Feeling like the ground is shaking when there is no earthquake? Learn the physical and psychological causes of phantom tremors and ways of coping with them.
Sitting at the table, you look at the water in your glass: it isn't moving. But you felt the chair sway slightly; you are sure of it. You ask the person beside you and they say, "No, nothing happened." You feel a little embarrassed and a little frightened. Feeling like the ground is shaking, or the building or the bed, when there is no earthquake is something many people experience after major earthquakes but often hesitate to tell anyone about. Known colloquially as a "phantom tremor", this feeling is neither a trick of your imagination nor a sign that you are losing your mind. In this article we look at why this feeling arises, when you should see a doctor, and how you can cope with it.
What Is Feeling Like the Ground Is Shaking? Phantom Tremors
A phantom tremor is when a person feels swaying, rocking or vibration in their body even though there is no real tremor. It is commonly reported after an intense earthquake or a long period of aftershocks. In earthquake research, this experience has also been discussed under concepts such as post-earthquake dizziness.
This experience is not limited to people who lived through the earthquake directly. Similar sensations can also appear in people far from the earthquake zone who watched the images for days or waited by the phone for news of their loved ones.
The feeling is usually brief, coming and going within a few seconds to a few minutes. Some people notice it only when sitting still or lying down; others describe the floor gently "floating" even while they walk.
The important point is this: the feeling is real. You really are sensing a sway. It is just that the source of the sway is not the earth's crust but your own balance and alarm system.
How Does a Phantom Tremor Feel?
People describe this experience in different words:
- "When I lie down in bed, I sway slightly as if I were on a ship."
- "While I'm working at my desk, I suddenly feel the building move, and I turn to look at the light fitting."
- "When I'm standing, for a moment the floor seems to slide."
- "When my heart beats fast, my whole body trembles and I think it's an earthquake."
These sensations are often accompanied by a series of behaviours: looking at hanging objects, the water in a glass, the curtain; asking people nearby "Did you feel that too?"; checking the latest earthquakes on the phone; even stepping outside briefly. When the check shows there was no earthquake, relief follows, but it often gives way to the question: "Why am I feeling this? Is something wrong with me?"
Why Does Feeling Like the Ground Is Shaking Happen? The Body, Balance and the Alarm System
Several mechanisms are thought to play a role together in bringing on this feeling.
Adaptation of the balance system
Feeling as if you are swaying on land for a while after a long boat journey is an experience many people know. The balance system in the inner ear adapts to the movement it has been exposed to for a long time; when the movement ends, it takes a little time for this adaptation to reverse. A strong earthquake followed by numerous aftershocks can place a similar load on the balance system.
A state of hypervigilance
A brain that has experienced an earthquake raises its alarm level so as not to miss the next danger. In this state, the body starts to pick up small sensations you would not normally notice, for example the slight movements created by your breathing or heartbeat while you sit, and to interpret them as danger.
Misreading bodily sensations
Anxiety causes physical symptoms such as palpitations, trembling, mild dizziness and muscle tension. A mind that remembers the earthquake can read these symptoms as "shaking coming from outside". In this way anxiety creates the sensation of shaking, and the sensation of shaking increases anxiety.
Environmental stimuli
Real but harmless vibrations, such as a heavy vehicle passing, a neighbour's washing machine on its spin cycle, or a building gently swaying in the wind on the upper floors, can also be perceived as amplified by a body that carries the memory of an earthquake.
Most of these mechanisms show that the body is trying to protect you. You can read more about how anxiety finds expression in the body in our article on psychosomatic symptoms.
First, Rule Out Physical Causes
A sense of swaying and dizziness may not be linked only to post-earthquake anxiety. Inner ear problems, blood pressure irregularities, anaemia, certain neurological conditions or side effects of medication can also cause similar sensations. It is therefore important to see a doctor, especially in the following situations:
- The swaying feeling is accompanied by spinning dizziness, nausea or vomiting
- There is hearing loss, ringing in the ears or a feeling of fullness in the ear
- You lose your balance or fall when walking
- There are symptoms such as visual disturbance, difficulty speaking, or numbness in the face or arms
- The feeling is becoming more frequent and lasting all day
In the case of urgent symptoms such as sudden numbness, speech difficulty or a change in consciousness, call 112 (emergency services) without delay. Once physical causes have been assessed and ruled out, working with psychological mechanisms rests on much safer ground.
How Does Feeling Like the Ground Is Shaking Affect Daily Life?
Although a phantom tremor is a brief sensation in itself, the anxiety and behaviours that develop around it can noticeably affect life.
Sleep: The most common complaint is a swaying feeling that starts on lying down in bed. A quiet, still environment makes bodily sensations more noticeable. The person may become afraid of going to sleep, leave the light on or get up frequently at night to check.
Work and concentration: For someone working at a desk, having their attention interrupted every few minutes by "did it move?" seriously reduces productivity and focus.
Relationships: Constantly asking "Did you feel it too?" can wear out the people around you over time. And when the person notices this and stops asking, they begin to carry the feeling alone.
The reaction of others: In Turkey, such experiences are often met with remarks like "You're overthinking it" or "Don't be so fretful". Someone who mentions this feeling during a festive visit or a family meal may feel misunderstood or even mocked. Yet dismissive reactions do not make the feeling go away; they only lead the person to hide it. And a hidden feeling feels lonelier and more frightening. Explaining to your loved ones that this experience is a common, understandable reaction after an earthquake can make it easier for them to respond to you more supportively.
Self-trust: The thought "I can't trust what I feel" can shake a person's general confidence in their own perception.
