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A secret experiment by a Norwegian government scientist, who exposed himself to a prototype microwave device and later developed symptoms similar to “Havana syndrome,” has intensified debate among security officials over whether directed-energy technology could be behind the unexplained illness, The Washington Post reported.
The previously unreported episode has become a significant new clue in the decade-long effort to determine the cause of Anomalous Health Incidents (AHIs), the term the US uses for the unexplained condition affecting diplomats and intelligence staff worldwide.
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According to The Washington Post, the Norwegian researcher built a machine capable of emitting powerful pulsed microwave energy and in 2024 tested it on himself to demonstrate it as harmless. He subsequently experienced neurological symptoms similar to those reported in AHI cases, including cognitive disturbance and dizziness.
Norway shared the test results with US intelligence agencies, prompting several visits by Pentagon and White House officials to examine the device and its implications.
Those familiar with the test cautioned that it does not prove AHIs are the work of a foreign adversary or a specific weapon. However, the incident strengthened arguments among some US officials and scientists that pulsed electromagnetic devices can affect human biology.
US INTELLIGENCE SPLIT OVER CAUSE
The Norway findings surfaced alongside other developments that have complicated US intelligence assessments of Havana syndrome. The Post reported that US authorities also obtained a separate foreign-made pulsed radio-frequency device, now under Defence Department testing, whose origin has not been definitively established.
At roughly the same time, two US intelligence agencies revised earlier views and concluded that some AHI cases could plausibly involve foreign action. An updated intelligence assessment in January 2025 indicated a foreign actor might possess technology capable of producing biological effects consistent with some symptoms.
Other agencies, including the CIA, maintained it remained “very unlikely” that a foreign adversary had developed or deployed such a weapon.
NORWAY TEST SHIFTS DEBATE
The Norwegian experiment was striking partly because the scientist involved had been a prominent critic of the directed-energy theory. According to the report, people familiar with the events said he intended to disprove the idea that pulsed-energy exposure could cause neurological harm — but experienced symptoms instead.
The device itself was reportedly constructed using classified information, suggesting it may have been based on foreign technical designs. It was not identical to the separate device later acquired by US authorities, the report said.
Since first reported among US Embassy staff in Havana in 2016, AHIs have affected hundreds of American personnel across multiple regions. Symptoms typically include dizziness, headaches, cognitive impairment and hearing disturbances.
Earlier US intelligence reviews concluded it was unlikely a foreign adversary was responsible, but some officials have argued that pulsed electromagnetic energy plausibly explains key features of reported cases.
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