The mats are okay to use and only mildly annoying on occasion, such as when I scrunch them up in my sleep, but most of the time I don't even notice they are there. The prices are pretty good for grounding products although I do have some concern about how you know when they need to be replaced in years to come. The book describes how Clint Ober, who worked in the cable-TV industry, discovered the benefits of Earthing, devised his own primitive Earthing products and tried them out on friends and acquaintances. Their healing effects were astounding. Sometimes dramatic improvement occurred after only 20 minutes or so. Earthing The Bookintroduces the planet's powerful, amazing, and overlooked natural healing energy and how people anywhere can readily connect to it. This eye-opening book describes how the physical disconnect with the Earth creates abnormal physiology and contributes to inflammation, pain, fatigue, stress, and poor sleep. By reconnecting to the Earth, symptoms are rapidly relieved and even eliminated and recovery from surgery, injury, and athletic overexertion is accelerated.

The rapid change in skin conductance reported in an earlier study led to the hypothesis that grounding may also improve heart rate variability (HRV), a measurement of the heart's response to ANS regulation. A double-blind study was designed with 27 participants [ 27]. Subjects sat in a comfortable reclining chair. Four transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) type adhesive electrode patches were placed on the sole of each foot and on each palm. Among the many surprising revelations this book holds is an obvious, fundamental, and yet overlooked answer to the question of inflammation-recognized as the central health issue of our time-that surely will lay the foundation for many academic investigations and doctoral projects well into the future. I say that without equivocation, as an experienced academic cell biologist and biophysicist who has published dozens of articles in some of the world's leading scientific journals. The research in this book puts forward, and from a completely unexpected direction, a powerful reason for the proliferation of inflammation and , most importantly, what we can do about it. In another experiment, the effect of grounding on the classic immune response following vaccination was examined. Earthing accelerated the immune response, as demonstrated by increases in gamma globulin concentration. This result confirms an association between earthing and the immune response, as was suggested in the DOMS study [ 21]. Since grounding produces changes in many electrical properties of the body [ 1, 15, 19, 28], a next logical step was to evaluate the electrical property of the blood. A suitable measure is the zeta potential of red blood cells (RBCs) and RBC aggregation. Zeta potential is a parameter closely related to the number of negative charges on the surface of an RBC. The higher the number, the greater the ability of the RBC to repel other RBCs. Thus, the greater the zeta potential the less coagulable is the blood. The fact that trying grounding is either free or very inexpensive, very easy to do, low risk in regards to side effects (low-level healing reactions are possible but that is about it) and potentially mildly or very helpful for those battling illness and pain also helps.

As with any new discovery, Clint had to endure skepticism and derision from “experts”, some of whom regarded him as crazy. But he persisted and has now gathered significant scientific evidence for his out-of-the-box idea. Moreover, thousands of people who have applied the concept of Earthing in their lives feel, look and sleep better, and they have less pain. FWIW the effects of grounding myself using a small grounding mat day and night for the last 2 months have been noticeable and definitely worthwhile but not astounding, sadly. I feel a significantly blunted adrenaline response (which is great as adrenaline surges are part of my disease and very detrimental to my long-term health) which has led to me feeling calmer and more able to cope with stress and I have also noticed a normalisation of my sleep-wake cycle (which is also a part of my disease) and possibly better sleep quality. This never-before-told story-filled with fascinating research and real-life testimonials- chronicles a discovery with the potential to create a global health revolution.

If you don’t have access to the book (which explains thoroughly the science and a whooping +100 testimonials of relief from different ailments) then here’s the documentary (I have yet to watch it though): When we connect with the Earth, our body “becomes suffused with negative-charged free electrons abundantly present on the surface of the Earth.” Our modern way of life has created an electron deficiency in our bodies, thus disturbing both our immune system and all other body systems. At first, Ober’s idea was not well-received by the medical community. His experience was as a cable installer. He knew that to get a clear signal, you had to place a ground wire in the Earth so that the system and the Earth would exchange ions and reach a steady state. Ober also knew that as soon as the system reached a steady-state, the static would clear up. The theory is if humans ground in the same way that you ground a cable system, that we might be able to stabilize our electrical field and receive benefits. He knew that this principle had worked for him, and he conducted a roughly designed research study that also supported the principle. However, this was not enough to convince his early critics. Parameters that differed by these criteria included white blood cell counts, bilirubin, creatine kinase, phosphocreatine/inorganic phosphate ratios, glycerolphosphorylcholine, phosphorylcholine, the visual analogue pain scale, and pressure measurements on the right gastrocnemius. In one experiment with nonmedicated subjects, grounding during a single night of sleep resulted in statistically significant changes in concentrations of minerals and electrolytes in the blood serum: iron, ionized calcium, inorganic phosphorus, sodium, potassium, and magnesium. Renal excretion of both calcium and phosphorus was reduced significantly. The observed reductions in blood and urinary calcium and phosphorus directly relate to osteoporosis. The results suggest that Earthing for a single night reduces primary indicators of osteoporosis.Applewhite was able to document changes in the ambient voltage induced on the body by monitoring the voltage drop across a resistor. This effect clearly showed the “umbrella effect” described above. The body of the grounded person is not subject to the perturbation of electrons and electrical systems.

