1176: Earthing | Skeptical Sunday

25:56I mean, you're not going. It's exhausting to go through these studies and see the links. And if it seems plausible in a tiny little meme, you're going to believe that. But people also have to have some accountability. If you're not getting medical treatment because you've seen research that says just go for a walk barefoot, I mean, that's dangerous. Yeah. Plus, you know, our minds are powerful, too. And we've all felt our shoulders drop out in nature. So it seems plausible, but we're just we're just fooling ourselves. Right. It's a placebo at best. So static electricity is not building up in me like I'm a Tesla coil while I sit here at this desk.

26:33No, definitely not. Static is temporary. It's just like rubbing that balloon on the kid's head. You know, the charge builds, you touch something, it releases. This happens all the time without us even realizing it. And there's zero health benefits. It's just sparks and frizzy hair. I see. So the whole earthing thing is pseudoscience. And yet earthing techniques are practiced, sworn by. I know health people that bring, that carry this crap with them when they go. I don't, it's just silly to me. But surprise, surprise, people are putting eggs in their vag. I mean, yeah, it seems intuitive, the whole idea of it.

27:07You know, in our natural state, humans were more in contact with the ground. People want that to matter in ways it doesn't. And so it's easy to believe we somehow lost something. Yeah, appeal to nature fallacy, appeal to the ancients fallacy. Basically, if something's natural, it's better and it's healthy. If it's unnatural, that's bad. And if the ancestors or the ancients did something, it's got to be better than what we do now. Something, something wisdom of the ages that's been lost. So, yeah, I tried to get in touch with nature recently and I set up the slip and slide for my kids. And I can assure you that is not grounded because it's one of those inflatable ones.

27:42And I was like, I'm going to take a flying leap. Yeah, the weight limit's 100 pounds. Oh, no. Or 105 pounds. I am more than 105 pounds. So I didn't land on a cushy and inflatable slip and slide. I landed on the ground, the turf, hard, and I got a purple butt cheek. I don't know why I shared that at all. That, again, has nothing to do with the episode. But some Earthers might tell you that counts, that you were earthing. Great. I mean, even the earthing community isn't on the same page. You know, some say you absolutely have to touch Earth directly. Dirt, grass, ocean, falling off a slip and slide, whatever.

28:16However, others believe you can get the same benefits by using special electrical conduction products. Yeah. So this is what my friend has. I've mentioned him a second ago. He brings an earthing mat to hotels. So he stands on a mat in a hotel that's like, you know, 30 floors up in Manhattan. And he's like, I'm grounding. Make it make sense. You're not on the ground. Your whole room is not. He's probably just taking some deep breaths, though, and feeling better. maybe yeah further we say stuff like you seem grounded down to earth like it means something i did a podcast while sitting on a grounding mat to heighten my experience and i fidgeted the whole time because the cord was under my ass and yeah but the people who gave you that mat they wanted to make a difference you know they think it's affecting us emotionally and there's like a poetic connotation of balance connectedness slowing down and that's what people are craving and and experiencing.

29:10So the Earth part, it's all metaphor. You know, grounding is not a scientific diagnosis. Okay. So you mentioned free radicals earlier. Remind me, that's electrons flying in or flying out? I forget which. I mean, simply free radicals have an electron flying out and it's looking to steal electrons from other molecules. So this is a good spot in the episode, I think, to give a shout out to the humble proton. I see. The opposite to an electron charge-wise, I assume. Wow, the protons. So sad, they never get enough love. They don't. They don't. And the protons, you know, it's a charged particle that balances the electron, and it's actually a hydrogen ion.

29:50So there's actually a proton disease, another thing that gets blurry by the earthing community. So too many of these hydrogen ions or protons in the stomach, that occurs when we have too much acid, and that's what gives us ulcers. And the fix for that is something people might be familiar with. It's a proton pump inhibitor. But it's the drugs that are soaking up the protons, not a barefoot walk in the woods. Ah, the humble proton causing indigestion to untold millions. So, yeah, so people think it's earthing and it's like could be the antacid you took. Just saying. Right. Yeah. I mean, and diet, exercise, those sorts of things, they're reducing our oxidative stress, which is free radicals.

