ASMR: A Summary

                                             An Introduction to the Atmosverse

For the last couple of years I've been writing brief continuity notes for the ATMOSPHERE ASMR videos over on YouTube; for anyone not yet acquainted with them, they're a series that - while using ASMR triggers for relaxation purposes - also form a singular overarching sci-fi/fantasy narrative that now spans several worlds, multiple timelines and a vast array of different characters.

It's a wildly creative and ambitious project made all the more impressive because - save for an occasional guest actor, prop or musical assist - it's the work of a single creator, Anastasia, who writes, films and acts each video as well as producing the set, costumes, sound design and digital environments/effects. I highly recommend checking the channel out if you haven't yet, and watching all the videos through from the beginning.

I've always loved an unconventional narrative structure and I think that one of the most interesting things about the series is that each video hops around - both in time and among the various locations - and it's left to us, the audience, to follow the links and assemble the overall storyline ourselves. The notes I've been writing (which Anastasia has very kindly pinned in the comments section of each video) have hopefully helped to remind folks in which videos the various characters, places and plot points previously appeared so that they can hop back and rewatch them easily.

However I've also had a number of requests for a playlist putting the videos into some sort of narrative order (a rough attempt at which is now up on YouTube) and some sort of summary of the storyline so far, and the latter is what I'm going to attempt here. I'll try to keep it as brief as possible, but at the time of writing we are 93 videos into a complex series so it's probably still going to be quite long - maybe read it in chunks rather than all at once, or at least put on some nice music or a relaxing ATMOSPHERE video as you go!

Before we begin, an important disclaimer: the only one who actually knows the whole story is Anastasia herself - this summary is very much just what *I* think is happening thus far, based on the videos and the background material that Anastasia has written on WorldAnvil (always check the video descriptions for links to characters and places she thinks are especially relevant), and with a heavy dose of personal interpretation on top. As such, much of it is possibly mistaken - and certainly it'll continue to change as each new video comes out and I update this post to take into account new revelations. All of which is just to say that nobody should take this as "the truth" so much as one person's interpretation that might still help you when thinking about your own theories. One of the greatest joys of the ATMOSPHERE videos is to think about the ongoing mysteries and what they mean while the ASMR helps you relax, and I encourage you to do so.

With that caveat out of the way, onto the summary. In my mind the story thus far falls into three rough 'acts' that I am going to divide into their own sections following a brief prologue that covers some of the very important events that happened before the timeframe of the videos yet underpin the whole narrative. Get yourself a refreshing frosty-cold beverage, friends, and let's get going.


                                                           Prologue: Secrets

At some point in the past a misguided group of researchers attempted to drill through to the core of the planet ε13Σo1f - responsible for maintaining balance in the universe - so that they could exploit its miraculous properties. Something went disastrously wrong and the planet exploded; chunks of its base element Meterium Lumoxide (a substance that resembles amber save for glowing brightly in response to certain stimuli) were scattered throughout the universe, each creating time-space distortions, loops and dimension breaches. Open Space Flow

Other dimensions to that of Earth exist, and in one of them lies the magical world of El-Rah. In ancient times, a secret society discovered that lucid dreaming could be used to travel between the dimensions; its members named their group the Order of the Sleepless. Although they made great discoveries a divide eventually formed; some of the Order's members wished to use their knowledge for the greater good while others wanted to use it for personal gain. Their internal conflicts grew until the Order's once-noble legacy was tarnished by greed and ambition. WorldAnvil

In the Victorian era of Earth the local branch of the Order - the Vita Somnium Breve - was an aristocratic gathering of scientists, inventors, historians and researchers who held their meetings at the castle of Lord Greene as well as Lord Kessinger's Summerhill Manor. On an expedition to Cairo the society discovered a fragment of Meterium Lumoxide and brought it back to England for experimentation. Kessinger, the Count of Daerington, became obsessed with unravelling its secrets before apparently dying in mysterious circumstances... Fortune Teller in the Train


