A Norwegian government-affiliated researcher deliberately exposed himself to a pulsed microwave device to test whether directed-energy exposure could plausibly explain Havana Syndrome. Instead of disproving the hypothesis, he reportedly developed neurological symptoms following the controlled exposure, prompting review by U.S. national security and health officials. The incident represents a rare case in which a scientist directly tested the biological plausibility of microwave-induced neurological effects in humans.
Havana Syndrome is the informal label given to a group of unexplained neurological complaints first identified among U.S. diplomatic staff in Havana in 2016. Individuals described sudden onset of dizziness, headaches, balance problems, ear symptoms, and cognitive difficulties.
U.S. agencies now refer to these cases as Anomalous Health Incidents (AHIs). Over the years, several hundred personnel stationed in different countries have reported similar symptoms. Despite multiple investigations, no single confirmed cause has been established.
Several hypotheses have been explored, including environmental factors, psychological stress, and exposure to directed radiofrequency or microwave energy. However, recent intelligence assessments have generally considered coordinated foreign attacks to be unlikely.
Reports indicate that the Norwegian researcher was initially skeptical of claims that microwave or radiofrequency devices could produce the symptoms seen in Havana Syndrome. To test this assumption, he constructed a pulsed-microwave device using specialized electromagnetic engineering knowledge and conducted the exposure under controlled experimental conditions. The researcher has not been publicly identified, but reports describe him as a government-affiliated scientist with access to technical expertise and laboratory equipment capable of generating pulsed microwave signals.
Following the exposure, he reportedly developed neurological complaints such as dizziness and cognitive disturbance. These findings were communicated to U.S. authorities. Officials from agencies including the CIA and the Pentagon reviewed the incident to assess its relevance to ongoing investigations into AHIs.
The Norwegian case does not establish that Havana Syndrome cases were caused by directed-energy attacks. Officials familiar with the review have stated that the scientist’s clinical presentation did not fully match typical AHI patterns.
However, the episode does contribute one important scientific point: under certain conditions, pulsed microwave exposure may produce measurable neurological effects in humans. Scientific research has previously demonstrated that pulsed microwave radiation can interact with neural tissue. One example is the microwave auditory effect, in which individuals perceive sounds caused by microwave-induced thermoelastic expansion within brain tissue. This phenomenon confirms that microwave energy can directly influence neural structures under specific exposure conditions.¹
At the same time, intelligence and medical communities emphasize that a single self-experiment cannot explain the wide geographic distribution and varied clinical features reported in AHI cases worldwide.
From a clinical standpoint, Havana Syndrome remains difficult to define. There is currently:
No validated diagnostic biomarker
No consistent imaging signature
No confirmed exposure threshold
Previous government-supported studies have produced mixed findings, with some failing to demonstrate clear structural brain injury among affected personnel. This inconsistency continues to complicate both diagnosis and causation research.
The Norwegian experiment has renewed attention because it moves the discussion from theory toward human exposure data. Yet major gaps remain. Researchers still need controlled, reproducible studies that clarify dose-response relationships, mechanisms of injury, and long-term outcomes.
For healthcare professionals, the priority remains careful clinical evaluation of reported cases and avoidance of premature conclusions. For policymakers and scientists, the episode reinforces the need for transparent, multidisciplinary research into unexplained neurological symptom clusters.
While the Norwegian self-experiment does not resolve the Havana Syndrome mystery, it introduces rare human exposure data into a debate previously dominated by theoretical and indirect evidence. The findings support the biological plausibility that microwave exposure can affect neural function under certain conditions, but they also highlight the need to determine exposure thresholds, mechanisms, and reproducibility before any definitive conclusions can be drawn.
Frey, Allan H. "Human auditory system response to modulated electromagnetic energy." Journal of Applied Physiology 17, no. 4 (1962): 689 to 692. https://doi.org/10.1152/jappl.1962.17.4.689
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. An Assessment of Illness in U.S. Government Employees and Their Families at Overseas Embassies. Washington, DC: National Academies Press, 2020. https://doi.org/10.17226/25889
(Rh/SS/MSM)