Phantom Cell Phone Signals/Ringxiety

Phantom cell phone signals are tactile, auditory, and/or visual experiences suggesting that a mobile device is receiving calls, text messages, or other push notifications when in fact it is not. These phantom sensations appear to be common among cell phone users, although prevalence rates vary between the different forms (phantom vibrations are the most common). Increasing efforts have been put in the understanding of what causes these phantom sensations and several psychological states and traits have been found to be associated. However, after almost a decade of phantom sensations research, it still remains a mystery whether these sensations are illusions (i.e., of habitual origin) or hallucinations (i.e., of cortical origin). Future studies are encouraged to conduct longitudinal research in which the different forms of phantom sensations are independently examined and not as a catch‐all container concept.