Earth. A vibrant, beautiful, active and alive, massive conglomeration of molecules, atoms, energy, and electrons.
Humans. Living, breathing beings, conglomerations of molecules, atoms, energy, absorbing and benefiting from the electrons of the earth.
A theory that we, earth and humans, connect and work together. Humans relying on earth’s negative charge to balance the positive charge of our electromagnetic fields; a byproduct of living in a world ruled by cell phones, high tech, and indoor living.
Do I love the concept of earthing / grounding?
You betcha!
Natural, organic, symbiotic existence of all that is. Earth, trees, dirt, humans, all connected. Our earth helping us to naturally improve our health.
Cool stuff, man!
But is it real?
Can Earthing help my personal journey of self discovery? Will it support my personal growth? Is it possible for earthing, grounding, to heal my body of all that ails it?
Can it help YOU on YOUR journey of self discovery? Can it improve YOUR life & help YOU?
Is Earthing something I am going to shout from the rooftops for all to know:
Hear Ye, Hear Ye, the news of Earthing, come one, come all, hear the great news!
I don’t know (insert shoulder shrug). Maybe. I certainly would love for it to be true.
Disclaimer: I’m not a scientist, which you will undoubtedly conclude.
Surface Stuff
The Earthing theory focuses on our physical, and direct connection with the earth.
Purportedly, human beings don’t spend enough time running around barefoot on the earth; nor do we spend enough time touching the earth or trees with our bare hands.
The rubber soles of our shoes present a barrier between our bodies and the earth; thereby preventing the absorption and subsequent benefits of the earth’s natural negative electrons; which is a leading cause to the rise of inflammatory diseases.[1]
Is Earthing Logical?
The electrical outlets in our walls have grounding components to keep us safe. We ground our homes by connecting them to metal rods pounded into the earth.
If grounding has an effect on the electricity in our homes, what affect does it have on my body?
Seems palpable that it could have some affect.
Quantum Physics, the study of matter and energy, certainly comes to mind.
Could it be that there is a transfer of energy happening that we have yet to define?
Arbitrary and subjective, but given advances in quantum studies, maybe it’s possible.
Trees communicate with each other.
They send signals; warnings of drought, disease, and insects. Scientists call these mycorrhizal networks.[2]
If trees communicate with each other, is it far-fetched to believe humans and the earth communicate with each other?
Taking into consideration what we know of molecules and atoms, processes for grounding to the earth, quantum physics and theories of nature, I walked into this research feeling really positive about the potentials of Earthing.
Digging In
Earthing: Health Implications of Reconnecting the Human Body to the Earth’s Surface Electrons[1] presents intriguing data. Included are illustrative pictures, charts, and study results, to prove that the vast supply of electrons produced by the earth present a natural and free electron source of ‘significant clinical importance’ when it comes to healing a vast array of ailments.
Illustrations show wounds healing faster with the application of negative electrons generated from the earth.
Study results of the impact of Earth’s negative electrons on cortisol levels cited positive affects on sleep patterns; falling asleep more quickly and having a better quality of sleep; as well as relief in asthmatic and respiratory conditions, rheumatoid arthritis, PMS, sleep apnea, and hypertension while sleeping grounded.[1]
According to the referenced study: ‘When the body is grounded, its electrical potential becomes equalized with the Earth’s electrical potential through a transfer of electrons from the Earth to the body.’[1]
The study confirms the “umbrella” effect of earthing the body explained by Nobel Prize winner Richard Feynman in his lectures on electromagnetism [16]. Feynman said that when the body potential is the same as the Earth’s electric potential (and thus grounded), it becomes an extension of the Earth’s gigantic electric system. The Earth’s potential thus becomes the “working agent that cancels, reduces, or pushes away electric fields from the body.”
Earthing: Health Implications of Reconnecting the Human Body to the Earth’s Surface Electrons[1]
There’s More, Let’s Keep Digging!
Blood oxidation levels, pulse rate, respiratory rate, are all cited as being positively affected by Earthing.
The study correlates reduction of primary indicators of Osteoporosis, improvement of glucose regulation, and Immune Response, with Earthing.
Anti-inflammatory effects: “attributed to the fact that grounding the body allows negatively charged antioxidant electrons from the Earth to enter the body and neutralize positively charged free radicals at sites of inflammation [28].“….. Flow of electrons from the Earth to the body has been documented [15].“[1]
For all of these cited benefits, explanations are provided for better understanding.
I’m In! Sign Me Up!
Holy Moly, quacamole! This is outrageous!
