Formication – Feelings of Cobwebs on the Skin
Some people reportthe sensation of feeling as though they have just walked through a cobweb, onlyto find no cobweb present.
This is acommon sensation felt by many ghost hunters in the paranormal community. Theexplanation expressed by experienced ghost hunters is that the sensation iscaused by an ion change in the atmosphere, but there is no empirical data toverify this claim. However, psychologyexplains the phenomenon as Formication (sometimes known asParaesthesia), which is a type of tactile hallucination. It is mostcommonly reported as a feeling of 'bugs walking on or under the skin'. In morerecent times it has been reported as the sensation of one’s mobile phonevibrating in a pocket against the skin when no phone is present. [1]
Formication is alsoa common side-effect of amphetamine usage with many heavy users reportinginstances of it. Sometimes referred to as “meth-mites”, formication can lead tosores, gouges in the skin and ulcers. The wounds come from the drug userpicking, scratching or digging at their skin trying to remove the imaginaryinsects they feel walking across their body.[2]
Formication cansometimes be experienced in other ways, such as skin itching, pins and needles, and tingling sensations. It is also claimed that sometimes the cause can bestatic electricity, but in most cases of Formication, there are no physicaltriggers for the sensation.
Researched andwritten by Allen Tiller © 2018
[1] Tim Jewell & Timothy Leg PhD,(2017), Formication, Healthline Red,https://www.healthline.com/health/for...
[2] Jerome Litt M.D, (2009) Formication:So What’s Bugging You?, Psychology Today,https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/bl...
