Strobe Lights? Risk for others? - Epilepsy Message Board

DJVera · 04-10-2006, 05:19 PM

I'm having a MASSIVE party this upcoming weekend and I will be having a strobe light present (capable of 4 - 15 flashes per second). I understand that only a small percentage of those with epilepsy are sensitive to this sort of lighting, and I will warn guests prior to arriving that a strobe light will be used throughout the party. However, I am more concerned with the effects it potentially has on those without epilepsy. Can the usage of a strobe light for 5 minutes (without pause) every 5-10 minutes cause any harm to those without epilepsy? I know that long periods of use may cause disorientation but that is the least of my worries. How long is too long? Any help would be appreciated, thank you.

neurowreck · 04-10-2006, 06:27 PM

Shouldn't be a problem for those without seizures. We don't have any different EEG patterns with strobe lights- we have complex partials, but nothing sensitive to strobe lites per se- we just don't like them....they are an irritant to us, but don't cause seizures....might ask the guests part way through if the lights are bothering anyone- especially if alcohol is going to be served, which decreases seizure threshhold in a lot of people...

DJVera · 04-10-2006, 07:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by neurowreck

Shouldn't be a problem for those without seizures. We don't have any different EEG patterns with strobe lights- we have complex partials, but nothing sensitive to strobe lites per se- we just don't like them....they are an irritant to us, but don't cause seizures....might ask the guests part way through if the lights are bothering anyone- especially if alcohol is going to be served, which decreases seizure threshhold in a lot of people...

thanks

I believe one girl is epileptic but is not photosensitive.....and according to your response, it shouldn't be too much of a problem. Alrighty!

Travis from MN · 04-11-2006, 03:46 AM

Depending on the size of the strobe (lumens), and room wall and lighting conditions (if it will bounce or not), and if you have other cans of the rack, it just depends how annoying it is, if it is hitting them in the eyes or not.

You COULD post a generic paper at the door Warning STROBE will be used tonight

At Concerts the vari-lights would go into patterns for the songs, figure 3 and a half minutes per track; if they did songs back to back thats 7 minutes of that style lighting late at night. Usually we hung 8-10 of the units, sometimes we had 3 downstage evenly spaced out. (cans were 2 rows upstage and downstage; one row left and right; don't remind me of preparing and stacking the Gels in the correct order)

For the rapidly fashing cans on the crowds or vari-lights we never had a problem of them causing seizures or never even posted a warning about them to the public; even though there IS a warning on the units about looking into them.

Thats 6 YEARS of working at a 3 day fest and no problems with seizures; and I am an epileptic myself.

--Travis