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Brain & Nervous SystemPart of the Glaser Archive

Holographic Assessment of a Hypothesized Microwave Hearing Mechanism

No Effects Found

Allan H. Frey, Elaine Coren · 1979

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Advanced imaging disproved the leading theory for how microwaves create hearing sensations, leaving the mechanism unexplained.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

Scientists tested whether pulse-modulated microwaves create the sensation of hearing sounds by converting electromagnetic energy to acoustic waves in the skull. Using advanced holographic imaging, researchers found that the predicted tissue movements in the head did not occur, ruling out this proposed mechanism. This challenges our understanding of how microwave energy might interact with human hearing perception.

Finding

Dynamic time-averaged interferometric holography showed that the predicted motion of head tissue did not occur.

In their words

“Dynamic time-averaged interferometric holography showed that the predicted motion of head tissue did not occur.”
Cite This Study
Allan H. Frey, Elaine Coren (1979). Holographic Assessment of a Hypothesized Microwave Hearing Mechanism.
Show BibTeX
@article{holographic_assessment_of_a_hypothesized_microwave_hearing_mechanism_g3927,
  author = {Allan H. Frey and Elaine Coren},
  title = {Holographic Assessment of a Hypothesized Microwave Hearing Mechanism},
  year = {1979},
  
  
}
No DOI on file for this study.

Quick Questions About This Study

The microwave auditory effect is when people perceive sounds or clicking noises when exposed to pulse-modulated microwave radiation, even though no actual sound waves are present in the environment.
Dynamic time-averaged interferometric holography measured tissue movement in real-time during microwave exposure. The predicted skull and tissue vibrations that would create sound conduction simply didn't occur.
Since we don't understand how microwaves create auditory sensations, we may not fully understand other biological interactions with the pulsed microwave signals used in cell phones and wireless devices.
The study suggested an alternative mechanism exists but didn't identify it specifically. They ruled out acoustic conversion in skull tissue but left the actual cause unexplained.
If microwaves can directly affect sensory perception through unknown pathways, this could reveal broader biological interactions we haven't discovered yet, impacting EMF safety assessments and exposure guidelines.