Sign me up, point me to the best grounding mat, grounding shoes, in fact I’m going barefoot. Forever. Starting right now.
This is literally what I was thinking and feeling by the time I reached the end of the very technical, brain challenging report.
BUT……
What Am I Not Seeing?
I always take the next step and look for the debunking.
Let’s uncover what I’m not seeing before I go buying any grounding mats.
Sifting Through The Dirt
Clinton Ober is the innovator of earthing and grounding. Follow this link for his full story.
Clint is the author of the book: ‘Earthing. The most important health discovery ever.’
Co-authors include Stephen T. Sinatra, M.D and Martin Zucker. Foreword written by James L. Oschman, Ph.D. and there is commentary by Gaetan Chevalier, Ph.D.
Clint is the the founder of Earth FX Inc., a grounding research and development company based in California through which he helped to develop, and patent, the first indoor Earthing products.[3]
He has dedicated his life to earthing and grounding; and helping others receive the benefits of earthing and grounding.
The way to live is to be connected to the Earth – grounded as much as possible − because being connected is like pulling a switch that enables your body to function more naturally and efficiently. Your body works electrically. You are a bioelectric being and you need connection with your natural electric source — the Earth’s electric energy. It establishes the most natural state of your electric body. It nourishes every cell.
Clint ober
Information about Clint Ober’s work is abundant on the World Wide Web. I was not able to search ‘Earthing’ or ‘Grounding’ without his name coming up.
His name, and theory, are the subject of much criticism and debate.
Many people do not believe in the positive effects of Earthing (otherwise known as ‘Grounding’).
Debunking
One Earthing non-believer is Dr. Harriet Hall, M.D.
Dr. Hall is emphatically against the theory.
Although challenging, it’s important to move past the cynicism, sarcasm, and belittlement, embedded throughout the article: Barefoot in Sedona: Bogus Claims About Grounding Your Feet to Earth Promote Medical Pseudoscience.
Pull the truth from a non-judgmental, factual viewpoint; because her perspective is important.
Dr. Hall reveals that the studies I referenced earlier were published with the following disclosure: “Chevalier, S. T. Sinatra, and J. L. Oschman are independent contractors for Earth L. Inc., the company sponsoring earthing research, and own a small percentage of shares in the company.”[4]
The studies were not published in mainstream journals. They involved small numbers of subjects and usually failed to use any controls; almost all were funded by people with a vested interest in selling grounding products, and the same few names (Chevalier, Sokal, Sinatra, Ochsman) keep recurring in the published literature: it’s all the work of a few inbred true believers.
Dr. Harriet Hall
And more debunking…
She cites views from other doctors on the subject of Earthing:
Dr. Steven Novella, a prominent skeptic of alternative medicine claims, notes: “The studies are typical of the kind of worthless studies designed to generate false positives—the kind of ‘in house’ studies that companies sometimes use so that they can claim their products are ‘clinically proven.’ Reading through the individual studies you can see that they are all small pilot or preliminary studies with atrocious methodology. They are little more than documenting placebo effects, subjective findings, and anomaly hunting.”
From my layman’s view, I’m getting a whole new perspective of the report I read.
According to Dr. Hill:
Our cells do not require the infusion of negative electrons.
The illustrations showing wounds healing faster with the application of negative electrons generated from the earth can’t show that there are positive charges.
Inflammation is more likely to cause free radicals; free radicals do not cause inflammation; and antioxidant molecules neutralize free radicals, not electrons.
Dr. Hall holds firmly that ‘there is no evidence that EMF <electromagnetic field> disrupts communications in our body or that grounding protects us from any hypothetical ill effects of using cell phones and other technology. And the third point about aligning with an intelligence network is wild imagination not supported by anything in science or reality.’ [4]
I’m Out! Don’t Sign Me Up!
I am seeing the light. Dr. Hall has redeemed me! Thank goodness I didn’t purchase my grounding mat!
Seriously though, am I really out?
Granted, it’s a compelling debunk, but there was a lot of rhetoric and some points were opinion. I’m not so sure I’m out.
Plowing Through Perspectives
My decision about Earthing could not be based solely on this data.
Further exploration into viewpoints, studies, publications, did support the same basic facts.
There are two YouTube videos that I really wanted to share.
This dude, his YouTube channel is ‘Vegetable Police’. He’s really freaking funny. Take a few minutes to watch his video. He is so funny, and shows live testing and results of the electrons. This really helped me to understand how the electrons were measured.
Earthing: As Powerful As They Say? Let’s Test it With Science!
