The Havana Syndrome and Microwave Weapons

■ James C. Lin

E
very few months, if not weeks,
another mysterious attack on U.S.
diplomatic and intelligence per-
sonnel is reported. Some of the attacks
occurred years ago, while others were
recounted as recently as July 2021 [1]–[3].
Over the past four or five years, nearly
200 U.S. personnel have reported simi-
lar attacks while working in places like
Havana, Guangzhou, London, Moscow,
Vienna, and Washington, D.C. The acute
symptoms include headache and nausea
immediately following the sounds of
loud buzzing or bursts. The illness and

©IMAGE LICENSED BY INGRAM PUBLISHING

symptoms have been called the “Havana
Syndrome” after the place where cases
were first reported. It refers to the range
of symptoms first experienced by U.S.
State Department personnel overseas.
The reported accounts from Havana
and elsewhere include people localizing
the sources of sound as coming from
above or behind their heads, experienc- of elimination would preclude such sug- or pressure waves could have been co-
ing a directional sound that ceases if one gested causes as flu, tropical diseases, ul- vertly delivered using a beam of high-
steps away, or one individual would hear trasound, psychosomatic mass hysteria, power pulsed microwave radiation rather
the sound but no one else in the same or swarming cicadas. than blasting the subjects with conven-
room would hear it. Thus, the process Assuming reported accounts are reli- tional sonic sources. Microwave hearing
able, the microwave auditory effect doesn’t go through the ear; it goes di-
James C. Lin (lin@uic.edu) is with provides a scientific explanation for the rectly from the brain tissue to the cochlea.
the University of Illinois at Chicago, Havana Syndrome [4], [5]. Pulsed mi- Absorption of short pulses of microwave
Chicago, Illinois, 60607, USA.
crowaves can create an acoustic wave energy by brain tissues creates a rapid
Digital Object Identifier 10.1109/MMM.2021.3102201 inside the head [6], [7], [14]. It is plausible expansion of brain matter and launches
Date of current version: 4 October 2021 that the loud buzzing, burst of sound, an acoustic wave of pressure (sound

November 2021 13
wave) that travels inside the head to battlefield. It also suggests that the de- meet some specific requirements in co-
the inner ear cochlea [7], [14]. The short terminants of microwave weapon’s an- vert or finely targeted operations.
high-power microwave pulses do not tipersonnel effects are multifactorial and
generate noticeable amounts of heat in RF injuries may be situation-dependent. References
the brain tissues. It envisions that in addition to being [1] K. B. Williams and J. Herb. “US investigating
possible mysterious directed energy attack
Indeed, many researchers and gov- generally useful for a wide variety of
near White House.” CNN. https://edition.cnn
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that the microwave auditory effect— tions include industrial, manufacturing, -mysterious-directed-energy-attack-white
induced by a targeted beam of high and medical facilities in which personnel -house/index.html (accessed Apr. 29, 2021).
[2] “Havana syndrome,” PBS. https://www.pbs
peak-power pulsed microwave radia- may be inadvertently exposed to high- .org/newshour/tag/havana-syndrome (ac-
tion—may be the most likely scientific power microwave sources. cessed July 30, 2021).
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The U.S. National Academies of Sciences, crowaves continues worldwide, includ- reports of Havana syndrome among US dip-
lomats in Vienna.” CNN. https://www.cnn
Engineering, and Medicine released its ing the major military powers [12], [14]. .com/2021/07/18/europe/austria-us-havana
report [8] examining the plausible causes It appears that the U.S. military -syndrome-intl/index.html (accessed July 18,
of the described illnesses and makes the has maintained some interest on the 2021).
[4] J. C. Lin, “The mystery of ‘sonic health attacks’
point that “among the mechanisms the topic of microwave auditory effect
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study committee considered, the most and has awarded a research contract Bull., no. 362, pp. 102–103, Sept. 2017.
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Of course, until the truth is revealed, this to design and build a prototype nonle- wave pulses by humans and animals: Effects,
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crowave weapon may be involved in of this project may be privileged, there to be led by veteran of hunt for Bin Laden,”
Havana Syndrome. are indications that hardware was The Wall Street Journal. https://www.wsj
.com/articles/havana-syndrome-task-force
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-to-be-led-by-a-veteran-of-hunt-for-bin-laden
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weapons, are a growing threat on the existing hardware could be optimized to

14 November 2021