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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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Microwave radiation can trigger sound perception without heating tissue, proving non-thermal biological effects exist.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

Researchers tested whether pulsed microwave radiation creates sound perception by causing skull vibrations, as previously theorized. Using advanced holographic imaging, they found the skull doesn't vibrate as predicted, disproving this mechanism. The study suggests the microwave hearing effect must occur through a different biological pathway.

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_g6167,
  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

Microwave hearing is when pulsed microwave radiation makes people perceive sounds like clicks or buzzing. Researchers used holographic imaging to test whether skull vibrations cause this effect, but found no predicted tissue movement.
No, the holographic assessment showed skull tissue did not move as predicted by the bone conduction theory. This definitively ruled out skull vibrations as the mechanism behind microwave-induced sound perception.
Since skull vibration was ruled out, researchers suggested an alternative location for the microwave hearing effect. The study indicates the phenomenon likely occurs through direct interaction with auditory nerves or brain tissue.
No, microwave hearing occurs at power levels well below those that cause tissue heating. This demonstrates that microwave radiation can have biological effects through non-thermal mechanisms that current safety standards don't address.
This study proves microwave radiation can directly affect the nervous system without heating tissue. It challenges the foundation of current EMF safety standards, which only consider thermal effects from wireless radiation exposure.