jenbooks
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Earthing....Your experience....
- Thread starter Abha
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Misfit Toy
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Yes, jenbooks, I am abstaining from any kind of sugar today other than the nutribullet juice I just made, which has a carrot in it. I will buy bunnies and more stuff for the Easter dinner that I am going to (the kiddos), but I am going to have to leave them in the car on lock down. I am horrible when it comes to restricting myself from junk food or cake. God, I love cake...this has nothing to do with "Earthing," but whatever.
Just as interesting as Earthing only Earthing is no doubt better than this; I went to someone my friend paid for me to go, on Monday, who channels the dead. I would never do this but my friend insisted it helped her and she paid for my session. She insisted and would not take no for an answer. It was funny. Like a great entertaining movie. When someone channels, I think they are supposed to be intuitive? Not this woman. She told me the reason I am sick is because my dad is refusing to cross over to the other side and is hanging out with me, draining me of energy. Well, in 20 minutes "her guides" helped my dad go into the spirit world and I should be better in a few weeks. So far, no difference. The crap she was saying my dad was saying, my dad would never say. I thought, my dad is up in heaven laughing at this one. My dad would be in heaven. HE would never be in the in-between world. He likes harps and God and all of that stuff.
LAUGH. No seriously, in heaven it's supposed to be floating clouds and wine; you are fed grapes-that's where he is..he loves that kind of world. He was catholic, come on!!
Well, maybe she helped me slightly...refraining from chocolate today. : ) But on Easter....I don't know!!!
Just as interesting as Earthing only Earthing is no doubt better than this; I went to someone my friend paid for me to go, on Monday, who channels the dead. I would never do this but my friend insisted it helped her and she paid for my session. She insisted and would not take no for an answer. It was funny. Like a great entertaining movie. When someone channels, I think they are supposed to be intuitive? Not this woman. She told me the reason I am sick is because my dad is refusing to cross over to the other side and is hanging out with me, draining me of energy. Well, in 20 minutes "her guides" helped my dad go into the spirit world and I should be better in a few weeks. So far, no difference. The crap she was saying my dad was saying, my dad would never say. I thought, my dad is up in heaven laughing at this one. My dad would be in heaven. HE would never be in the in-between world. He likes harps and God and all of that stuff.
LAUGH. No seriously, in heaven it's supposed to be floating clouds and wine; you are fed grapes-that's where he is..he loves that kind of world. He was catholic, come on!!Well, maybe she helped me slightly...refraining from chocolate today. : ) But on Easter....I don't know!!!
Beyond
Juice Me Up, Scotty!!!
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That would be best but we arent the Sioux Indians. Most of people live in cities and even if you live in the countryside sleeping onto the ground simply its too uncomfortable and troublesome. It can be done, but needs a gigantic effort that a sick person cannot sustain. Especially with insomnia or sleep problems. The soil its very hard, the grass itches and its full of insects! Its more for some hippie freak (no disrespect it would be really cool to live in complet harmony with Earth if you can).
jenbooks
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Beyond, disagree. We camp a lot and I was very sick when we started. You just get a thermarest luxury mat or REI comfort mat, it's very comfortable. You get a tent. You certainly don't have to be a Souix Indian. It's likely that the EMF, offgassing chemicals, molds and bacteria and their biotoxins, and all kinds of crap in indoor air, which is apparently ten times more toxic than outdoor air, is contributing to all chronic illness. Not to mention pollution in the cities.
Beyond
Juice Me Up, Scotty!!!
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Yeah I agree with the last part of your post! When I walk around in the city now I am aware of the awful smell of pollution. And I am sick of collecting EMFs from the computer. But living in a tent etc I dont see it practical and sustainable long-term. Well I am gonna get an earthing sheet soon! Hope it helps with my horrible, horrible sleep.
