The Odd Reason Objects Come Up Missing In Your Home — And Why Some Believe It's A Glitch In The Matrix
Are there other forces at play?
The7Dew, dgstudiodg, wildpixel / Getty Images, Pexels via Canva Everyone, at one point or another, has had something disappear into thin air under circumstances where it shouldn't have.
The most common example is when both socks go into the dryer but there is only one when you retrieve them. Other things like television remote controls and car keys often vanish only to be found when you are no longer looking for them.
You might find that remote control buried between the cushions of your couch. But some people believe that the disappearance of an object is part of something called the disappearing object phenomenon.
What is the disappearing object phenomenon?
The disappearing object phenomenon is the presumption that when things disappear, there are invisible forces at play.
It's a situation where you are in an enclosed space with not many hiding places and something seems to simply drop out of the universe. You search high and low, turning over things to look under them, or looking behind anything in the room to no avail.
The disappearing object phenomenon is the belief that something supernatural is happening when something vanishes without a trace. Later, that same item reappears when you least expect it, in a place that it hadn’t been left.
There are several logical reasons why objects disappear and reappear.
Forgetfulness or being absent-minded is probably one of the biggest reasons things are lost and then found.
Another reasonable explanation for something to come up missing is that another person borrowed it when you were not paying attention.
The reappearance can be explained by that same person returning the object after they have used it without you noticing.
But some believe there are more mystical forces at play.
One of the more out-there suggestions for disappearing objects is a poltergeist. Under that assumption, unseen spirits run amok and wreak havoc.
These poltergeists are supposedly responsible for inexplicable sounds and odors, music playing, and moving objects about.
Another disappearing object-related hypothesis is that these items have become temporarily invisible. In this scenario, the object was here one moment and gone the next. There was no one else in the room and no other possibility for the disappearance.
There is no scientific evidence that things can suddenly become invisible. Instead, this is likely a case of selective attention.
We see what stimulates us. Selective attention means that you are visually reacting to stimuli that interests you and ignoring those that don't move you.
Another wild explanation for disappearing objects is a dimensional shift. This theory is based around the idea that there are multiple dimensions in existence.
When an object disappears, it has simply moved into another plane of existence. To be found, it must return to the dimension you reside in.
Why do people believe the disappearing object phenomenon is a glitch in the matrix?
All of these are examples of what people refer to as a glitch in the matrix, something that has no logical explanation. That phrase was first coined after the release of the 1999 movie, "The Matrix," starring Keanu Reeves.
It's the theory that we live in a big computer simulation and that sometimes, like any system, there are glitches and bugs that happen for no good reason.
It's a cool way of saying something strange or unusual has happened and, try as I might, I cannot figure out why.
Whether you believe in the disappearing object phenomenon or not, one thing is for sure. We will continue to lose socks, keys, and remote controls and swear that something other than us has to be responsible.
NyRee Ausler is a writer from Seattle, Washington, and author of seven books. She covers lifestyle and entertainment and news, as well as navigating the workplace and social issues.