A Norwegian scientist reportedly tested a secret weapon on himself to prove the existence of Havana Syndrome, leaving him with brain damage.The unidentified government researcher built a machine capable of firing powerful pulses of microwave energy in an attempt to prove that such devices are harmless to humans, The Daily Telegraph reported.But after testing himself under strict confidentiality in 2024, he developed symptoms similar to the mysterious illness plaguing American diplomats around the world.The Norwegian government notified the CIA of the secret test and its results, prompting at least two visits from Pentagon and White House officials, The Washington Post reported.The disease was first reported in 2016, when diplomats at the U.S. Embassy in Cuba began experiencing unexplained cognitive symptoms, including extreme headaches, dizziness, memory loss, and hearing loss.Since then, cases of Havana Syndrome have been reported by diplomats and government staff in more than 15 countries. The U.S. government calls such reports “unusual health events.”The bizarre story supports the argument of some who claim that the unexplained illness may be the product of secret “pulse energy” devices that emit powerful beams of electromagnetic energy for short periods of time.There has been speculation that the United States obtained such machines after capturing Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro on January 3.An anonymous account of the raid, purportedly from one of Mr. Maduro’s bodyguards, said a blast of sound knocked security personnel off their feet while also causing them to bleed from the nose and vomit blood.“All of a sudden, I felt like my head was exploding from the inside,” the unnamed person said in the purported interview shared by conservative influencers on social media.“We all started bleeding from our noses. Some were vomiting blood. We fell to the ground, unable to move. “US President Donald Trump has since hinted at the use of such machines.He told the New York Post: “Discombbulator. I’m not allowed to talk about it.“They’ve never launched a rocket. They have Russian and Chinese rockets, but they’ve never launched. We come in, they push the button, and it doesn’t do anything. They’re all ready for us.”In recent years, there have been suspicions that a foreign power, possibly Russia, bombed U.S. officials with microwaves, damaging their nervous systems.The Kremlin denies such claims and there is no evidence that it is responsible for any reported cases of Havana Syndrome.Some critics believe the disease is caused by targeted sonic attacks. Others attribute it to stress, air pollution, or chemical agents like pesticides.In January 2022, an interim CIA assessment concluded that those behind Havana Syndrome were likely not foreign.Following the 2024 presidential election, White House officials said they were unsure whether the symptoms were caused by a foreign actor but believed “external factors” could be to blame, The Washington Post reported.