Oh boy… Mind control through screen flicker

US Patent US6506148 B2,
This patent describes a surprising way that everyday devices like computer monitors and TV screens can affect a person’s nervous system—without them even realizing it. The trick lies in making the image on the screen pulse very slightly and slowly, at specific low frequencies (like 0.5 Hz or 2.4 Hz). Even though these pulses are too faint for a person to notice (they’re "subliminal"), they cause the monitor to emit tiny electromagnetic fields.
These weak fields can gently stimulate certain nerves in your skin, especially on your face. Those nerves send signals to your brain in a slightly altered pattern—a kind of rhythmic “wobble” in their normal firing. If this wobble matches a natural rhythm your brain is sensitive to (called a “sensory resonance”), it can trigger physical effects like:
* Heavy or drooping eyelids
* Feelings of calm or sleepiness
* A strange pressure between the eyes
* Stomach tension or even sexual arousal
The inventor shows that you can create these pulses using a simple computer program or by modifying a video signal (like from a DVD or TV broadcast). The key idea is that you don’t need electrodes or direct contact—just sitting near a screen that’s subtly pulsing is enough to influence your nervous system.
Importantly, the patent warns that this could be misused—for example, to secretly influence people watching TV or browsing online. The author doesn’t endorse such covert use but wants people to be aware it’s possible.