Members in the Media
From: The Sydney Morning Herald

‘Phantom’ mobile phone vibrations: why we get them

The Sydney Morning Herald:

Bzzt, bzzt. You check the supposed vibration in your pocket, yet no one has called or sent you an SMS.

Known commonly as a phantom vibration, this sensation has been felt by many and left them baffled.

But according to scientists, mobile users aren’t necessarily imagining things and the vibrations may not be “phantom” after all.

Some people believe there is a compulsive element to feeling the sensation, or believe that it occurs simply when there is friction in their pockets or they bump or brush up against something.

Others, such as psychologist and chairman of the School of Psychology at the University of Sydney, Alex Blaszczynski, believe it’s a sensation triggered by electrical signals.

“I expect it’s related to some of the electrical signals coming through in a transmission, touching on the surrounding nerves, giving a feeling of a vibration, ” Professor Blaszczynski said.

Read the whole story: The Sydney Morning Herald

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