Subject: An interesting new idea (Coghill)..
Date: Wed, 16 Aug 2000 105356 -0500
From: Roy Beavers
To: guru
--------------------------------------------------
........From EMF-L......
Following attachment was forwarded by Roger Coghill.... He also comments
on work by Ober, below..... It is an interesting idea. Could it explain
why the melatonin effect seems to be stronger in human than in animals??
.......guru......
It is better to light a single candle
than to curse the darkness..
WEBSITE: http://emfguru.com
People are more important than profit$$
----------------
EMFs, SLEEP PROBLEMS, CHRONIC PAIN AND STRESS RELATED HEALTH PROBLEMS: A
STUDY OF GROUNDING THE HUMAN BODY TO RESTORE SLEEP AND HEALTH.
A. Clinton Ober
Ventura, CA
INTRODUCTION
>From the beginning of time except for the last few generations, humans
lived their entire lives and slept in direct physical contact with the
earth. As a result, humans were naturally bio-electrically grounded. To
be bio-electrically-grounded means the body upon contact with the earth
conducts a natural flow of negative ions from the earth. These negative
ions then permeate the body and create a measurable field of negative
ions on and around the body. This field of negative ions then serves as
a natural shield that neutralizes free positive ions that come close to
or in contact with the body.
Today humans have insulated themselves from direct physical contact with
the earth by wearing synthetic soled shoes and living in modern habitats
that elevate the body above the earth. The consequence of interrupting
this natural flow of negative ions on the body is humans now store and
conduct free positive ions. [Including static electricity and radiated
positive ions from electric-fields.]
This paper proposes the change in the body from conducting negative ions
to conducting positive ions, is related to the epidemiological sleep,
chronic pain and stress related health problems of today.
For the human body to have maintained a field of negative ions in and
around the body throughout evolution that naturally neutralize positive
ions indicates this natural occurring event played a significant part in
human biological development. Especially with respect to the nervous
system, which communicates with electrical pulses.
Today everyone is stressed, their muscles are tense, back and joint pain
is the norm and most do not sleep well. These conditions all relate to
the nervous system.
When muscles become tense and remain tight, skeletal problems and joint
pain are the result. Muscles can only respond to nerves. Other than an
acute injury, the only thing that can cause nerve cells to malfunction
and adversely affect muscle function is bio-electrical interference or
stress on the nervous system.
The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences [NIEHS] and the
US Department of Energy [DOE] state that human exposure to electric and
magnetic fields [EMFs] from electrical wiring and appliances both
produce weak electric currents between cells in the body. [1]
Do these unnatural weak electric currents between cells cause humans to
be and feel stressed?
According to the American Institute of Stress, over 75% of all visits to
primary care physicians are now for stress related health conditions.
The word stress, which first surfaced in the 1960s, describes a feeling
of anxiety and tension. Stress is now confirmed to be a primary
contributor to cardiovascular disease, cancer, gastrointestinal, skin,
neurologic and emotional disorders, and a host of disorders linked to
immune system disturbances ranging from the common cold and herpes, to
arthritis and AIDS. [2]
In the 1960s when humans were first diagnosed as being stressed
synthetic soled shoes and carpets had just become popular and the use of
electricity had tripled from the previous generation.
Are these unnatural weak electric currents also stressing sleep?
According to the National Sleep Foundation's Sleep-2000 report [3],
nearly two thirds of American adults [62%] now suffer from chronic sleep
problems. Americans have the most comfortable beds in the world. In
traditional societies where most humans sleep on animal skins, thin mats
or on the ground, sleep problems do not exist. [4] As for Americans,
most now sleep within 12" of electrical wiring in the wall at the head
of their bed and with electric cords around their bed. All of which
radiate e-fields throughout the night and maintain a constant flow of
measurable weak electric currents in the body.
The fact that a majority of Americans now suffer from poor sleep and
stress related health problems suggest that something, largely unknown
to the medical community and the public, is wrong. The dramatic change
from the body conducting negative ions to conducting positive ions, in
the form of weak electric currents between cells, is the most likely
candidate. Circumstantial evidence is provided by the fact that humans
in traditional societies that maintain contact with the earth do not
experience the common sleep or stress related health problems of the
modern world.
Evidence that is more conclusive is reported by the NIEHS and the DOE
[1] that in some laboratory studies the biological effects of EMFs and
the weak electric currents they create in the body are:
-Changes in functions of cells and tissue -Accelerated tumor
growth
-Decrease in the hormone melatonin -Changes in biorhythms
-Alterations of the immune system -Changes in human
brain activity and heart rate
The question is; by restoring the natural flow of negative ions to the
body with ground contact and thereby naturally eliminating these weak
electric currents in the body, does normal sleep and health return?
In search of the answer the following test was preformed.
METHOD AND MATERIALS
To restore ground contact while sleeping individuals slept on conductive
carbon fiber mattress pads connected to a ground rod driven into the
earth. The grounded mattress pads were specifically designed to conduct
sufficient negative ions from the earth to reduce measurable positive
ions from E-fields on the body to near zero. The ground system protected
with a 10-mA fuse.
Their sleep patterns and any chronic muscle and joint pain they have
been experiencing for at least six months were recorded to establish the
base line.
Length of the test was for thirty days.
SELECTION OF PARTICIPANTS
An advertisement distributed to ten different beauty salons in Ventura
County, CA solicited individuals experiencing sleep problems accompanied
by tense muscles or chronic joint pain to participate in a sleep study.
Of the respondents, sixty individuals participated.