Let us say a young woman living on the twelfth floor of a tall building in Izmir has felt the building sway in the evenings while sitting on the sofa for the past few months. Each time, she looks at the net curtain on the balcony door and opens the earthquake app. Most of the time there is nothing; sometimes, however, she learns that on a windy day the building really did sway slightly, and this strengthens the thought "So what I feel is real; I must be careful." The problem here is less the feeling itself than the checking cycle that accompanies it.
The sway you feel is real; but not every sway is a danger. Sometimes the body remembers not the ground, but the fear it lived through.
What Can You Do When You Feel Like the Ground Is Shaking?
Do a single, brief reality check
When you feel swaying, look once at a fixed, visible object: a hanging lamp, a glass of water, a window frame. If the object is still, tell yourself in a calm voice: "This is a phantom tremor; my body is sounding the alarm." Avoid checking over and over; the first check gives you enough information, and the later ones only feed the anxiety.
Anchor your body to the ground
Plant your feet firmly on the floor and place your hands on your knees or on the table. Feel the firmness of the surface you are sitting on and the floor beneath your feet. Fix your eyes on a still point, breathe slowly and lengthen your out-breath. This sends your balance system and nervous system the message "you are safe right now".
Let the feeling pass like a wave
A phantom tremor usually fades on its own within a few seconds or minutes. Instead of trying to stop it, try observing it with curiosity: "There's a swaying feeling right now. Is it strong or mild? Where do I feel it?" This observer stance reduces the sensation's power to frighten.
Move your body during the day
Regular walking, gentle stretching and balance exercises can help the balance system readjust. Staying still for long periods, on the other hand, can make sensations more pronounced.
Review stimulants
The caffeine in coffee, tea and energy drinks can feed the sensation of shaking by increasing palpitations and trembling. Cutting down on these, especially in the afternoon and evening, can help. Lack of sleep also strengthens sensations; a regular bedtime lowers the body's alarm level.
Ask fewer questions
The question "Did you feel it too?" is a form of reassurance seeking; each time you ask, it brings brief relief but keeps the anxiety going in the long run. You can make an agreement with your loved ones on this: while you try to ask less, they can give a short, calm answer without blaming you.
Give earthquake information limited time
Watching earthquake content all day keeps the mind constantly alert to the topic and makes phantom tremors more likely. Setting aside a specific, short time each day for earthquake news helps calm the alarm system.
When Should You Seek Professional Support?
After physical causes have been assessed by a doctor, seeing a mental health professional may be helpful in the following situations:
- The swaying feeling has not eased, or has even increased, despite weeks or months passing
- Because of this feeling you struggle to sleep, work or sit comfortably at home
- Checking and asking questions take up a significant part of your day
- The feeling is accompanied by intense, panic-attack-like fear, palpitations and shortness of breath
- There are also earthquake-related nightmares, sudden memories and a constant state of alertness
For a broader view of the fear of earthquakes, see our article on earthquake anxiety. Support for working with bodily anxiety symptoms of this kind is available in the area of anxiety and panic, face to face or online.
How Are Phantom Tremors Addressed in Therapy?
The first step in therapy is to help the person understand what they are experiencing. The fear "Am I losing my mind?" diminishes considerably once the physical and psychological mechanisms of the feeling are understood.
Within cognitive behavioural therapy, how bodily sensations turn into catastrophic interpretations is examined together. Chains of thought such as "I'm swaying, so there's an earthquake, so the building is going to collapse" are noticed and tested against more balanced interpretations.
Interoceptive exposure is one of the methods used when working with panic and bodily anxiety. Guided by the therapist, the person deliberately brings on mild dizziness and a swaying sensation in a safe setting, for example by spinning on the spot for a while or breathing quickly. In this way they experience that these sensations are not dangerous and pass on their own.
Reducing checking behaviours involves gradually giving up behaviours such as looking at the light fitting, checking the app and asking questions. As checking decreases, the brain also gives these sensations less importance.
For people who experienced the earthquake directly, lost loved ones or went through very hard moments, trauma-focused work may be needed. A phantom tremor can sometimes be part of an unprocessed traumatic memory coming alive again in the body, and working with this memory within a safe framework can also settle the bodily reactions.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do phantom tremors last?
In many people this feeling eases within weeks as the earthquake and aftershocks become less frequent. In some people, however, it can last for months because of anxiety and checking behaviours. If it continues for a long time, both a physical assessment and psychological support can be helpful.
If I'm the only one feeling this, am I losing my mind?
No. Many people report similar sensations after major earthquakes; most simply hesitate to talk about it. What you are feeling is a reaction of your balance and alarm system to the danger it experienced, and it does not mean you are losing your mind.
Which doctor should I see?
If the swaying feeling is accompanied by dizziness, ear symptoms or loss of balance, you can start with your GP; if necessary, they will refer you to an ear, nose and throat specialist or a neurologist. If no physical cause is found, psychological support may be the next step.
My child also says the ground is shaking. What should I do?
Respond in a calm tone without contradicting the child's feeling: "You felt like it was shaking; look, the lamp is still, we're safe right now." Breathing slowly together or playing a game with feet planted on the floor can settle the child. If the feeling recurs often and affects the child's sleep or play, support from a child mental health professional will be helpful.
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Eda Erkan Alapala
Klinik Psikolog. İstanbul Kent Üniversitesi Klinik Psikoloji Tezli Yüksek Lisans mezunu; bilişsel davranışçı terapi, çocuk merkezli oyun terapisi ve çocuk-ergen psikoterapisi alanlarında eğitimlerini tamamlamıştır.
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