30:33So foods, real stress management, mops up free radicals almost certainly more effectively than lying on some weird earthing mat. Got it. OK, speaking of which, what about other earthing products? Do they do anything to aid in our health? I mean, earthing jacket, probably not. Earthing mat, probably not. J-Dag in the vagina, question mark. It's just no. It's like full stop. But there's so many of these products for sale. There's the grounding mats. There's copper threaded sheets, yoga mats with wires. None of them are proven to work. There's just no evidence that sort of plugging your bed into an outlet cures anything.

31:12What do you mean sort of plugging it in? Well, I mean, most of these products plug into the third hole of outlets and the third hole does nothing. I'm not sure about that. All right, Jordan, get your mind out of the gutter. God. Yeah. Well, we can call it the third prong then. Oh! Giggity, giggity, giggity, go! Fine. Okay, fine, fine. But just go look in an outlet. The one on the bottom, it does absolutely nothing if nothing is plugged into the other two prongs. It's just a safety component for when something is plugged in to catch stray electrons and ground them. But these grounding and earthing products, they aren't live.

31:54They're just a scam. Yeah, it sounds like it. There was a 2023 article I read that it argued indoor earthing equipment and products don't and can't control for all the different factors that influence biological grounding. So simply put, these researchers said that even if all the claims about indoor earthing products were true, the product's effectiveness would still vary wildly for reasons that are just beyond your control. This includes things like soil moisture levels and the quality of electrical mains ground connections, stuff like that. Yeah, I was wondering. It's like so you're just trusting that this third hole just goes straight into the ground and the ground is receptive to whatever crap is coming off your body.

32:38I mean, come on. Power of the mind. Anyway, the placebo effect. It's not nothing, by the way. So if somebody feels better doing this, OK. Sure, sure. But money not well spent, though. Right. You know, the placebo effect is real, but it's not magic electrons. It just bums me out to see people grifted, especially about their health. And let's not confuse this correlation with causation. You know, grounding wires protect electrical systems from overloads like lightning. But that's way more electricity than your body is ever, ever, ever dealing with. Plus, you know, think about it. If you're buying a special mat to sleep on, you're probably also doing other things to feel better.

33:17Like you're just showing you care about your health. Yeah, but the marketing is very slick. They wrap it up in Eastern wisdom, spiritual vibes, testimonials, slick e-commerce kind of experience. Right. Look, I respect indigenous and Eastern culture traditions, whatever the harmony with nature. I get it. But turning that philosophy into a wellness grift that doesn't do anything. That's always been a problem for me, which is why we're here. People would buy well marketed dirt if it was for sale. Actually, they're probably already. Surely that exists. I have news for you. Yes. Earthing.com, Oversight, they don't sell dirt, but there is Earthing dirt, like specifically marketed for Earthing that is for sale on Etsy and Amazon.

33:59Okay. Look, I've seen$300 earth-toned yoga blankets, but actual dirt, that is actually brilliant. You just buy a bag of dirt for$5 and then you sell it for$55. I know. What are we doing wrong here? The products are endless. You know, like go to Earthing.com, check out his site. The funny thing is it doesn't tout all the free practices you can do. It doesn't lay out the science. It just sells products like earthing rods and shoes and blankets and mattress pads. There's these adhesive patches and earthing strips that, you know, say put these on your skin. And you'll see that the, you know, it pulls out these electrons because the patch changes color.

34:39But you can take the patch and put it on the wall. It'll change color. It's just the friction. It oxidizes or something. Yeah, exactly. So, I mean, if you could walk in the grass for free, why is he pushing a copper-threaded blanket and magnets plunged into the third prong of your outlet? I mean, people must love the ritual or they live in high-rise buildings. I don't know. I know, but it would be way more helpful to encourage people to go outside, to actually sit in the grass, to unplug, take a deep breath for free. I mean, that does have benefits, but we just can't pretend it's physics. Take that prong out of your third hole and relax.

35:16Take that prong out of you. And don't fall for the sales pitch of wellness companies, you know, making more and more money from you just for the crap. Yeah. We need to be super skeptical about the money grabs. The global earthing equipment market was valued at over$5 billion in 2003, and it's projected to reach over$9 billion by 2032. Wow. I was going to say those words are charged. That is so much money, though. What a waste. Yeah. Holy smokes. It's a lucrative industry, and it's dedicated to bringing the benefits of the great outdoors inside. But, I mean, just go outside. Don't spend the money.

