Magnetophosphenes are flashes of light (phosphenes) that are seen when one is subjected to a changing magnetic field such as when in an MRI. This changing field causes current within the retina or visual cortex resulting in the illusion of light.[1] In one series, 8 out of 1023 people having an MRI experienced flashing lights.[2]
Magnetophosphenes have been proposed as an explanation for ball lightning.[3]
^"ReviseMRI.com : Magnetophosphenes".
^Weintraub MI, Khoury A, Cole SP (July 2007). "Biologic effects of 3 Tesla (T) MR imaging comparing traditional 1.5 T and 0.6 T in 1023 consecutive outpatients". J Neuroimaging. 17 (3): 241–5. doi:10.1111/j.1552-6569.2007.00118.x. PMID 17608910. S2CID 44619313.
^"Technology Review: Blogs: arXiv blog: Magnetically Induced Hallucinations Explain Ball Lightning, Say Physicists". www.technologyreview.com. Archived from the original on 2010-05-13.
Magnetophosphenes are flashes of light (phosphenes) that are seen when one is subjected to a changing magnetic field such as when in an MRI. This changing...
to give the same hallucination results in the laboratory (termed magnetophosphenes), and these conditions have been shown to occur in nature near lightning...
in the retina. Phosphenes created by magnetic fields are known as magnetophosphenes. Astronauts exposed to radiation in space have reported seeing phosphenes...
are strong enough can stimulate sensory organs or nerves and cause magnetophosphenes (light flashes), vertigo, nausea or muscle twitches and pain. The...