Can looking at a laser point cause retina damage?

Possible more potentially damaging -- although not to the eye -- is that a regular pointer laser can overwhelm the eye with light, typically called flash blindness. If a person is walking a rocky path, operating machinery, a vehicle or aircraft, this temporary loss of vision could cause injury or disaster. read more

Elaborating on Patrick's answer of "it depends", I would say that for a typical laser pointer used for presentations, and a typical wall, there is no danger of long-term damage to the retina from looking at the spot on the wall. The main reason for this is that the wall spreads out the light significantly. read more

Red laser pointers that are "properly labeled" in the 3-5 mW range have not caused eye damage -- no retinal damage has been reported -- but there are very real concerns. One is pointers not manufactured to federal specifications. read more

If a laser with less than five milliwatts of output power is directed at someone's eye, that person can blink or turn away without suffering an eye injury. However, the natural protective mechanisms of the eye – such as the blink reflex – are ineffective against lasers with an output power greater than five milliwatts, and severe retinal damage may occur, even after momentary exposure. read more