Hope it helps with my horrible, horrible sleep.
moblet
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This doesn't earth one electrically. The mat and tent are electrical insulators. I sleep like this most of the time, something my body prefers to sleeping in a bed in a dwelling, and have to additionally electrically earth myself, which I do using an earthing sheet connected to a grounding rod.
Beyond
Juice Me Up, Scotty!!!
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Jenbooks, I will tell you the same I say to my mother: the effects of placebo are nothing compared with the imposing and efective nature of reality. When something works, works, and placebo works sometimes, but not as much as something that you actually need. Pay attention and you will see this paradigm happening all the time. About that light at night stuff, I have tried that and most of all the other useless little advices people that dont know what insomnia its about tell you. Real insomnia its about being tired but wired, never drowsy, always alert, pure nightmare. Real sleep problems are about getting to sleep at 5 am and waking up 3 times that night. Actually my insomnia comes from test proven thyroid autoimmunity, melatonin and much more defficiencies, inflammation and adrenal inssuficiency with very low cortisol.
So when you have real sleep issues, you can be darn sure you have a real inner problem and drinking valerian tea or avoiding light at evening wont cure that. Addresing these issues would make me sleep like when I was a child again, but since things arent that easy (for example melatonin supplementation makes me wake up itching all over) I want to try earthing first. I know it will help while I try to figure out how the heck I cand do this stuff, since ignorant doctors in this city and country and their serum cortisol etc tests say im fine and my parents arent supporting those diagnoses much nowadays. And bad sleep its my No1 problem, yep, its very damaging.
So when you have real sleep issues, you can be darn sure you have a real inner problem and drinking valerian tea or avoiding light at evening wont cure that. Addresing these issues would make me sleep like when I was a child again, but since things arent that easy (for example melatonin supplementation makes me wake up itching all over) I want to try earthing first. I know it will help while I try to figure out how the heck I cand do this stuff, since ignorant doctors in this city and country and their serum cortisol etc tests say im fine and my parents arent supporting those diagnoses much nowadays. And bad sleep its my No1 problem, yep, its very damaging.
moblet
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We aren't discussing the earth's magnetic or electric fields here, we are discussing being electrically connected to the earth so that an electrical current may flow between your body and the ground. If your skin isn't in contact with the actual earth then either a physical connection with a conductor or a very high voltage is required to close the circuit, and as we're discussing earthing and not electrocution we can ignore the latter strategy. A tent and sleeping mat won't block the earth's fields, but they are electrical insulators, they will block low-voltage current and therefore you won't be electrically earthed. When it is said that the only alternative to some kind of earthing arrangement is to sleep on the ground, it is truly meant that you sleep on the ground, with as much of your skin as possible in contact with the earth.
I expect that there are reasons why sleeping so close to the ground and/or on a mat might be helpful regardless of one's earthing status, but that's a discussion for another thread.
jenbooks
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moblet, sorry, but you are just stating opinions not citing any research. Life on earth has evolved over millions of years. Our ape ancestors are 7 million years old. Nobody had to use grounding wires. The earth has a field, and the idea you must sleep directly on the ground without even a blanket or mat or the nylon of a tent, or be connected to it via a grounding wire or you don't get the benefits, so far from what you've said has nothing to back it up. In fact, what you have written sounds counter to the way all life on earth works.
moblet
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Please do your own research on the definition of earthing and the difference between current and fields. I'm not going to go looking for "peer reviewed research" for concepts that have been accepted in physics for over 100 years and can be found in any general physics textbook. Nor can I continue discussing the subject with someone who, for whatever reason, insists that currents and fields are one and the same thing.
