is the anime technique
that is used to create strong flashes of colour
. It is more generally known as Transmitted Light Photographing
In the early evening on December 16th, 1997
, nearly 700 children were taken to area hospitals in Japan
with complaints of sudden illness
, akin to epileptic seizure
s. Over 1700 children were absent from elementary school
s the very next day.
These children became ill at approximately 6:50 pm, while watching episode #38 of the original Pokemon
cartoon. The Pikachu
character successfully detonated incoming rocket
s, and the resulting explosions appeared as blue and red blast
s of colour. It was also discovered in the later research that similar symptoms had occurred, although smaller in scale
, during the airing of "YAT Anshin! Space Travel
" story #25 on Saturday, March 29, 1997.
Formal experiments later confirmed that the rapid
ic flashing of blues and reds triggered the seizures. The symptom
s varied, and all affected children recovered soon after.
Paka paka was used in this particular scene. Illuminating the animation cell
from behind during production photography
creates a more radiant flash or light effect.
This is commonly used in the genre
. In fact, paka paka was used in many previous episodes without (reported) incident. There were certainly other key factors at work, including the child's proximity
to the television, light levels in the room, and the size of the screen
Nor is this an isolate
d incident. Music video
, and advertisement
s have been known to cause seizures for a small percentage of the viewing population
. Early videogame
s came with health
warnings for those who may be at risk.
(PSE) is not a new phenomenon
s (and/or extreme discomfort
) can be created experimentally using existing biofeedback
technology. Through an electroencephalograph
, a stroboscopic
flash can be synchronized with the brain waves of the subject, generating what is equivalent to a neurological feedback
loop. In this case the subtle rhythms of the mind are fed directly back through the visual cortex. Consciousness loss begins to happen