Norwegian Scientist Gives Himself Brain Damage, Trying To Disprove ‘Havana Syndrome’

NDTV | February 17, 2026 | 11:53 AM IST | Breaking News, Science, World | Follow on Google News

Norwegian Scientist Gives Himself Brain Damage, Trying To Disprove ‘Havana Syndrome’

Norwegian scientist suffered brain damage after testing an experimental weapon designed to disprove the existence of ‘Havana Syndrome’ — an unexplained medical condition with severe symptoms, including headaches and dizziness, that has been reported in hundreds of spies and diplomats across the world. Working on a top-secret research project in 2024, the scientist constructed the device capable of emitting powerful pulses of microwave radiation.

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The researcher, however, soon developed symptoms of the mysterious disease, with the Norwegian government reaching out to the CIA, according to a report in The Washington Post. At least two visits to Norway by Pentagon and White House officials followed, with those familiar with the matter stating that the Norwegian scientist’s symptoms were not an exact match for a ‘classic’ case of Havana Syndrome.

While the US government officially classifies these mysterious cases as “anomalous health incidents” (AHIs), a more targeted theory persists that Havana Syndrome results from deliberate attacks using pulsed energy weapons.

The phenomenon first surfaced in 2016 among US embassy staff in Cuba, who reported sudden, disorienting cognitive symptoms. Since those initial cases, the mystery has gone global, with cases reported across more than 15 countries, including Russia, China, India, and the UK.

Homeland Testing Device

In January, a CNN report claimed that the US government had spent more than a year testing a device purchased in an undercover operation, which could be the cause of mysterious illnesses. Using funding provided by the Defense Department, a division of the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), purchased the device for millions of dollars at the fag end of the Biden administration.

The device reportedly produces pulsed radio waves, which experts have long speculated as the cause of the incidents. Although the device is not entirely Russian in origin, it contains Russian components. It remains unclear how the US government learned of the existence of the device in order to purchase it.

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