I personally have been grounded for a couple of months or so, and my sleep instantly became much deeper, and I feel more rested when awakening. Another example is provided by voltage-gated ion channels, which play critical biophysical roles in excitable cells such as neurons. Local alterations in the charge profiles around these channels can lead to electrical instability of the cell membrane and to the inappropriate spontaneous activity observed during certain pathological states [ 31]. Grounding isn't the whole answer to regaining health or preventing illness but it does seem like one very important or even essential part of the bigger picture. It should not be ignored or dismissed out of hand without proper open-minded investigation, particularly as the risk and cost is so very low. Please actually read this book before making up your mind. Earthing introduces the planet's powerful, amazing, and overlooked natural healing energy and how people anywhere can readily connect to it. This eye-opening book describes how the physical disconnect with the Earth creates abnormal physiology and contributes to inflammation, pain, fatigue, stress, and poor sleep. By reconnecting to the Earth, symptoms are rapidly relieved and even eliminated and recovery from surgery, injury, and athletic overexertion is accelerated.

‘Earthing’ by Clinton Ober

A pilot study on the electrodynamics of red blood cells (zeta potential) has revealed that earthing significantly reduces blood viscosity, an important but neglected parameter in cardiovascular diseases and diabetes [ 29], and circulation in general. Thus, thinning the blood may allow for more oxygen delivery to tissues and further support the reduction of inflammation. The book follows a similar format to America (The Book), being written in the style of a textbook and featuring many images, including visual gags. One controversial visual gag in America was a doctored image of the United States Supreme Court justices nude; a similar gag appeared in Earth which was an illustration of human anatomy that featured a nude man, one half of the man depicting Larry King. Bathing, especially in ocean water (because of the salts) or lake or river, is extremely good for you. If you can, walk barefoot in these waters. If you have ever done it you have already seen the benefits on your nervous system, your sleeping, your appetite, and your attitude. When you are linked to the Earth and involved in electric exchanges, you start feeling like a human being again.” As often as possibke expose any part of the skin of your body to the Earth or grass, or any natural water, lake, stream, or ocean. In your garden… moist grass is a perfect conductor. De Flora et al. wrote the following: “Since the late 20th century, chronic degenerative diseases have overcome infectious disease as the major causes of death in the 21st century, so an increase in human longevity will depend on finding an intervention that inhibits the development of these diseases and slows their progress” [ 33].

In short, Earthing restores and maintains the human body's most natural electrical state, which in turn promotes optimal health and functionality in daily life. The primordial natural energy emanating from the Earth is the ultimate anti-inflammatory and the ultimate anti-aging medicine. Koniver provides some practical solutions to finding time to reconnect with the Earth in our daily lives. She outlines the restorative powers of the Earth that include lower blood pressure, reduced stress, reduced depression, and increased happiness. She suggests that even five minutes of walking barefoot on the ground can have a significant impact on your sense of well-being over time.

Persist he did. Eventually, Clint found open-minded experts in the fields of medicine, physiology, and biophysics and inspired a series of research projects showing that the surface of the Earth is like one gigantic anti-inflammatory, sleep booster, and energizer-all wrapped up in one. Update: More than 6 months on, I would have to say the effect I feel from grounding is very mild if it is there at all. My dad says the same thing. It has not made a noticeable difference to me, as have so many other things such as ubiqunol, B vitamins and so on. It is of course difficult when trying and doing so many health promoting things, to work out which treatment is doing what. But even with that issue, there is no way grounding helps me even 10% as much as high-dose vitamin C does. When I miss a dose of that I am immediately aware of it, the positive impact of it on my life is so enormous. It really helped me turn a corner, as did vitamin D. Of course this is only my case study of one, but my personal opinion is that trying grounding should not take the place of taking a balanced orthomolecular program including high-dose vitamin C. Doing both is fine, especially if you have EMF issues, but expecting grounding to be all or almost all that is needed for healing serious disease is unrealistic It is also not an idea supported in this book, although I have heard it from some grounding fans.] Modern lifestyle has increasingly separated humans from the primordial flow of Earth's electrons. For example, since the 1960s, we have increasingly worn insulating rubber or plastic soled shoes, instead of the traditional leather fashioned from hides. Rossi has lamented that the use of insulating materials in post-World War II shoes has separated us from the Earth's energy field [ 6]. Obviously, we no longer sleep on the ground as we did in times past. Let’s start with this book. Clinton Ober is known as the father of modern earthing. He conducted the original experiments to test his theory. This book introduces you to the concept of earthing and tells the story of how it was discovered, or more accurately, rediscovered. This book goes beyond a basic primer. After the initial experiment in the early 2000s, Ober kept up to date with the latest research and discoveries on the topic of earthing.