Subject: Re An interesting new idea (Coghill)(Gutnecht)..
Date: Wed, 16 Aug 2000 123736 -0500
From: Roy Beavers
To: guru
--------------------------------------------------
.........Response from EMF-L........
I trust that all readers have perused the pages sent to us by the LaCrosse
Tribune (Editor Chris Hardie), which is on the website, under "power lines"..
Those stories report much on this phenomenon -- still getting much attention
in Michigan and Wisconsin....guru.....
-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: An interesting new idea (Coghill)..]
Date: Wed, 16 Aug 2000 11:27:14 -0500
From: "Kurt Gutknecht"
To:
References: <399ABA29.E2364992@emfguru.com>
This might be germane except where the utilities are pumping extraordinarily
large amounts of "excess" and "dirty" current into the ground, which is
already killing livestock (and probably humans) by the droves in several
Midwestern states. There's nothing "weak" about those currents. Under these
conditions, which are probably far more pervasive than is recognized,
"grounding" the human body is definitely not recommended. Just the opposite
in fact.
Kurt
----- Original Message -----
From: Roy Beavers
To:
Sent: Wednesday, August 16, 2000 10:58 AM
Subject: An interesting new idea (Coghill)..]
>
>
> ........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