Tremors of the Hands and Fingers and What it Signifies

Published: 21st of July, 2024 by Patrick Carpen.

Tremors of the hands and fingers affect millions of people around the world at some point of their lives. For some, the condition is more chronic and pronounced, while for others it is very temporary and conditional. Tremors of the hands and fingers is something that I’ve personally struggled with from time to time, so that makes me somewhat qualified to discuss the subject.

I remember watching the Hollywood blockbuster war film, “Saving Private Ryan,” sometime around the year 2000. The main character, portrayed by Tom Hands, was suffering from very pronounced hand tremors as the military vessel was approaching the beach of Normandy, France. Although the situation is one that warrants fear, soldiers, or people in general, do not necessarily experience tremors as they are about to engage in combat situations. In the movie, the character played by Hands explained that the tremor of the hands had started a long time ago, and would happen from time to time. His condition was more physiological than psychological.

Tremors of the hands and fingers are mostly triggered by psychological factors, but they can be influenced by physiological factors as well. Physiological factors that predispose a person’s hands to tremors include lack of certain vitamins. However, the condition is about 95% or more psychologically rooted.

Tremors of the hands and fingers is often accompanied from time to time by tremors of other parts of the body such as the eyelids, lips, or around the eyes. It is also closely linked to stage fright and other forms of nervousness. Most of the time, when a person’s hands or fingers (or both) are shaky, it signifies that the person is uncomfortable in the situation, feels somewhat unsure of themselves, lacks confidence in the situation or themselves, or is subconsciously afraid of a potential outcome.

The first time I remember having tremor of the hands was at the age of 16. Since then, it happened on and off in a variety of different situations. It sometimes happened when I stood in front of a crowd, when I’m talking to someone whom I felt somewhat intimidated by etc. If I’m turning the pages of a book, my fingers sometimes trembled if someone was looking at me. But if no one was looking, it would be less likely to happen.

Tremor of the hands and fingers may be the subconscious mind trying to warn us that the situation we’re in is not healthy. Although there may appear to be no danger in the situation from all outward appearances, we must bear in mind that the subconscious mind knows infinitely more than the conscious, and it may be trying to warn us that we should avoid such circumstances, situations, or persons. But the psychological response could also be rooted in baseless fears.

On several occasions, I have noticed persons having tremors when talking or interacting with me. In 2017, I was signing a business contract with a very healthy young man when I noticed that both his lips and fingers were trembling. At that time, he perceived me to be someone of higher status than him, and it was the first time we had met. In 2024, I was having a chat with two evangelists. We were discussing the bible, but I was doing most of the talking. As I referenced a bible story, the young man, about 27 years old, was turning the page of the bible when I noticed his hands shaking. Perhaps he felt overwhelmed by the fact that I was very knowledgeable, or perhaps it was just a haphazard occurrence.

Around the year 2020, after I was in the habit of drinking about one energy drink, which are high in the B vitamins, every two weeks, I noticed that my tendency to have tremors in the hands reduced significantly.

In my observation, being a very healthy male with no health conditions who suffered from tremors of the hands and fingers periodically, I deduce that the condition at least 95% psychological, and it is triggered when a person is in a somewhat unconformable situation.