Earthing / Grounding - Snake Oil or is there something to it? page

[RedYeti]

On Marks recent post on relaxation someone commented and linked to a site on "earthing".

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/15-wa...comment-697147

So my first thought was "Rubbish!" (very sorry DBeee! but I don't know who you are, and there seem to be no other comments from you previously).

Which is probably a healthy reaction as long as you then follow up to ensure you're right...

And poking-around online, there is indeed some reasonable looking research and a lot of noise about this being "for real". See this for example:

http://www.groundology.com/scientific_research.php

It has a certain logic to it but I'm wondering if anyone here has come across any better information or has any personal experience of it?

[Simon]

Sounds like nonsense to me.

[RedYeti]

Yes thanks - sounded like it to me too but as I asked - does anyone know if it actually is nonsense or not?

Anyone with any experience of it or knowledge that might back it up or invalidate it?

[aboutsaffron]

Well, all I can say is that I feel better when I've had a chance to walk around barefoot in the grass. I've never heard of this being an actual "thing" before, but I do think all the currents, transmissions, & etc flowing through the air can't be good. People used to think meditation & yoga was all new-age nonsense, but we've come a long way from that.

[carlh]

I can easily get behind the psychological benefits of walking barefoot, but that stuff looks like pure grokplop to me.

[RedYeti]

And to me - hence the title.

But does anyone have any knowledge to add to this perhaps?

[chronyx]

As an electrician I can tell you every time you use a tap, or touch a metallic appliance case, you are (Or should be) electrically 'earthed'.

The electrical potential between you and the general mass of earth at that point, is 0 volts.

Any difference between you and earth would be reduced to 0 at the speed of electricity; think of the speed and sensation of both static and current electric shocks!

[RedYeti]

Exactly, so a shower should do the trick nicely.

Some evidence then on the "It's snake oil" side!

However (to play devil's advocate) it's the slightly longer term application (say overnight) that may make the difference perhaps?

[jspradley]

As an electrician I can tell you every time you use a tap, or touch a metallic appliance case, you are (Or should be) electrically 'earthed'.

The electrical potential between you and the general mass of earth at that point, is 0 volts.

Any difference between you and earth would be reduced to 0 at the speed of electricity; think of the speed and sensation of both static and current electric shocks!

As a former electrician, you beat me to it. lol

Walking around barefoot on the grass does feel freakin' GREAT! Although I doubt it has anything to do with magical energies floating around...

[naiadknight]

THAT sounds like a load of hogwash. I thought you were referring to another version of grounding, which I can safely say does work. Different people call it different things: centering, grounding, clearing.... Essentially, it's releasing stress and anxiety, calming down, and coming back to the present moment. It was something I picked up back in my HS Wiccan explorations and I liked. It's a method to clear your head and fend off any nastiness or panic attacks. It works well for me.