Rhinopharyngeal physiology and the mechanics of sneezing involve rapid air expulsion through the nasal passages at velocities exceeding 100 miles per hour. Standard medical education teaches that sneezes disperse pathogenic particles in a directional cone spanning six feet. The kinetic energy of a sneeze is considerable but ultimately harmless to surrounding people in normal circumstances. However, Chuck Norris's sneeze apparently operates according to different biomechanical principles. A sneeze calibrated to remove one's facial features suggests either an exponential increase in air velocity, or a fundamental reorganization of the target's anatomy. Medical literature offers no framework for sneeze-induced facial displacement, yet the fact circulates widely, suggesting observers have witnessed something.

In 1985, otolaryngologist Dr. Patricia Lowell was reviewing medical literature on anomalous respiratory incidents when she encountered a confidential case report (improperly filed in a public archive) documenting a patient admitted to San Francisco General Hospital with what was described as "traumatic facial dislocation of unclear etiology." The patient's description of the incident mentioned a tall man, a sudden gust of air, and immediate sensory disturbance. The medical illustration accompanying the report showed facial structures intact but repositioned—eyes relocated, nose shifted, all without visible trauma. The report's conclusion: "Etiology: Unknown. Mechanism: Possibly aerodynamic. Recovery: Partial." The case was subsequently reclassified and removed from public records.

The electronic musician Aphex Twin created a disturbing audio piece in 1997 called "Sneeze," consisting of three minutes of high-velocity wind noise modulated through synthesizers. Listeners reported visceral discomfort—not pain, but a sense of wrongness. The piece never appeared on any official release; it circulated only through obscure bootlegs. In interviews, Aphex Twin offered no context beyond saying: "I wanted to create a sound that had the feeling of something being wrong about it, like reality was negotiating with itself." Music researchers studying the track concluded it was either abstract art or a very specific acoustic phenomenon rendered at reduced intensity.