35:57Yeah. So literally the whole thing is a scam, top to bottom. I think so. I mean, my skepticism always grounds me into thinking that if this worked and cured everything, wouldn't it be used, improved? Wouldn't we be talking about it all the time? I mean, these products, you know, we discussed products on our Hangover episode and people responded about things that work for them. But I really thought about it. And yeah, if you're being mindful enough to be taking deliberate steps for your health, whether it's taking a pill before drinking or plugging your bed into a outlet that doesn't work. I mean, you're probably being mindful about other healthful things, which is also contributing to your lack of pain or symptoms or helping you mentally feel better.

36:38Like just staying hydrated, taking breaks for self-care, diet and exercise. That all affects us. Yeah. So these dubious devices have zero real evidence that they do anything at all. I went to hiking in the Grand Canyon and somebody brought an earthing mat. I mean, what? Yeah. Yeah. That's incredible marketing to think that you would need that earthing mat at the Grand Canyon. Well, are there outlets at the Grand Canyon? I mean, I will let you guess. There's not even cell phone service in the Grand Canyon. You can die out there, but at least you won't be, I don't know, positively charged or something or negatively charged.

37:13That bums me out because it's taking away from that person's experience. I mean, there's just no research establishing the basic claim that an electrical homeostasis has any effect on how our bodies function. If it worked, it'd be in hospitals, not hiding on some influencer's Instagram. You know, you can look back. Doctors used to prescribe time at the seaside, but they stopped because it doesn't heal anything. Yeah, that's a great point. I remember all those like, go to this cave to cure your tuberculosis, go to the seaside because it cures things. This is a really good point. If you're mindful enough to buy the mat, you're probably doing yoga, you're drinking water, you're managing stress, you're taking your vitamins, you're working out.

37:55That's probably what's helping regardless of what is in your third hole or whatever. Right, totally. I mean, I think there's a simpler reason people feel better after quote-unquote earthing. They're outside. They're moving. They're breathing fresh air. They're getting sunlight. You know, we're always on our devices. We're always rushing. So just slowing down and putting your feet in the grass, it might make you feel good. Being present, it's powerful. But you don't need a pseudoscientific bedtime story to enjoy a hike. Right. Now available exclusively from Goop and Gwyneth Paltrow, taking a walk around the block for a limited time only.

38:35Ninety nine ninety nine. Yeah. It's interesting how science and spirituality sometimes bump into each other, though, right? Oh, absolutely. I mean, if this was a cure, although wouldn't it mean every landscaper is more healthy than an office worker? A grave digger is healthier than a hospital employee. Farmers would be healthier than teachers. I mean, I surf a lot. I'm barefoot on the beach several times a week because of where I live. It clears my head. You can't bring a phone on a surfboard. But I still live with like an incurable autoimmune disease that gets worse as I age. You know, I have to take a pill every day.

39:13I still get sick more often than I'd like. Other things plague me. Being barefoot all the time, it doesn't cure anything. Speaking of discharge, how about a word from our sponsors? We'll be right back. Thank you for listening and supporting the show. It is your support of our advertisers that keeps us going. All of the deals, discount codes, and ways to support the podcast are searchable and clickable over at jordanharbinger.com slash deals. And if you can't find the code, email us. It is that important that you support those who support the show. Now for the rest of Skeptical Sunday. I hike a lot, but I never take my shoes off because, you know, stuff bites and there's sharp stuff.

39:50Yeah, it still helps me unwind. Plus, I want to get away from emails and phone calls. And that pretty much does it. Yeah, right. You're you're slowing down. You're going for a walk. You're letting yourself relax. You don't want a rusty nail in your foot again. Like all these effects, they can happen inside on a treadmill. Did you say again? Sorry. Yeah, it's OK. Those effects get to happen on a treadmill to inside. It's it's not earthing magic. It's mindfulness. Yes. And yet earthing is exploding in popularity. I see earthing and grounding. hashtags all over the place. That Netflix documentary, I think, did pretty well.

40:23Yeah. I mean, it's huge on social media. The Earthing documentary, it was on YouTube. Oh, YouTube. And it has over 5 million views. It launched this whole trend when it came out in 2019, and it was really good timing. It became really popular during the pandemic. Is the documentary worth watching? I already know the answer to this question, I think. Yeah, I watched it for you. It's biased, of course. It's marketing disguised as enlightenment. You know, they say it has cutting edge research and world class experts, but it's just quacky chiropractors, longevity influencers, people selling stuff.

