“Certain individuals are born with special sensitivity to flashing lights or contrasting visual patterns, such as stripes, grids and checkerboards. Because of this condition, their brain will produce seizures when exposed to this type of visual stimulation.” Dr Erba goes on to say this type of seizure is genetic and may be present in several members of one family usually effecting children and adolescents before age 20.
“A similar kind of effect occurred
accidentally during an episode of the original Pokemon anime, aired on December
16, 1997. According to Bill Christensen Technovelgy.com. During one sequence,
Pikachu stops some vaccine missiles with its Thunderbolt attack; the resulting
explosion was done with a technique called "paki paki." Bright strobe
lights blinked at 12 Hz full screen for several seconds. “Thousands of viewers
reported a wide variety of symptoms: nausea, headaches, blurred vision, seizures
and convulsions. Doctors found that only a very small number were actually
children with photosensitive epilepsy”.
There is no question that
flashing lights and patterns can affect the brains visual
cortex, which may cause multiple symptoms.
In fact the military has come up with a new generation of non-lethal
strobe light weapons. The scientific
community was not convinced of its effectiveness, but after the test results the
project became classified and secret (this is what the military calls going
black). Wired magazine reported on
the project March 3, 2009 in an article entitled:
“Strobe Weapons Go Black After mmobilization’ Tests”
David Hambling quotes a
researcher, who wishes to remain anonymous but whose credentials check out.
“There
have been a number of [unpublished] studies on strobing of light and other
electromagnetic sources that can not only render people dazzled, but also
unconscious and even to the point of seizing (like epileptic seizures). The
point of undiagnosed light sensitive epilepsy is an underreported phenomenon and
was partially responsible for this project going black. It is possible to
photically drive just about everyone and find the point at which their visual
cortex “drives” or responds to the frequency that is being presented as a
visual stimulus… if the stimulus is powerful and coherent enough, just about
everyone can be affected.”
Computers can trigger seizures
and people watching TV also have experienced some of the same kind of symptoms.
It has even been reported that a person while traveling on a train,
looking at the light between fence posts or the glare of light from a near by
lake between the moving leaves of a tree, has experienced seizures. So what do
you do if you are a photosensitive and pattern-sensitive epileptic?
Some of the suggestions that may help to avert computer-triggered
seizures are:
1.
Avoid working or playing on the computer if you are tired. 2. Look away from the
screen frequently. 3. Cover one eye if you are feeling ill 4. Do not play on the
computer if you had alcoholic beverages.
5.
Limit the time you spend on the computer, just to name a few.
Bill
Conkis
Sassy’s
Computers, Inc.
May
19, 2009
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