                                                              Act One: School

In 1984 the POV Character - that is, the person we audience members are 'playing' in the vast majority of the videos - is a psychology student at Pinecrest University in the United States, planning a study project about witchcraft with their friend and fellow student Angelica Morgan. Needing a supervisor for the project, Angelica suggests that they seek out Pinecrest's elusive archaeology professor, Lamari. However, when the POV Character falls asleep in class they find themselves - albeit briefly and involuntarily - transported to El-Rah; their body remains behind on Earth but their mental projection appears in the other dimension. Classroom

They decide to keep this mysterious ability a secret from Angelica while the two students prepare to use the university's Halloween party to approach Professor Lamari about their project. Try On Haul Although Angelica's initial meeting with the professor is awkward, Lamari invites the pair to an 'audition' of sorts held by one of her assistants. 80s Partying Unbeknownst to either student Pinecrest is linked with the Vita Somnium Breve, having been founded as a transatlantic sister institution to the Mayhorn University of Science and Arts that was established in Lord Greene's castle a century before. 80s Hair Salon

Angelica and the POV Character attend the event, a supposed meditation class where the participants are handed 'crystal prisms' - in actuality magical energy vessels called Capacidian Stones - and put through a series of breathing exercises to test whether any of them are affected. The experience activates the POV Character's abilities and they are transported back to El-Rah, finding themselves on Maksti Island. Ballet Class

Exploring the strange new world, they accidentally get caught in a magical portal where they are found and rescued by Amanita, a young student mage from the nearby Academy of Magic Arts. You're Stuck in a Magical Portal Initially reluctant to help the POV Character (who appears slightly translucent while in El-Rah due to their projected status), Amanita eventually agrees to help them return home. She summons an aquatic spirit, who tells her that they must travel to the Meadow behind the island's Trigger Woods. Spells at Night

The POV Character finds their mind shifting uncontrollably back and forth between El-Rah and Earth where Angelica, thinking that they had simply passed out, brings them to Pinecrest's medical centre. Under the guise of treating the POV Character the doctor quizzes them about their experiences, evaluating the extent of their abilities for the purposes of the Vita Somnium Breve. School Medical Exam

Though they keep briefly vanishing whenever they return to Earth, Amanita continues to guide the POV Character through the woods. They are briefly captured by a creature called the Emerald Arania but are rescued by an Avian, a birdlike creature who gives them cryptic hints as to their future. Into the Woods The pair finally reach the Meadow, and Amanita realizes that they have grown close on their travels together... Fairy Meadow


                                                           Act Two: SleepWalker

In our present day the Vita Somnium Breve, now known simply as the VSB, operates from a secret base in the Arctic. They recruited the POV Character for their natural dream-traveling abilities, which they can now better  control using the technological means of an enclosed sleep capsule and a device called a sleep valve implanted under their chin. The VSB codenames them Special Agent SleepWalker and they undertake both 'dive travel' missions in which they use the capsule to mentally visit El-Rah and 'slide travel' missions in which they use the VSB's time travel technology to physically visit other times on Earth. Pulling Spy Bugs Out of Your Hair

'SleepWalker' has remained close friends with Amanita and continues to adventure with her on Maksti Island. Alchemy in the Forest She was expelled from the Magic Academy and now lives a somewhat lonely life in the woods, using her alchemical skills to help the local people with their magical problems. Charmed Mill

On the orders of the VSB SleepWalker time-travels to the year 1889 to make contact with Anna, the daughter of Lord Kessinger and current Countess of Daerington. Her father had promised to leave her a magical heirloom which was stolen after his apparent death, and she has been investigating his past activities hoping to learn the truth about his fate. The VSB are aware that Kessinger is not only alive but has been living in El-Rah for the last 150 years, so sends SleepWalker to monitor her investigation. As Anna returns from retracing her father's steps in Egypt, the agent disguises themself and engineers a 'chance' meeting with her. Reading You to Sleep

SleepWalker meets Anna again at the Daerington tailor's shop and arranges to attend the Royal Ball with her. Tailor While at the rehearsal for the event the Duchess, one of the contacts who has been helping Anna with her investigation, leaves her a mysterious Book filled with El-Rah script; inside its pages she finds a scrap of paper with a dual seahorse symbol which she recognises as the heraldic device of her father's old friends the Greene family. At the Royal Ball

