Phantom rings are the sensation and false belief that one can hear one's mobile phone ringing or feel it vibrating, when in fact the telephone is not doing so.
Other terms for this concept include ringxiety and fauxcellarm.[1] Ringxiety is a portmanteau neologism formed from the words "ringtone" and "anxiety." Phantom rings may be experienced while taking a shower, watching television, or using a noisy device. Humans are particularly sensitive to auditory tones between 1,000 and 6,000 hertz, and basic mobile phone ringers often fall within this range. This frequency range can generally be more difficult to locate spatially, thus allowing for potential confusion when heard from a distance. False vibrations are less well understood, however, and could have psychological or neurological sources.
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In addition to cellular phones, other attention grabbing devices such as sirens, horns or crying babies in a commercial message have been generically labeled as "phantom ringing". The phantom phone, or phantom ring psychologically, could be compared to something such as the "naked" feeling you may experience without a pair of prescription glasses, or a necklace you constantly wear. The sensation of tangibility may still exist on a day you choose not to wear them, or forget them at home.[2]
Some doorbells or telephone ring sounds are modeled after pleasant sounds from nature. This backfires when such devices are used in rural areas containing the original sounds—the owner is faced with the constant task of determining if it is the device or the actual sound.[3]
An intense "need" for contact, such as experienced during involuntary extended isolation may produce a similar effect although not explicitly named as such.
A fictional example of this is portrayed in the 1971 movie The Omega Man at ~8m:20s where Robert Neville (played by Charlton Heston) -- obviously entirely alone in a large city for several years -- hears all the phones around him ring at once, but then reminds himself that "... There is no phone ringing, dammit!" at ~8m:55s as he cowers exhibiting something between shame and anger.
Haupt, Angela (June 12, 2007). "Good vibrations? Bad? None at all?". USA Today (McLean, VA: Gannett). ISSN 0734-7456. http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2007-06-12-cellphones_N.htm. Retrieved September 4, 2011.
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