In 1997, an episode of the popular “Pokémon” cartoon caused almost 700 japanese viewers, most of whom were children, to experience a vast range of ailments from blurred vision, dizziness and nausea to hyperventilation, convulsions and even seizures and cases of temporary blindness.
The severe reactions were caused by a virtual explosion scene that flashed red and blue light on the screen at just the right frequency to effect the brain and trigger a photosensitive reaction.
In a follow up study, it was revealed that close to a quarter of those affected by it experienced at least one more convulsion in the five years following the broadcast of the episode.
The incident served as a reminder that visual stimuli such as flashing lights and whirling circles can cause altered consciousness. It is believed that around 1 in 4,000 people are susceptible to seizures induced by such visuals, however, the number of people affected by this Pokémon episode caused some to question those figures.
The incident was also a very visible example of how the human brain can be manipulated and how consciousness can be altered on a mass scale.
Indeed, earlier this year, US Army documents were uncovered that specifically referred to the Pokémon episode and how the military could develop weapons that replicated such effects.
“It is thought by using a method that would actually trigger nerve synapses directly with an electrical field, essentially 100% of individuals would be susceptible to seizure induction.” the documents read.
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