To aid with their various missions, SleepWalker uses one of their trips to El-Rah to commission a set of magical armour that can change appearance and store a vast number of items, among other abilities. Elven Blacksmith From the nearby magic store they also commission an invisibility cloak, a magic staff and a special safety deposit box. Magic Shop

Back in the Victorian era SleepWalker gives Alice, the Daerington tailor, a number of Meterium Lumoxide fragments which she carves into buttons, attaching them to a purse that SleepWalker gives to Anna as a gift. Gossips at the Tailor Shop Anna takes SleepWalker with her as she travels to Mayhorn to investigate the Greene family's link to her book, confiding in her new friend about her quest for answers. Forced to walk through the forest after their coachman deserts them, Anna is surprised when the buttons on the purse start to glow. Approaching a magical doorway floating in the air, she touches it with the purse and it opens on a view of El-Rah, granting her a brief vision of the passing Amanita. Mysterious Carriage Ride

SleepWalker quietly returns an unconscious Anna to their coach and she wakes as they arrive at Sir Dempsey's mansion in Mayhorn, dismissing the experience with the purse as a dream. Anna has had her music professor contact examine the Book, and the pair head into the town to find the tuning fork that he has suggested they try. They are unsuccessful but the sudden sound of the church's bells causes the Book to vastly increase in weight as the symbols within glow with magic. Mysteries of the Book

Anna is refused entry at the Greene's castle and so is forced to return home. Aboard the train on the way back she and SleepWalker are approached by the fortune teller Almaase; she reads SleepWalker's fortune but also warns Anna with a cryptic hint regarding the agent's true nature. Fortune Teller in the Train Once back in Daerington, Anna receives a letter from her archaeologist friend Ali informing her that his own investigations in Egypt are being stymied by a cover-up. Using a tuning fork Anna manages to activate the Book's magical properties again as SleepWalker watches. Mysteries of the Sound Vibrations

On their next trip to El-Rah, SleepWalker joins Amanita as she visits the local sorceress Astarah to purchase some magical maps. Astarah, a member of the El-Rah branch of the Order of the Sleepless herself, decides to send the pair on a quest and books them passage aboard a pirate ship. She also gives SleepWalker a key with the cryptic hint that they will need it later and that 'she' will ask them for it. Unbeknownst to SleepWalker she also implants a message in their mind: 'lead her there.' Preparing For a Treasure Hunt Astarah's secretive actions are related to a prophecy: "You shall meet three wanderers, each of whom is endowed with a sacramental mark. Their fates shall be intertwined through Chrono Realms. Be prepared. You shall give each of them a key. Only one of them shall solve the task." Arcane Artifacts

However, not long into their voyage Amanita and SleepWalker's ship is attacked. Amanita summons an Avian to carry SleepWalker to safety, then uses a magic scroll to transform herself into a mermaid. Magic Scrolls and Tales From the Big Bird The Avian brings SleepWalker to Arinau, a herbal healer living in seclusion in the swamps of Sheheron; while the healer tends to them Amanita, still in mermaid form, finds a magic lamp on the seabed. Flower Elixirs

Resuming her human form Amanita wanders through the Sheheron forest and it is here that she sees Anna through the magical doorway. Soon afterwards she runs into a House on Chicken Legs, and the mysterious old woman who lives within offers to help Amanita activate the magic lamp in exchange for one of her wishes; agreeing to the deal Amanita finds herself drawn inside the lamp. House on Chicken Legs The Djinn inside the lamp makes another deal with her; infinite wishes in return for Amanita fulfilling his own. The Owner of the House on Chicken Legs uses her wish to restore her own youth before leaving for a festival, and the Djinn tasks Amanita with retrieving an item from the Sacred Prism Hall. Solving the hall's riddles, she retrieves the Book that was given to Anna, although at a point when its pages are still blank. Genie and the Sacred Prism Hall Riddles

As her reward for retrieving the Book, the Djinn teaches Amanita new magical skills that will aid her in reuniting with her friend. Magic Lessons In exchange for her next wish he asks her to retrieve some special stones from the bottom of a sea trench, and she changes back into her mermaid form to do so. Mermaid