Earthing is being connected to the earth via a conductor such than an electrical current may flow. It does not invoke fields at all and those who promote or sell earthing make no mention of them.
jenbooks
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moblet, I don't need to do research. My point, taken earlier in this thread, is this is not how we evolved with nature and not necessary. Just go back to nature. Do it the way we should--rising with the light, sleeping when it sets or using candlelight, sleeping on the earth if you can or close to it, not in highrises, away from EMF if you can, eating wildcrafted or locally grown produce (the NY Times article yesterday noted that wild greens have up to 28 times more phytonutrients, purple potatoes much more nutritious than commercially grown russet etc etc. Taking a piece of wire to "ground" yourself to the earth is more technology, and that won't solve the reasons so many are sick. They're not getting nourishing foods, not sleeping within the earth's resonance, not living with the rhythms of natural life, etc.
moblet and Beyond, you're accurate in what you're saying, as I know you know.
jenbooks, I concur with the principles of what you're saying, that "how we evolved with nature" is a key to health: paying attention to light, EMF, phytonutrients, natural rhythms, living as naturally as possible - yes, those are important to our native health, since that's indeed how our physiologies evolved.
I think the piece you're missing is that nylon tents and thermarest pads are not, in fact, "how we evolved with nature." To make the direct, ionic electrical connection with the negative ions at the earth's surface, which is the context in which our immune systems did evolve, we would need natural leather, wool, or fur substances to make the tent floor, insulating pads, and sleep clothes out of - i.e., all and only semi-conducting materials between the ground and our skin - that is "how we [and all the other animals] evolved with nature." - Then we would be talking about the same process that the earthing products provide.
Same with shoes: going barefoot on the earth is certainly best; and second to that, only leather, wool, or fur-soled shoes work to provide that direct ion connection, whereas rubber and plastic soled shoes insulate us.
(Also, gotta think about the toxic outgassing of synthetic polymers that go into modern nylon tents, thermarests, etc. - not good for us or the environment - and not natural substances that we evolved with, though they with all the other toxic things we're putting into the ecosystems may be driving our evolution from now on! with those of us with CFIDS or cancer being among the first casualties! lol/ouch)
jenbooks, I concur with the principles of what you're saying, that "how we evolved with nature" is a key to health: paying attention to light, EMF, phytonutrients, natural rhythms, living as naturally as possible - yes, those are important to our native health, since that's indeed how our physiologies evolved.
I think the piece you're missing is that nylon tents and thermarest pads are not, in fact, "how we evolved with nature." To make the direct, ionic electrical connection with the negative ions at the earth's surface, which is the context in which our immune systems did evolve, we would need natural leather, wool, or fur substances to make the tent floor, insulating pads, and sleep clothes out of - i.e., all and only semi-conducting materials between the ground and our skin - that is "how we [and all the other animals] evolved with nature." - Then we would be talking about the same process that the earthing products provide.
Same with shoes: going barefoot on the earth is certainly best; and second to that, only leather, wool, or fur-soled shoes work to provide that direct ion connection, whereas rubber and plastic soled shoes insulate us.
(Also, gotta think about the toxic outgassing of synthetic polymers that go into modern nylon tents, thermarests, etc. - not good for us or the environment - and not natural substances that we evolved with, though they with all the other toxic things we're putting into the ecosystems may be driving our evolution from now on! with those of us with CFIDS or cancer being among the first casualties! lol/ouch)
lol!I have specially earthed flip flops! I am gadget girl
how so? how are they earthed?
I heard of one fellow who drilled holes in his running shoes and threaded a flat copper wire through them to contact the ground and the soles of his feet!
I guess I have 'earthed' flip-flops, too: they're made of rope, which in itself is insulating, but they get wet through really easily, so once they and my feet are drenched: voila! contact! (like walking on wet grass)
jenbooks
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gretac, I"m hard pressed to believe that the polyester thin floor of my tent, which an ant can eat through if it pleases, would stop the earth's electromagnetic field. I am not going to bother even looking up research for this, which may seem irritating, but it really seems foolish to me. I do agree, some tent really have noxious chemicals, but I get cheaper ones with lots of mesh and the ratio of chemicals to air flow is way less than indoor air, which was cited in the NY Times a few weeks ago as being TEN times more toxic than outdoor air, no matter what.
