Ever reach for your pocket to acknowledge a call or text message, only to find no new notifications on your phone? Humans and smartphones have become inseparable. Robert Rosenberger, a professor in Ivan
Allen College of Liberal Arts, called these hallucinations a byproduct of our bodily habits. How, when the smartphone slightly shifts in our pockets or any ruffle of fabric in our pants gives a perception of an incoming notification, a “buzz” that goes off in our heads when there is none.
If you are someone who experiences this, you might not be alone, according to several studies conducted on this bizarre yet not uncommon phenomenon.
Phantom Vibration Syndrome
Phantom Vibration Syndrome is a phenomenon where a person experiences vibrations coming from their smartphones or nearby smart devices, even though no actual text message, call, or email has been received on those devices.
A study published in the ScienceDirect called it a tactile hallucination, when the brain “interpreted an absent sensation”.
This false perception could be tied to the excessive use of smartphones.
So, What Exactly Triggers PVS?
Although an understudied phenomenon, a write-up in DermNet stated the following: “It has been hypothesised as a misinterpretation by the cerebral cortex due to the large number of sensory stimuli continuously received by the brain. As the user anticipates a vibratory notification, stimuli such as muscle contractions are possibly misconstrued as a vibration sensation.”
What Do We Know?
In a study of 74 medical interns (46 males, 28 females) conducted byNational Library of Medicine during the course of their internships, a spike in phantom vibration was established through the months of medical internships.
“The baseline prevalence of phantom vibration was 78.1%, which increased to 95.9% and 93.2% in the third and sixth internship months. The prevalence returned to 80.8% at the twelfth month and decreased to 50.0% 2 weeks after the internship ended,” the study noted.
The study additionally stated that phantom vibrations (and ringing) were independent of anxiety or depression during “evaluation of stress-associated experiences” during the said medical internships.
“Like Glasses…”
Georgia Tech’s Robert Rosenberger, an assistant professor in the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts, likened the excessive use of smartphones to prescribed eyewear that sits on our faces and eventually becomes a part of our bodies.
“The phone actually becomes a part of you, and you become trained to perceive the phone’s vibrations as an incoming call or text,” Rosenberger, highlighted in a report published by New York Post, said in a video uploaded by Georgia Tech on YouTube.
Can We Reduce PVS?
Redditors got together on Subreddit r/psychology to discuss on PVS, and some claimed that keeping the vibration function off on their smartphone kept the phenomenon at bay.
“I’ve never had this because I never use the vibrate function. It’s either notifications on or silent,” wrote one.
Another claimed that the false perception that once existed eventually vanished for them after they switched off the vibration mode.
“Same. I also used to “hear” it go off. Now it’s zero vibration and zero sound at all times. If I’m willing to respond to texts or take a call, I look at it.”
Another shared a unique scenario in which their perception of “vibration” shifted from their pockets to their wrists, thanks to their smartwatch.
“Its really weird that once I got my smart watch the vibration switched from my pocket to my wrist but sometimes it happens at the same time and its really confusing (sic).”
Treatment For PVS
While several studies offer differing conclusions and treatments, some suggest a reduction in screentime could lower or eliminate phantom vibrations. Other suggestions published in studies include switching off the vibration mode or simply moving the smart device to a different pocket, could also minimise the effects.
It’s worth mentioning that this study asserted that PVS could be diagnosed through clinical history examination. A study further indicated that post-pandemic PVS has become more prevalent due to humanity’s increased over-reliance on technology and the excessive time spent on smart devices compared to pre-pandemic levels.
In any case, consulting a medical professional is strongly advised.
