Since the outbreak of Operation Roaring Lion against Iran, vigilance has been at its peak. Even during relatively quiet moments, when everything appears calm outside, many people report a familiar sensation: they think they hear an air-raid siren, a sound that makes the heart race for a split second, only to realize that no alert was issued.
Sometimes the trigger is a motorcycle speeding down the street, another person’s phone notification or even a strong gust of wind. Each can activate the brain’s internal emergency response.
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'The brain would rather assume there is a siren when there isn’t than risk missing a real alert'
(Photo: Jack GUEZ / AFP)
The phenomenon, experts say, is far from rare. But does it signal anxiety? A sign of post-trauma? Or is it simply a natural defense mechanism in an over-alert nervous system?
Dr. Yarden Levinsky, head of mental health services at Clalit Health Services, says the reaction is entirely normal and doesn’t indicate any problem. “In our current reality, the brain is in a state of heightened vigilance, constantly ready to identify danger, which now means a siren.”
According to Levinsky, the brain prefers a “false positive” over the risk of missing a real threat. “The brain would rather make a mistake, assuming there is a siren when there isn’t, than risk missing a real one,” he explained.
“Metaphorically speaking, it turns up the ‘volume’ of the environment. It looks for signs that something is happening, and sometimes it misinterprets what it hears. Even a loud motorcycle engine or a faint buzzing noise can trigger the reaction."
Levinsky compares the experience to a well-known everyday phenomenon. “It’s similar to ‘phantom vibration syndrome,’ when people feel their phone vibrating in their pocket even though it didn’t,” he said. “The brain becomes accustomed to looking for a certain pattern, and it searches for it so actively that sometimes it identifies it even when it isn’t actually happening.”
Dr. Yarden LevinskyPhoto: Galit LevinskyHe said the key question is whether the reaction mainly affects people who are more sensitive to stress or reflects a broader social phenomenon tied to nationwide tension. Levinsky says the numbers are striking. “It’s very common, especially after October 7, a period marked by frequent air raid sirens,” he said. “Many people will tell you they have experienced this.”
Another key question is how to determine whether it is a normal stress response or a sign of a deeper mental health issue. “It’s quite easy to tell the difference,” Levinsky said. “You listen, realize there is no siren and understand it wasn’t real. People who truly have a serious problem will continue behaving as if there were a siren. That would be a psychotic situation, and it is not the common case.”
What about post-traumatic stress disorder?
“In people with post-traumatic stress, this would not be the only symptom,” Levinsky explained. “It comes with a whole system of reactions such as flashbacks, avoidance behaviors, mood changes and other symptoms.”
Those suffering from PTSD may experience intense stress episodes and relive traumatic events. Simply thinking you heard a siren, he said, does not by itself indicate post-trauma. “Prolonged stress certainly affects people,” he added. “But these false siren experiences themselves don’t carry any particular clinical significance.”
Despite the constant tension, Levinsky stresses that the phenomenon is not permanent. Just as the brain learned to stay on high alert, it will also learn to stand down once circumstances change.
“When the war ends, it will gradually decrease and disappear,” he said. “Six months later you won’t feel it. It takes a few days of realizing there are no sirens, and then the brain stops searching for them.”
For those who find the experience disturbing, he suggests a simple practical solution. “A good option is to silence the Home Front Command alert app on your phone,” he said. “If you’re not sure whether there was a siren, just check the app. Once you outsource the detection of sirens to the app, you don’t need to keep scanning for them yourself, and that reduces how often these episodes occur.”