Nobody on this thread has so far cited me any peer review research and double blind studies on sleeping in a tent or on a thermarest mat on the good earth out in nature, and proved that the earth's field can't reach through that, as opposed to sleeping, I suppose in a canvas army tent on a sheep's wool pad (that hadn't been processed, of course).
Besides, the leather is not "natural"--it's processed, and has chemicals too, and is much thicker on a shoe than the skin of the animal it came from.
You might convince me otoh that metal legs and metal springs (bed frames and mattresses) even on the first floor of a home might alter a field, or pick up the home's electrical fields and amplify them. And certainly five or ten stories up in an apartment building, you're going to have an altered field.
Nobody on this thread has so far cited me any peer review research and double blind studies on sleeping in a tent or on a thermarest mat on the good earth out in nature, and proved that the earth's field can't reach through that, as opposed to sleeping, I suppose in a canvas army tent on a sheep's wool pad (that hadn't been processed, of course).
Besides, the leather is not "natural"--it's processed, and has chemicals too, and is much thicker on a shoe than the skin of the animal it came from.
You might convince me otoh that metal legs and metal springs (bed frames and mattresses) even on the first floor of a home might alter a field, or pick up the home's electrical fields and amplify them. And certainly five or ten stories up in an apartment building, you're going to have an altered field.
Hi, jenbooks
As several of us have explained before, the effects we're discussing are about bare skin contact with the earth and how to have that effect regularly in our daily and nightly lives.
As moblet said, there's a difference between field and current. Of course the earth's electromagnetic field isn't "stopped"! We're not talking about that. We're talking about actual electrical conductivity, i.e., contact/exchange of ions. Many materials, synthetic and natural, are electrical insulators - that's how we can even have electricity, that's how we survive lightning storms, etc.. And yes, your thin polyester tent floor can indeed insulate you from electrical charges (if it's not soaked through). Now, once an ant chews through it, and your bare skin touches the ground through that hole, contact! Anyone with an electric meter can read the difference: it's that basic.
I'm sure you're well aware that double-blind, random controlled studies are expensive, and not generally funded for alternative approaches in favor of big pharma. Anecdotal evidence always precedes research, but if the idea is not about big pharmaceuticals, you can bet it won't get big funding.
A lot of what you're talking about in the thread above is your own anecdotal experience, but I don't therefore dismiss it: I honor your experience of health and wholeness found in the outdoors - I too value that.
That said, since you asked, there are indeed studies in peer-reviewed journals that help to show the effectiveness of the interventions we're discussing in this forum. Here are two specifics to get you started, as requested:
Applewhite, R. "The effectiveness of a conductive patch and a conductive bed pad in reducing induced human body voltage via the application of earth ground." European Biology and Bioelectromagnetics 2005; 1: 23-40
Ghaly, M and Teplit, D. "The biologic effects of grounding the human body during sleep as measured by cortisol levels and subjective reporting of sleep, pain, and stress." Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine 2004, 10(5): 767-776
There are many more articles in these and other journals that cover the effect of earthing/grounding on human physiology, including electrodermal measurements; muscle soreness; neutralizing bio-electrical stress from EMFs and static electricity; reducing inflammation, pain, heartrate variability; etc.
Many of the biomarkers they've documented are related to things we with CFIDS/ME deal with - not least is the apparent anti-inflammatory effect.
Other points you made:
Yes, leather was one example of a semi-conductive material, not an example of purity.
Yes to your last paragraph.
I'm puzzled by your wariness about these effects, since we're talking about something that gets us back in touch with how we evolved, that our 'civilized development' has caused us to lose touch with. I would think you'd find this right in line with all those things you've stated you're inclined toward, with your understanding of EMFs, being outdoors, natural rhythms, etc.
This grounding system is neither high tech nor new age woowoo. It's very basic science that gives us much more time in literal contact with the earth than we can get from just the time we spend barefoot outside.