Age of participants was between 23 and 74 years
Male participants = 22
Female participants = 38
Declared sleep problems = 100%
Declared chronic muscle and joint pain = 100%
The participants divided into two groups. The first group of thirty were
grounded with the carbon fiber mattress pads connected to a dedicated
earth ground just outside their bedroom window.
E-fields on their bodies were measured and recorded both before and
after grounding.
The second control group of thirty were issued the carbon fiber mattress
pads but were not connected to a ground. E-field voltages on their
bodies were measured and recorded.
E-field measurements
Test
Group Control Group
1 volt or less
30 30
1 volt or more
28 28
2 volts or more 16
avg. 15 avg.
3 volts or more
8 6
4 volts or more
4 3
5 volts or more
3 2
E-field charges measured on test participant's bodies while in bed after
connecting ground.
Under 10 mV = 30/100% [1/100 volt]
THE RESULTS [of reporting participants] Test
group* Control group**
Same Improved Same Improved
Time to fall asleep 4/
15% 23/ 85% 20/ 87% 3/ 13%
Quality of sleep 2/
07% 25/ 92% 20/ 87% 3/ 13%
Wake feeling rested 0/
00% 27/ 100% 23/ 100% 0/ 0 %
Muscles stiffness and pain 5/
18% 22/ 81% 23/ 100% 0/ 0%
Chronic back and or joint pain 7/ 26%
20/ 74% 23/ 100% 0/ 0%
General well being 6/
22% 21/ 77% 20/ 87% 3/ 13%
* Reports not received from three participants.
** Reports not received from seven participants.
DISCUSSION
The purpose of this study was to provide evidence that negative ions on
the body from grounding naturally neutralize extraneous positive ions.
That was proven with the elimination of e-field voltages on the body
with the use of the grounded mattress pads and a voltage meter. The
benefit of eliminating the e-fields on the body were assumed to provide
evidence that humans would sleep better and their nervous system would
calm allowing muscles to relax and thereby relieve joint pain. Based
upon the actual results this appears to be the case.
Also worthy of mention is several participants in this study stated they
experienced significant relief from asthmatic conditions, rheumatoid
arthritis and high blood pressure while sleeping on the grounded
mattress pad.
ADDITIONAL SUPPORT TO THESE FINDINGS
In the May 1999 NIEH-EMF RAPID report, mention is made that reported
biological effects to humans such as changes in melatonin levels cannot
be confirmed in animal studies. Therefore, the actual effects to humans
are inconclusive. [5]
In the animal studies, a herd of sheep was exposed to EMFs from a high
voltage power line. During their exposure, the sheep were reported to
have experienced no change in melatonin levels. The conclusion that
human results are inconclusive because the sheep experienced no change
provides evidence that ground contact was not considered as a factor.
The sheep which walked and slept directly on the ground were naturally
grounded throughout the experiment and therefore conducted a flow of
negative ions from the earth. The fact that melatonin levels remained
normal in the sheep when grounded, supports these findings that when
humans are grounded their sleep improves.
Also mentioned by the NIEHS and DOE [1] is the electric currents created
in the body by EMFs are weaker than the natural currents created by the
brain and heart. Therefor it is impossible for EMFs to have any
important biological effects. [Referring to leukemia, brain cancer etc.]
The problem of EMFs in relation to effects on the nervous system may not
be amperage of these currents but their voltage level. The reason is
nerve cells maintain a static 60-mV positive charge on the outside and a
static 70-mV negative charge on the inside. A difference in potential of
only 15 mV across this gradient causes a nerve cell to naturally
discharge an electrical pulse. The presence of a voltage between two
nerve cells with a difference in potential of more or less than 15 mV
can disturb their electrical balance. [6]
The voltage levels created by e-fields found in all homes on the bodies
of the participants in this study varied significantly but all were
several times the potential of nerve cells.
_____________________________________________
-Comment from Roger Coghill noted biologist, scientist and author in the
area of biological effects
related to exposure of electric and magnetic fields:
Clint,
Yes I would be prepared to believe that grounding the body
will help dispel any
extraneous electric fields which could otherwise interfere
with the body's own
endogenous fields. We have found that these later are vital
for wellbeing, with
adverse effects if disturbed. It could also be a way forward
for protection against
high frequency radiation.
Best Roger Coghill
12/05/99
CONCLUSIONS
The important finding of this study is that a previously unknown natural
bio-electrical shield, of negative ions exist in and around the body
when humans maintain physical contact with the earth. The significance
of which plays a vital role in protecting the bio-electrical activities
of the body from extraneous electrical interference. Further, when
humans are grounded their nervous system calms, muscles relax, chronic
pain subsides and they sleep better.
PRICIPAL REFERENCES
1. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the US
Department of Energy, Questions
and answers about EMF, electric and magnetic fields associated with
use of electric power [1995]
2. American Institute of Stress, www.stress.org/problems
3. National Sleep Foundation, www. Sleepfoundation.org/pressarchives
4. Slumbers Unexplored Landscape [1999] Carol M. Worthman,
Anthropologist, Emory University
Atlanta, GA
5. NIEH EMF Rapid Report [May, 1999]
6. Sir John Eccles, 1963 Nobel Prize in Physiology, "The Synapse" [1963]
For additional information contact Clint Ober @ 805 844 0888 or
clintober @ prodigy.net
8/12/2000
Archive provided courtesy of WaveGuide, http://www.wave-guide.org
Reprinted with permission of Roy Beavers, http://www.emfguru.com