Psychiatric studies of patients with peptic ulcers treated by vagotomy revealed that one of the sequelæ of this operation is a syndrome characterized by the persistence of ulcer pain despite roentgenologic evidence of healing. The hypothesis is proposed that this may represent a phantom sensation, a visceral phantom pain. It is suggested that the peptic ulcer may become part of the patient's body image and that the ego syntonic or narcissistic cathexis of the illness leads to the perpetuation of the pain.