Phantom earthquake sensations (PES) are poorly understood. This study investigated relationships between phantom perception, spatial context, earthquake-related anxiety (EAS), and post-traumatic stress (IES-R) following a non-destructive earthquake.
✦ The floor
Discussion
Signed responses from readers of the wire.
No actionable change — though phantom earthquake sensations are conceptually analogous to tinnitus as a phantom sensory perception, this study offers no direct clinical guidance for audiologists.
Phantom earthquake sensations share theoretical overlap with phantom auditory perception (tinnitus), and understanding the cognitive and contextual drivers of phantom percepts may inform future tinnitus research frameworks.
- 01Cross-sectional study examining phantom earthquake sensations — perceiving shaking when no earthquake occurs.
- 02Explores links between perceptual ambiguity, earthquake-related anxiety, and cognitive intrusion (unwanted, repeated thoughts).
- 03Conceptually parallels phantom auditory perception research, including tinnitus.
- 04No direct audiology clinical data or hearing-specific outcomes reported.
- 05Findings may be of indirect theoretical interest to tinnitus researchers studying cognitive and anxiety components.
Phantom earthquake sensations are associated with earthquake-related anxiety and cognitive intrusion.
studypartially supported- PMID
- 42459456
- DOI
- 10.3389/fpubh.2026.1848434.
- Journal
- Frontiers in Public Health
- Publication type
- research_article
- Evidence level
- 3
- Population
- General population individuals reporting phantom earthquake sensations
- Intervention
- Cross-sectional survey assessing phantom earthquake perception, anxiety, and cognitive intrusion
Primary outcomes
Frequency and context of phantom earthquake sensations; Association with earthquake-related anxiety; Association with cognitive intrusion