Is it as good as living naked in touch with the earth all day and night year round, the way we evolved? Maybe not, but it is more doable than that for most of us!
But, to each her own!
As several of us have explained before, the effects we're discussing are about bare skin contact with the earth and how to have that effect regularly in our daily and nightly lives.
As moblet said, there's a difference between field and current. Of course the earth's electromagnetic field isn't "stopped"! We're not talking about that. We're talking about actual electrical conductivity, i.e., contact/exchange of ions. Many materials, synthetic and natural, are electrical insulators - that's how we can even have electricity, that's how we survive lightning storms, etc.. And yes, your thin polyester tent floor can indeed insulate you from electrical charges (if it's not soaked through). Now, once an ant chews through it, and your bare skin touches the ground through that hole, contact! Anyone with an electric meter can read the difference: it's that basic.
I'm sure you're well aware that double-blind, random controlled studies are expensive, and not generally funded for alternative approaches in favor of big pharma. Anecdotal evidence always precedes research, but if the idea is not about big pharmaceuticals, you can bet it won't get big funding.
A lot of what you're talking about in the thread above is your own anecdotal experience, but I don't therefore dismiss it: I honor your experience of health and wholeness found in the outdoors - I too value that.
That said, since you asked, there are indeed studies in peer-reviewed journals that help to show the effectiveness of the interventions we're discussing in this forum. Here are two specifics to get you started, as requested:
Applewhite, R. "The effectiveness of a conductive patch and a conductive bed pad in reducing induced human body voltage via the application of earth ground." European Biology and Bioelectromagnetics 2005; 1: 23-40
Ghaly, M and Teplit, D. "The biologic effects of grounding the human body during sleep as measured by cortisol levels and subjective reporting of sleep, pain, and stress." Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine 2004, 10(5): 767-776
There are many more articles in these and other journals that cover the effect of earthing/grounding on human physiology, including electrodermal measurements; muscle soreness; neutralizing bio-electrical stress from EMFs and static electricity; reducing inflammation, pain, heartrate variability; etc.
Many of the biomarkers they've documented are related to things we with CFIDS/ME deal with - not least is the apparent anti-inflammatory effect.
Other points you made:
Yes, leather was one example of a semi-conductive material, not an example of purity.
Yes to your last paragraph.
I'm puzzled by your wariness about these effects, since we're talking about something that gets us back in touch with how we evolved, that our 'civilized development' has caused us to lose touch with. I would think you'd find this right in line with all those things you've stated you're inclined toward, with your understanding of EMFs, being outdoors, natural rhythms, etc.
This grounding system is neither high tech nor new age woowoo. It's very basic science that gives us much more time in literal contact with the earth than we can get from just the time we spend barefoot outside.
Is it as good as living naked in touch with the earth all day and night year round, the way we evolved? Maybe not, but it is more doable than that for most of us!
But, to each her own!
You can buy them from the Earthing Shop!
They just have a circular disc on the sole - dont know how they work exactlt...My friend though actually had a hole in each of his trainers and we found when testing if the footwear did make any diiference with The Volt Meter - and his holy shoes worked very well - Even better when its raining
You can buy them from the Earthing Shop!
My friend though actually had a hole in each of his trainers and we found when testing if the footwear did make any diiference with The Volt Meter - and his holy shoes worked very well - Even better when its raining
Oh, cool - I looked up your flip-flops. It must be a plug of something semi-conductive, like the carbonized rubber that the computer mats are made out of. I use those mats for my dog and cats - they love to sleep on them, especially when they're not feeling well. But they're not making any more of your flip-flops, and what they have left are way too small for me, darn. Oh, well - I love to go barefoot anyway! (But I would've gotten a pair).
Love that you tested the "holy shoes," and I'm intrigued that they work without a wire, just the opening (I assume from your description); and better with the rain makes sense. Fun!