Live Long and Prosper

I would like to live a long and prosperous life—wouldn’t you? I may never reach 150 years old like Dr. Spock in Star Trek, but why not stack the odds in my favor? Living in today’s high-tech world has distanced us from many of the natural elements that once supported good health—fresh air, sunshine, forests, and grassy fields—the simple pleasures people enjoyed even a hundred years ago.

Recently, I discovered the practice of earthing also known as grounding, and its intriguing connection to health. Grounding occurs when a person or object makes direct contact with the bare earth, creating a natural electrical connection.

We are electrical creatures—full of free electrons—and we conduct electricity. Have you ever walked across a carpet and touched a metal doorknob in the winter or in dry weather? That static shock can be upwards of 4,000 to 35,000 volts! (It’s not harmful because it is very transient.) Our bodies build up a charge as we move across the room. Because we live in homes with wood or carpeted floors and wear rubber/plastic soled shoes—rarely stepping barefoot onto the ground—we often carry a slight electrical charge, as evidenced by the connection with the doorknob. Over time, this charge may lead to imbalances in our body, potentially contributing to inflammation. 

What is Inflammation?

Inflammation is now recognized as being at the root of many illnesses. Heart disease often involves inflamed and congested arteries. Autoimmune disorders arise from immune systems that have gone into overdrive. Obesity and metabolic problems are linked to inflamed fat tissue. Autism and neurodegenerative diseases show evidence of inflammation in the brain and nervous system. 

How Did We Get This Way?

Clearly, these diseases are biologically complex, and we can’t solve them here, but we can say that inflammation is an “oxidative” process. Oxidants, or free radicals, are generated by exposure to pollution, electromagnetic fields, environmental toxins and even stress. Health professionals encourage us to eat vegetables and fruits as these contain “healthy antioxidants”—molecules that neutralize these free radicals. For example, foods like blueberries and pomegranates are very high in antioxidants. But what if the Earth itself were another source of antioxidants? Could it be that the most fundamental antioxidants in nature are electrons? 

Electrons

Electrons are negatively charged particles—remember high school chemistry? and they act as natural antioxidants, helping to neutralize excess positive charges (free radicals) that accumulate in our bodies. Research has shown a measurable reduction in inflammation, improved sleep, better circulation and faster recovery from stress or injury when grounding the body. In this sense, electrons may be the ultimate antioxidant. 

Blue Zones and Farms

But I’m getting ahead of myself. It’s long been observed—and supported by research, including the work of Dr. Sam Milham—that people who grow up on farms or live in rural areas tend to be healthier than those in cities. Could that be because they are quite literally “grounded” as they work in the soil?   

In one of my recent articles, A Charged Topic, I discussed the centenarians—people living past 100—who inhabit the so-called Blue Zones around the world. One of those places, Ikaria, Greece, is known for its traditional homes built from natural materials like wood, stone, mud, reeds, and grasses. The people there live quite literally on the earth, and perhaps that closeness is one of the secrets to their remarkable longevity. They appear to be living in a naturally “grounded” environment.

Throughout history, humans have walked, run, sat on, and slept directly on the ground. Is it possible that direct contact with the earth—whether working in the soil or living in a hut—has helped keep us healthier and perhaps even extended our lives?

Traditional Cultures Understood the Need to Be Grounded

The traditional Chinese view of Qi (Chi, meaning “vital energy” or “life force”) parallels many modern ideas about grounding and the body’s electrical balance. Did the early Chinese understand “grounding” thousands of years ago? Maybe, but not in the electrical sense that we view it today, but in the sense of maintaining harmony with the Earth’s energy. Concepts like “Earth Qi”, in Chinese culture and “prana” in India’s Vedic tradition both refer to a vital life force that flows through all living things.

Practices such as Yoga, Tai chi, and qigong—all traditionally performed barefoot and often outdoors—reflect this deep connection with the natural world. Likewise, many Native American traditions recognized the Earth’s healing power; some tribes removed their moccasins to walk barefoot on sacred ground, honoring the energy of the Earth beneath them. 

The Girl in the Hole

Many Indigenous peoples recognized the healing power of connecting with the Earth. Clint Ober, in his book Earthing (2014), tells a story from his childhood about a young Native American girl who fell ill with scarlet fever. An elder from her tribe dug a shallow pit in the ground, placed the girl inside it, and stayed nearby for three days while she rested and slept. When the three days were over, she was greatly improved. Would she have recovered anyway, even without the grounding? Possibly.  But why would the elder have gone through the effort of digging the hole and placing her there in the first place? He may have known that it would improve her chances of recovery.

Humans Are Not Supposed to Be “Charged”.

