Grounding
An expanding body of research over the past several decades suggests that directly touching the Earth, a practice known as grounding, has a myriad of health benefits. But what is “grounding,” and how and why does it work?
The natural universe conducts an energy current known as a direct current (DC). This DC circuit of energy flows through everything on our planet, including plants, animals, human beings, and the surface of our entire globe, creating a global electrical circuit. DC energy is also what the living human body uses to function, right down to the tiniest parts of human cells. Everything from the beating of our heart, to the movement of our muscles, to our brain's ability to think, operates using DC energy. The Earth's DC energy flows continuously across its crust, and anything conductive that touches the Earth becomes part of this natural circuit. Our human bodies, which are highly conductive, join this global electrical circuit whenever we make direct contact with the Earth. This is known as grounding. This could look like a barefoot walk in the grass, or putting your bare hands on a living tree trunk.
The Science
Research has shown that grounding may improve the body's natural ability to function, and it may also play a role in the healing and prevention of disease. Studies suggest that becoming a part of the Earth's global DC circuit enhances what is termed our “conductive health,” which has far reaching implications to all our organ systems that utilize DC energy and conductivity to work, including our nervous system, our musculoskeletal system, and our cardiovascular system.
The concept of human health being boosted by direct electrical contact with the Earth is well over a century old, being suggested first by Louise Kuhne in 1892 in his book The New Science of Healing, then echoed by Adolf Just in 1897 in his book The Return To Nature. The 24-hour rhythmic cycle of the global electrical circuit was first named the Carnegie Curve in experiments conducted by Charles Wilson in 1915. The Carnegie Curve is a DC cycle that rises and falls in a 24-hour pattern. Practical experiments in the 1960s and 70s helped show how the presence of this DC energy current produced by the Earth helps us maintain a healthy circadian rhythm. Test subjects who lived for a month in an underground bunker, completely removed from exposure to natural daylight, were able to maintain an internal synchronization to a day/night rhythm because of contact with the Earth’s soil, even with the complete absence of sunlight. Test subjects who lived for a month in an underground bunker that was additionally shielded from the DC energy of the Earth became internally desynchronized, unable to maintain a consistent day/night rhythm. In addition to the Carnegie Curve, another possible mechanism of influence on the body's conductive health might be the Schumann Resonance. The Schumann Resonance is often described as the Earth's double heartbeat, a 7.83 Hz and 14.1 Hz frequency that bathes the entire Earth and all its occupants in this tone. When a 10 Hz electromagnetic field (approximating an average of the two heartbeats of the Earth) was re-introduced to the Earth-shielded test subject's living quarters from the experiment described above, they began to re-synchronize to a healthy day/night rhythm.
This is the reason why grounding at night helps to normalize sleep and boost daytime wakefulness, improving our circadian rhythm. Additional grounding studies have shown that grounding deepens restorative sleep, normalizes cortisol levels, helps to relax muscles, and boosts mood.
Other researched health benefits of grounding include:
Increased heart rate variability (HRV)
Increased blood flow and improved cardiovascular function
Increased immune system function
Muscles are more supported during exertion and are less sore afterwards
Reduced ambient stress levels
Improved autonomic function through vagal tone support
Increased basal metabolic rate
Increased hormonal balance
Decreased inflammation
Stabilized blood sugar
Reduced and shorter duration of panic attacks
Help with reduction of symptoms due to depression
In addition to the above benefits, pretty much anything can be supercharged through grounding, including exercise and meditation.
An Example of a Grounding Practice
Two 20-minute grounding sessions, one at first light, and one at night will be the most effective way to get a grounding practice underway. In addition to the many health benefits listed above, this will also help re-set your circadian rhythm, supporting deep, restorative sleep. If you experience acute stress or anxiety throughout the day, get your bare feet on the ground as soon as possible. Studies have shown that blood pressure immediately lowers when making contact with the Earth.
There are so many fancy remedies for what ails us nowadays. Why not take advantage of a tool that is right outside our doors? Step out onto Mother Earth and let her work her magic.
Until next time
Scott and Lennart