Imagine the scenario: a person has been missing for days, their family and friends in distress, wondering where they could be. Then, unexpectedly, the missing person calls—but they call themselves. The situation takes a bizarre turn as the person who is presumed lost seems to be in control of their own fate, yet they remain unreachable and their location remains a mystery.
This peculiar phenomenon has occurred in several real-life cases, leaving investigators and loved ones alike confused and unsettled. What happens when a missing person reaches out, but instead of offering clear answers, they merely call themselves or provide cryptic messages? In this article, we’ll explore real-life cases, the theories behind such incidents, and the potential psychological factors that might contribute to such strange behavior.
The Case of the Vanishing Woman: A Mysterious Call From the Unknown
One of the most widely discussed cases of a missing person calling themselves involves Maura Murray, a 21-year-old college student who disappeared in 2004. Murray was last seen driving in New Hampshire, but after her car was found abandoned, there were no clear signs of what had happened to her. Her case sparked widespread media attention and intense investigation, yet, despite various leads, Maura’s whereabouts remained unknown.
Then came the strange phone call. In the days after her disappearance, Maura’s phone records showed a call placed from her phone to her own number. No one knows exactly what the purpose of the call was or who made it, but it raised serious questions. Why would someone call themselves? Was it a cry for help, a simple mistake, or something more sinister?
The unanswered call became a symbol of the mystery that has surrounded Maura’s case for years. Despite multiple theories, no one can explain why she would make such a call or whether it’s linked to her disappearance.
Other Similar Cases: The Mystery of Self-Calls
While Maura Murray’s case remains one of the most prominent, there have been other instances of missing persons either calling themselves or being found in inexplicable circumstances that involve self-contact. Here are some additional examples:
1. The Strange Case of Brandon Swanson
In 2008, 19-year-old Brandon Swanson went missing after his car went off the road in rural Minnesota. Brandon made a phone call to his parents, saying that he was near a town called Lac Qui Parle and needed help. However, during the call, he mentioned something odd: he said he saw a light in the distance and believed he was near a highway, though his position didn’t match his description.
Then, about 47 minutes into the call, there was a sudden loud noise, and Brandon went silent. He never answered his phone again. Authorities were unable to locate him, despite extensive searches. It was later revealed that Brandon had accidentally made another phone call to his own voicemail. The fact that he was still able to dial his own number added a bizarre twist to an already strange case. To this day, his disappearance remains unsolved, and the unexplained phone call continues to haunt his family.
2. The Disappearance of Elisa Lam
In 2013, Elisa Lam, a 21-year-old Canadian student, vanished during a trip to Los Angeles. While the circumstances of her disappearance are well-known—her body was later discovered in a hotel water tank under strange conditions—what many don’t know is that, in the days before her death, Lam was recorded on an elevator surveillance camera, behaving erratically and seemingly talking to someone invisible. Some have speculated that the strange behavior in the elevator, combined with the unusual nature of her disappearance, suggests that she may have been trying to communicate with something—or someone—she couldn’t see.
While Elisa didn’t explicitly call herself during her disappearance, her actions have sparked widespread theories and discussions about mental illness, stress, and even supernatural possibilities. Her story is often linked to cases where missing people, for reasons not fully understood, seem to interact with their environment in a way that doesn’t make sense to others.
What Are the Psychological Factors Behind Self-Calls?
When a missing person calls themselves, it opens up a number of questions about the mental state of the individual involved. Could this behavior be linked to psychological factors such as confusion, stress, or delirium? Below are some psychological explanations that might offer insights into why a missing person would make such a call.
1. Disassociation and Fugue States
One potential explanation is that the missing person may be experiencing a form of dissociation. In psychological terms, a dissociative state is when an individual feels disconnected from their identity or surroundings. This can manifest as confusion, disorientation, and a temporary loss of self-awareness. In extreme cases, this could lead to the person calling themselves in a detached manner, without realizing the strangeness of the act.
A dissociative fugue, for example, is a condition where a person unexpectedly travels away from home and is unable to remember how they got there. They might act in strange or disconnected ways, as though they are not fully aware of what is happening to them. The strange call could be a sign of this condition.
2. Psychosis and Delusional Thoughts
In some cases, missing persons may suffer from psychosis or other mental health disorders that cause them to experience delusions or hallucinations. A person who is disoriented and mentally disturbed might believe they need to communicate with themselves as part of their delusional thoughts.
The call could be part of a delusion in which the person believes they need to remind themselves of something important or escape an imagined threat. Psychosis can distort a person’s perception of reality, leading to behaviors that others might find completely illogical or bizarre.
3. A Cry for Help
Another possibility is that the missing person is intentionally trying to signal their location or condition but is unable to express themselves clearly. By calling themselves, they may believe that they are sending a coded message or offering a distress signal. Perhaps they are trying to communicate but don’t know how to reach out to the right people or words in their current state.
This theory could suggest a cry for help, but in a format that no one understands until after the fact. The message could remain cryptic, adding to the confusion surrounding the disappearance.
What Happens After the Self-Call?
If a missing person makes a call to themselves, authorities will typically use phone records, GPS tracking, and other investigative tools to determine the exact location of the call. However, the vagueness of the situation often means that the missing person’s whereabouts remain unknown.
It’s crucial to consider all possibilities, from psychological distress to deliberate actions meant to confuse or mislead. Investigators will continue to follow any leads, and families remain hopeful that they’ll uncover the true nature of the incident.
The Unanswered Questions
The phenomenon of a missing person calling themselves is both eerie and perplexing. While some of these cases have been solved, others continue to elude explanation, leaving behind a trail of unanswered questions and strange theories. The uncertainty surrounding these calls, the cryptic nature of the messages, and the circumstances of the disappearances all contribute to the mystique of these cases.
For loved ones, a call from a missing person can be a beacon of hope, but it can also bring more confusion, as the message’s meaning remains unclear. What might seem like a simple phone call could actually be a complex psychological puzzle, revealing deeper layers of human behavior, distress, and desperation.
