Effect of high SWR on transmitter

[GhostLoveScore]

I've been reading about effect of high SWR in antenna system on my ham radio. A lot of people are talking something like - You can't have SWR higher than 1.5 to 1, it will blow final transistors of your transmitter.
I've read about it and it doesn't look to be true. In fact, it seems like power reflected from antenna system will not get back into the transmitter, but instead it will reflect back into the antenna system.

But on another side, if I create a short wave on a piece of rope with tied down another end, I will feel the wave when it reflects and gets back to my hand. And certainly, in transmission line, reflected wave comes back and forms standing wave when interacting with original wave. In that case it seems like reflected wave does have some effect.
So my question is, does the transmitter "feel" anything when EM wave reflects back from the antenna system? Can you fry your transmitter with high SWR in antenna system?

 

[Baluncore]

Can you fry your transmitter with high SWR in antenna system?

Yes.
Depending on the wavelength of the transmission and the length of the feedline to the antenna, standing waves can create high voltages with very low current in the output stage. Transistors do not like that.