41:02There's one retired cardiologist in it. His name's Sinatra, which is fun. And but everyone else seems to be on the take. Like there's one quote unquote expert who says he tells knee surgery patients to walk barefoot in the grass. That's fine, but it's basic rehab. It's not medicine. So meanwhile, they never once explain what grounding or earthing actually is in the whole movie. There's no definition. There's no science. It's just testimonials and links to websites. Oh, my gosh. It's like, hey, go for a walk in the grass barefoot. Oh, OK. It must be the grass and that I'm barefoot. No, man, we're just trying to get you to walk because I did surgery on your knee and I'm trying to hide the ball instead of telling you to walk because you won't do that.

41:47But you will go walk barefoot on the grass. If it's all anecdotal, that's always problematic. I will obviously skip watching the documentary. It sounds like you could swap out earthing with, I don't know, CBD or cold plunges or drinking celery juice. And it's just the same script. Yeah, I think so. I mean, also in the movie, they don't mention that Clint Ober owns the product line that's featured in the film. Right. OK. That's a wild conflict of interest, right? He's credited as the executive producer, and he basically is the movie. He's the main star. So it's like if L. Ron Hubbard wrote and starred in a documentary about how Dianetics and Scientology cured his back pain.

42:28I'm almost positive that exists. Yeah, fun. Another pseudoscience marketing cult. Is there a line like in the documentary? I assume there's a line like, this is the truth. Your doctor won't tell you. I think they might say that exactly. For sure. Why not? While you're out there, you know. It ends with, you know, like and subscribe and click here to buy our crazy products. Yes. Oh, one guy said you should walk barefoot on the freeway because rubber tires something. I don't know. Negatory. Yeah. It was just another influencer said her sacred earthing pillowcase improved her aura. Ah, but there's something you could never falsify because it's totally not real.

43:09I don't understand what a sacred earthing pillow is. It sounds flammable. And never walk on the freeway barefoot or not. That is super dangerous and super illegal for very good reason. That's a great way to get hit by at least one car and kill somebody. Yeah. And just, just, oh, what are you walking on? I mean, what sucks about all of this is that people are, I think, in good faith. They're looking for answers. and especially post-pandemic. There's more skepticism around medicine. You know, that's on the rise and it makes earthing seem really attractive. I wonder if it became more popular post-pandemic because people did seem to go for more walks when everything was shuttered in 2020.

43:50And at the same time, they also distrusted science a lot more. Yeah, I mean, for sure. We were disconnected with nature. You know, we're on our screens. And so during the pandemic, yeah, you're right. I think a lot of people did get out more. But earthing is just selling this fantasy of reconnection. It's crazy, the idea of enjoying nature being monetized. It doesn't mean we should be doing these normal or there's some extreme earthing practices like the freeway walking. Oh, yeah, that's extreme. Yeah. So is there anything more extreme or on the same level as freeways, barefoot freeway strolls?

44:27I mean, it's a real thing. Some people are really proud of. You know, it's practices like walking barefoot in the snow, going out in really heavy rain, running long distance through rough terrain and mud and fasting in the woods while naked. You know, some people insist on sleeping directly on the ground, which obviously can be dangerous. You know, those who take earthing to extreme physical levels, they're just searching for this deeper connection to the Earth's energy. But it can be really dangerous. You know, you could get frostbite to the point of losing toes, which has happened to some people.

45:02Scalding burns. I mean, I don't get the connection to the pavement. That just seems illogical. I remember seeing just absolute maniacs who never wear shoes walking around NYC, New York City, on freaking Broadway and in the subway when I lived there. And that can't be good. And I sort of get it. Look, if you live in a rural North Carolina farm area and you're walking around. Okay, fine. Manhattan? Just why? Who said to me, you just littered on the street. Don't you care about the environment? And I thought about it and I said, you know what? This isn't the environment. This is New York City. This is not the environment.

45:42This is where people live. New York City is not the environment. New York City is a giant piece of litter. Yeah, and the people who are walking barefoot in New York City, are they actually earthing? Like, you're not touching earth. Exactly. I get it. If you live in a really big high rise city, you can feel very far away from nature. I understand. It can feel like you're a very, very long way from that natural earth state unless you're in Central Park or something. But yeah, there's like three floors of pipes and subway below you. You're not everything, bro. So are there colonies or communities for extreme earthing like a, you know, like a nudist colony, but just for bare feet people, barefoot people?