Even though we are electrical beings, our bodies are not designed to carry a charge. Early humans did not live indoors with carpeted floors, insulated shoes, and metal doorknobs. Today, scientists understand that the energy exchanged between our bodies and the Earth when we are grounded consists of electrons. When you step barefoot onto the Earth, you discharge excess voltage—just like when you touch a doorknob after walking across carpet—and your body begins to absorb free electrons from the ground. These electrons help restore your body’s natural electrical balance.

Research on Grounding

In one study, researchers analyzed the electrical charge exchange between the human body and the Earth. Although the resulting currents are very small (nanoamperes) they are detectable and measurable. Biophysicist James Oschman Ph.D. has worked with numerous injured patients and observed that grounding specific body parts (using grounding patches) appears to speed healing and reduce “collateral damage” to surrounding healthy tissue.

These observations led researchers to ask how grounding might produce such effects inside the body. One emerging idea is that the body’s connective tissue matrix—the web of collagen that surrounds every cell—acts as a conductor and storage network for electrons. When the body is grounded, this matrix may become infused with free electrons from the Earth, creating a kind of built-in antioxidant system that helps neutralize inflammation and support tissue repair.

In other words, grounding isn’t just a one-and-done event. It’s a bit like keeping your phone charged — every time you make direct contact with the Earth, your body “tops up” on electrons. Those electrons don’t just disappear right away; they spread through your tissues and can build up a kind of reserve that helps protect you from inflammation, stress, and even pain. The more often you ground, the more your system stays balanced and ready to handle the wear and tear of daily life.

Grounding May Improve Sleep

Another study explored how grounding affects cortisol levels during sleep. Normally cortisol should be low at night; if it’s elevated, sleep can be disrupted. Cortisol regulates our circadian rhythm. The study concluded that—“Grounding the human body to earth during sleep… resynchronizes hormone cortisol secretion more in alignment with the natural 24-hour circadian rhythm profile”. Changes were most apparent in females. Participants also reported sleeping better and experiencing less pain and stress when grounded. 

In the diagram below you can see the before and after cortisol levels in the 12 participants. These participants slept on grounding mats for 8 weeks during the study.

Take Comfort Under the “Umbrella”

In 1960, physicist Richard Feynman, Ph.D., explained that the Earth beneath our feet is at zero volts, while a person’s head—about six feet above the ground—is roughly 200 volts higher (some researchers estimate closer to 350 volts). How can that be? According to Feynman, measurements show that the Earth’s electric potential increases gradually as one moves upward from ground level through the atmosphere—by about 100 volts per meter, up to around 50 kilometers in altitude where the potential is about 400,000 volts! At higher elevations, thunderstorms and lightning act to re-balance, or “recharge,” the Earth’s overall electrical field.

See the man labeled “A” in the picture below. He has shoes on and is NOT grounded. The potential at the top of his head may be as high as 350 volts. (He doesn’t get shocked because air is a poor conductor, allowing almost no electrical flow.) However, if he has bare feet and is grounded (see man “B” below), it is as if he has an umbrella over his head—his entire body is at zero volts!

This umbrella effect is what happens when humans, animals, plants and trees are in contact with the earth. When we walk around barefoot outside, we have this umbrella protecting our body. We even have this umbrella when we are inside and touching a grounding mat.

My Experience

Today, you don’t need to dig a pit in your back yard or hug a tree to enjoy grounding. Of course you can just go barefoot in the grass, but grounding for longer periods of time is the most beneficial. Sleeping on a grounded mat, or sitting on one while you work, is a great way to get the full benefits. The idea is to be grounded long enough to allow a meaningful flow of electrons into the body.

I started sleeping on a grounded mat a couple of months ago and was amazed by the results. Before grounding, I used to wake up every night between 1 and 3 a.m. to use the bathroom. Just two days after I began using the mat, I stopped waking in the middle of the night. Now, I sleep deeply and even dream more often, a good sign of restorative rest. Also, better sleep has eased my lower back discomfort after long days of working in my yard.   These changes are definitely noticeable.

Some people may not feel any difference when they first start grounding—and nobody really knows why. My sense is that grounding still benefits the body, even when the effects aren’t immediately obvious. It may simply take time for the body’s collagen matrix to replenish its store of electrons, especially if someone starts out more depleted than others.

There are many products available that will allow you to “ground” inside your home. There are mats to sit or stand on. There are mats, sheets, and pillowcases to go on the bed. There are patches to place anywhere on your body. Each product comes with a long cable that can be plugged into the “ground” port in a nearby outlet in your house (assuming that your house is wired correctly). I have found that the products at Earthing.com are the most robust. https://www.earthing.com/

I hope you have found this article interesting. I hope you will try grounding in whatever way works for you. I leave you will the wise words of Clint Ober, author of the book Earthing–

Always talk to your health professional before starting anything new.  This information is not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any condition and is intended only for entertainment. I welcome your comments.