This gentleman, his YouTube channel is ’10 Years Younger’. He does a fantastic job of presenting the theories and benefits of Earthing, making it easy to understand.
He references all the benefits in the studies I mentioned above.
I think you will find his video will aid your educated decision about Earthing and Grounding.
Be sure to read all of the comments. I noticed there are loads of people sharing their personal stories of grounding and earthing, and how it helped them. None of which, from what I could see, have any vested interest in sharing their experience for monetary gain.
I did Earthing for 60 Days – Amazing Results & My Fave Product ever!
I could literally fill your day with YouTube videos about earthing and grounding; but you can do that yourself. Just search ‘earthing’ on YouTube.
The Truth About Earthing. Grounding.
It is extremely important, when dissecting a concept to determine what you believe, to look at all sides. There is always a motive, opinion, belief, behind all that is. You do not, and should not, agree with anything based solely on someone else’s belief.
You are the keeper of you. It is your Self that decides what you believe. No one has control over that but you.
For the love of all that is, do not bend your belief to satisfy or look good to anyone else. You don’t even need to look good to yourself.
Trust your gut and your intuition. Allow yourself the freedom to believe what you believe based on the data you have gathered.
You do not need to coerce or intimidate anyone to believe in what you believe. It won’t really work anyway.
The true facts are: you need to decide for yourself.
I hope this article gives you the information and resources you need to draw your own conclusion about Earthing.
This Chick’s Belief
I believe we are much bigger and vaster than our physical form. Unequivocally connected by the energy and vibration of everything that is.
If I toss a pebble into the ocean it creates a ripple that will go on forever, reaching another shore, where it ripples back again.
The same is true of our energy.
When I look at a stranger and smile, they smile at me, and when they turn, their smile catches another person. The smile of that person is passed to another. Next thing you know; that smile as rippled around the globe.
That smile is energy. It cannot be touched, it cannot be proven; yet I know it has a positive affect on universal energy.
If I believe in this energy, how it is questionable to believe that the earth generates energy that is absorbed into our bodies? It’s not. No question in my mind.
I do not need to ‘see’ the proof and data to know something so sacred exists.
I can feel it. When I stand barefoot on the earth, and take a mindful moment to scan myself, I feel the connection. Neysayers can claim it’s in my head, it’s voodoo, muckity muck, but how do they really impact what I feel?
They don’t.
I decide, and that is all I need.
I respect everyone’s authenticity and with it, their opinion because that is their truth. It’s not for me to judge.
After all, who am I to judge? And, if I do judge, I am sending those negative, judgmental waves out to the ripple of the universe; and I can’t do that.
Earthing. Grounding. Digging For Truth.
In summary:
This chick believes her body benefits from direct connection to the earth.
She will walk barefoot as much as possible. This girl will dig in her gardens bare handed, to hell with the nails. Indulging her feet with the kiss of the ocean surf whenever possible.
The earth is alive, I am alive.
To believe we are completely separate, that we have no innate benefits, does not make any sense to me.
I honor the Earth, all it gives to me, and take seriously my role in protecting her.
I do not believe in the grounding mats. Even though I can see from the videos how the electrons are measured, I believe the power is in the elemental direct connection.
What I am basically saying is that I acknowledge the scientific ‘proof’ is flawed, I give merit to what Dr. Hill is saying, but I also give credit to Clint Ober. I think there is something left to be proven. It’s also my belief that some things can’t be proven. Just do what you feel is good for you.
I hope this article on Earthing, also known as Grounding, helps YOU on YOUR Journey of Self Discovery!
References
[1] Chevalier, Gaétan, Sinatra, Stephen T., Oschman, James L., Sokal, Karol, Sokal, Pawel. (2012 Jan 12). Earthing: Health Implications of Reconnecting the Human Body to the Earth’s Surface Electrons. National Library of Medicine. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3265077/
[2] Grant, Richard. (2018, March). Do Trees Talk to Each Other?. Smithsonian Magazine. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/the-whispering-trees-180968084/#:~:text=Trees%20share%20water%20and%20nutrients,Scientists%20call%20these%20mycorrhizal%20networks.
[3] Earthing. (2023, March 29). About Clint Ober. Earthing. https://www.earthing.com/pages/about-clint-ober#:~:text=For%20more%20than%2020%20years,improve%20human%20health%20with%20grounding.[4] Hall, Harriett. (2016, June 21). Barefoot in Sedona: Bogus Claims About Grounding Your Feed to Earth Promote Medical Pseudoscience. Skeptic. https://www.skeptic.com/reading_room/bogus-claims-grounding-bare-feet-to-earth/