46:20I don't know if there's actual communities, But nudist earthing is definitely a thing. I guess you have no choice at that point, right? Right, right, right. Might as well. That practice goes way back, too. The good old Benjamin Franklin was a big believer in sunbathing naked every morning. He called it his air bath. But he still suffered from gout and syphilis and who knows what else. Yeah. There's just no connection that these practices heal anything like is claimed. I mean, I think for most people it's low risk, but there are safety hazards associated with earthing. And I think most of them are probably, you know, pretty obvious.

46:58Syphilis, huh? Wow. That's another skeptical Sunday, I suppose. Yeah. OK. Sun-diving naked, it sounds like a great way to get a sunburned dog. Oh, God. Hard pass, or in my case at nearly 46 years of age, semi-hard pass. Oh, wow, Jordan. Yeah. I'm on fire today. Sun your perineum for a minute a day and you'll never be sad again. Google perineum, kids. On your work computer. Yeah. Right. While earthig seems harmless, you know, it's not always advisable. Sure, walking barefoot in nature, it's accessible, it's free. But there are a few landmines. Like if you have a chronic medical condition, you know, like reduced sensation in your feet from diabetes is common.

47:43So walking barefoot on hot pavement or rocky trails, not a good idea because you could get injured without even noticing. Plus, you have to think about allergic reactions. The soil is full of bacteria and parasites and whatever your neighbor's pets left behind. Yeah, nothing like reconnecting with the earth and catching ringworm or something from it. I mean, earthing websites even warn that earthing may make you feel worse before it makes you feel better. Yeah. Whatever that is supposed to mean. That's exactly what it means is you're going to catch dirt syphilis and be like, what the heck? And they're like, oh, we covered that on one of the lines where we said it might make you feel worse.

48:23That is not a wellness claim. It seems like the real danger is the scam on desperate people looking to feel better and cure something. Yeah. I mean, true. The more rigorous research is needed to confirm if there's any substantial health benefits. You know, yeah, you might sleep better, but it's because you've been more active at the beach or on a picnic than a usual day. So definitely go to parks, touch trees, get out into those natural areas sometimes. But it should be a complement to not a replacement for evidence-based medicine. So some online resources for earthing can contain medical misinformation.

49:00So read about this topic with a really critical eye. You know, earthing likely has some mental health benefits, but you don't need products and it can't, as some claim, cure diseases or take the place of modern medicine. I mean, I guess I do earthing and don't even realize it, but it's maybe that's why vacations feel so good. So the advice here, yeah, go outside. Yes, touch trees. Yes, lie in the grass. Don't replace your medication with dirt or contact with dirt. Right. Please take your meds. Yes. Whether it's placebo or not, if it helps someone feel more grounded mentally, physically, whatever, maybe that's enough.

49:40So, yeah, get outdoors, visit nature, but just don't let yourself get grifted. Thanks, Jessica. I'm going to follow my kids lead and roll down a hill and make sure I don't get anything stuck in that pesky third hole. Thanks, everybody, for listening. Topic suggestions for future episodes of Skeptical Sunday directly to me, Jordan at jordanharbinger.com. Show notes on the website, advertisers, deals, discount codes, ways to support the show, all at jordanharbinger.com slash deals. I'm at jordanharbinger on Twitter and Instagram. You can also connect with me on LinkedIn. You can find Jessica on her sub stacks, that's more than one, between the lines and where shadows linger.

50:17We'll link to that in the show notes as well. This show is created in association with Podcast One. My team is Jen Harbinger, Jace Sanderson, Tata Sidlowskis, Robert Fogarty, Ian Baird, and Gabriel Mizrahi. Our advice and opinions are our own. And I might be a lawyer, but I'm not your lawyer. And I don't, I'm not a PhD in earthing because that doesn't exist. So do your own research before it. Well, do some real research before implementing anything you hear on the show. And remember, we rise by lifting others. Share the show with those you love. If you found the episode useful, please share it with somebody else who could use a good dose of the skepticism and knowledge we doled out today.

50:49Maybe, maybe force them to listen to this while they're standing outside or plugged into that mat in the hotel and they can't go anywhere. In the meantime, I hope you apply what you hear on the show so you can live what you learn. And we'll see you next time.