Once SleepWalker is sufficiently recovered, Arinau agrees to take them to the East River Festival in Sheheron. Boat Ride with the Herbal Healer While at the festival they meet with the Rainbow Elf Aya'Leigh, Arinau's half-sister and - like Astarah - a member of the Order. Aware of SleepWalker's work, Aya'Leigh guides them towards Twilight Elfdale, a gloomy region that exists on a different plane or 'layer' of El-Rah, and gives them a package to deliver. Facial in the Elvish Tent

Before they can get there, however, SleepWalker is captured by the Owner of the House on Chicken Legs who blames them for something they have not yet done. She claims that their actions have adversely affected her 'recursive sister' - her counterpart in another world - and so she orders SleepWalker to fix their fate before using her magical oven to send them on their way to Twilight Elfdale.  Baking You in a Stove Once there SleepWalker is received by the governor of the region, who gives them an elixir to resist hypnosis. Baroque Fantasy 

Eventually SleepWalker finally manages to return to Earth; even with the use of the sleep capsule such an extended period of dive travel leaves them with their muscles wasted and their memories jumbled and missing, requiring extensive therapy at the Arctic base. Physical Therapy A senior VSB agent, Ainsley Callahan, is assigned to them to assist in their recovery and aid them on missions. Pulling Spy Bugs Out of Your Hair Together they spy on an artist/inventor who has been smuggling material out of the other world by using simple dream-travel (such as SleepWalker used during their student days) and Callahan suspects that a mole in the VSB has been aiding them. Relaxing Ambush

The VSB intercept a coded message from the hidden Lord Kessinger and send agents Callahan and SleepWalker back to 1889 where SleepWalker commissions Almaase to decrypt it. She manages to retrieve the message but because she used illegal hacking to do so, the El-Rah Magical Security Service revokes her magic license - she is the 'recursive sister' of whom the Owner of the House on Chicken Legs spoke, and just as predicted has suffered for SleepWalker's actions. Fortune Teller Caravan

Anna, having grown increasingly close to SleepWalker, invites them to a gathering of philanthropists in Wellingthorpe. Tailor Shop While staying overnight in nearby Maramures Village SleepWalker is menaced by the sinister Lady Asetti and her fellow vampires, but between an anti-vampire scent provided by Almaase and the anti-hypnosis elixir created by the governor they manage to resist the creatures. Let Me In That night, and under the influence of another of Almaase's potions, SleepWalker has a vivid dream in which the presence of the vampires blends with the agent's growing guilt over their deception of Anna. Ladies of the Twilight Theatre

Attending the philanthropists' conference the next day, Anna and SleepWalker sit for a portrait; the artist is none other than the Djinn from Amanita's lamp. The mystical scent of a protea flower in the room leaves SleepWalker privy to Anna's thoughts; having realized that her companion is disguised and deceiving her - even if she doesn't yet know the exact details - she grows upset and leaves. Drawing You  That night they plunge into an even more phantasmagorical dream in which the vampires mix with Alice, Almaase and even Angelica. Vampire Ball Whispers

SleepWalker eventually manages to fulfil the request of the Owner of the House on Chicken Legs, altering fate and creating a new timeline of events. The original mission that resulted in Almaase's punishment no longer exists in this 'fork,' something that Agent Callahan realizes when she experiences déjà vu while briefing SleepWalker on the new timeline's equivalent mission. Spa For the Spy The two agents prepare at a remote cabin before returning to the 19th century, this time riding snowmobiles through a time portal. Spy Winter Cabin

In the forked timeline the Almaase that SleepWalker visits is allied with the vampires and never warned Anna about her friend's true nature aboard the train. She opens a puzzle box for the agent, retrieving a mysterious artefact - a glowing crystalline device. Fortune Teller Salon Before they can continue with their next mission, SleepWalker is injured in an undisclosed incident and is taken to a nearby house to recover. 19th Century Nursemaid

Once recovered SleepWalker takes another trip through time for an altogether more glamorous mission in the golden age of Hollywood. Posing as an actor they begin rehearsals for a movie whose plot - involving spy work and a countess - bears a striking resemblance to their work with the VSB.  You're a Star

