Bucha effect

The Bucha effect is a seizure-inducing effect of light flashing at 1 Hz to 20 Hz, similar to epilepsy but not restricted to people with histories of epilepsy.

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It is named after a Dr. Bucha who identified the phenomenon in the 1950s when called upon to investigate a series of similar and unexplained helicopter crashes. Those pilots who had survived reported sudden onset of dizziness and confusion, causing them to lose control of their aircraft. Dr. Bucha found that helicopter rotor blades, when turning at certain speeds, could cause flashes of sunlight at frequencies coinciding with the electrical frequencies of the central nervous system (brainwaves), inducing symptoms similar to epileptic seizures, including disorientation, nausea, etc.

The Bucha effect has been considered as a principle for various forms of non-lethal weapon.

See also

• Strobe light
• Photosensitive epilepsy