SleepWalker's past adventures in El-Rah have also been altered in the forked timeline; in an echo of their previous disastrous outing they accompany a more roguish version of Amanita as she visits Astarah. The sorceress sends the pair on their quest once again, but this time aboard a ship of nobles rather than a pirate ship. Preparing For a Treasure Hunt  They were no luckier this time, an uprising on board leaving them shipwrecked on the west coast of Sheheron so that Amanita was forced to bring SleepWalker to the fortress-sanctuary of the Ordo Silens to recuperate. Sanctuary

At some point SleepWalker also slide travels to the cyberpunk future of 2088, where they undergo cybernetic enhancement and use an animated tattoo to temporarily disguise the sleep valve on their neck before having it removed. Animated Tattoos Removal Posing as an engineer they gain fame by introducing a revolutionary system, SoulSoftware, that promises to give true life to Androids. CyberLimo Ride with Your Personal Android Their own Android personal assistant gets the software installed; while undergoing the upgrade a technician removes a familiar glowing crystalline device from her body, one now marked with a seahorse design... Android Repair
 

                                                          Act Three: Spacetime

In the year 2231, Aries is the lone human in a galaxy controlled by artificial intelligences. Exploring an otherwise deserted planet she and her robot companion Ronnie come across the aftermath of a battle and discover a badly injured SleepWalker among the wreckage. Though she is able to treat their injuries they are left with apparently total amnesia, and the only objects found on them are a Rubik's Cube and the key given to them by Astarah so long ago. Head Surgery

Aries resolves to take them to the main AI base as per her orders, but en route SleepWalker has a dream spurred by the information Astarah implanted in their head - coordinates and the message 'lead her there.' Aries tracks the coordinates to an abandoned planet where she unearths a metal canister whose lock is opened by the key. Inside are the button-covered purse once gifted to Anna, a copy of The Painted Veil (with a dried jasmine flower pressed inside) which once belonged to Angelica, a camera, a cassette tape and several pages from the Book. Analyzing the symbols on the pages, Ronnie identifies them as the formulae for time travel and human immortality. Key Paradox

Intrigued, Aries takes a detour to station K-Pharaoh-98 to examine the objects and scan SleepWalker's mind. The latter process shows that the amnesia is not a natural result of their injuries but was instead caused by a hypno camera or similar device. Zero Gravity Finding that the buttons on the purse and the lens of the camera are all made of Meterium Lumoxide, Aries uses them in conjunction with the sounds on the cassette to briefly open a time window through which she and Professor Lamari see each other. Open Space Flow

Aries takes SleepWalker to Planetary Base LM-19 to use a memory-viewing device left by the alien Planarians who once ruled the planet; activating it they see a variety of SleepWalker's past adventures as well as the message that Astarah implanted. Space Vehicle Ride Still processing the information, Aries and SleepWalker embark for a hotel in the Treble Clef galaxy. Amazing Views  At a resort on the planet Claire-Tempo, SleepWalker is welcomed by the mystical Amraya, who speaks of love, memories and destiny... Alien Touch


                                                                   Conclusion

So there you have it, a quick (?) summary of the ATMOSPHERE storyline as I understand it thus far. I've skipped over a lot of the smaller events and minor characters to prevent it from becoming even more unwieldy and unreadable, but rest assured that if any of them suddenly become vitally important I will add them as this page gets updated. The summary also doesn't really talk about the greater themes and symbolism of the series, which are just as important as the narrative events if not more so. Perhaps I'll do another post talking about those if anyone wants a slightly deeper dive into the universe -  several paragraphs could be written about the use of the Rubik's Cube alone - or a look at some of the other theories about the series (What if everything is a simulation? What if everything is the dream or delusion of a single character?).

Anyway, I hope that if you're one of the kind folks who requested this summary it was helpful in some small way, and if you've somehow discovered this page without any prior knowledge of the ATMOSPHERE experience it has inspired you to check the channel out. Trust me, it's a tremendously rewarding endeavour whether you're interested in a fascinating story, some high-quality ASMR or just the phenomenal artistic achievements of an auteur creator.

As ever, if you've found this summary or my individual video notes at all useful and are financially able to do so, please do consider joining Anastasia's Patreon, becoming a member of the YouTube Channel, or donating to her Ko-Fi to help her keep creating her wonderful work. If you've made it this far - thanks for reading, get yourself a snack and I'll see you in the next video!