The first time I heard of geographic stress was in a documentary. I was on the couch, lying on my millet hulls pillow, and completely captivated by this series. I remember when this documentary first came out (years ago), there wasn’t a lot of information available online. Now, a quick search of geopathic stress in Google and you will find plenty of people describing their struggles and symptoms.
The term geopathic is relatively new yet has Ancient Greek roots. “Geo” means land or Earth, and “pathic” means disease or ability to feel, be sensitive to or perceive. Geopathic stress therefore describes people who are sensitive to the Earth's energy.
Although it may sound “new-age-y” at first, there is an increasing amount of reports and research on the topic, and it actually has a long history. The geopathic theory believes the Earth gives off vibrations that are disrupted by human-made structures such as tunnels, pipes, sewers, utility lines, as well as natural occurrences such as unground water, geological faults and mineral deposits. According to the theory, this disturbance in vibration results in stress in the body which is manifested in a number of psychological and physical symptoms.
Similar theories have existed for centuries, and it shares many of the same practices of feng shui. It is believed that the Chinese knew of these geopathic zones over 4000 years ago and would not build a home on top of them because they knew it would cause illness.
In 1929 a German scientist by the name of Gustav Freiherr von Pohl mapped out the geopathic stress lines in his town of Vilsbiburg. He then looked at the reports of the people who died of cancer in this town and marked their beds on this map. Upon discovering that the beds of these individuals were over geopathic stress lines, he coined cancer as a “disease of location.” Gustav believed that if you slept in a geopathic zone, you would become ill and acquire cancer.
Although there isn’t an abundance of modern-day studies to prove geopathic stress and Gustav’s theory, there are plenty of anecdotal reports and personal stories like those I saw in the documentary years ago.
Is geopathic stress real?
The Earth’s vibrations are very real, and the Earth does have an electromagnetic field. Yet, despite all the anecdotal reports, very few researchers have dived deeper into the theory of geopathic stress. That said, a few studies have uncovered some interesting results.
One study conducted in 2010 had 154 men lay down over geopathic stress zones for 20 minutes. Following this, their heart rate and blood pressure were taken. The researchers compared these measurements to those taken when the men were in a neutral zone. The results of this study discovered a difference between the two zones. As a result, the researchers concluded that geopathic zones did have an influence on the body.
A 2005 controlled trial used a gas discharge visualization (GDV) system to detect “glow” levels in participants in geographic and neutral zones. The individuals in the geopathic zone had less glow which led the researchers to conclude there was an effect and different zones affect people differently.
A third study looked at the effect geopathic zones had on work performance. In this study, 26 individuals were given a reaction task in a geopathic zone and then in a neutral zone. Following the task, they had to answer a question about their well-being. The results found that although their performance did not seem to be affected, their well-being declined when in the geopathic zone.
Symptoms of Geopathic Stress
Due to the lack of scientific research, the symptoms of geopathic stress come from anecdotal reports. Symptoms are believed to appear when you live above a geopathic zone. A geopathic zone is an area where the Earth has been disrupted. Unless extremely sensitive, passing by an area like taking a subway to work won’t cause symptoms. However, if you live in an apartment building built above a subway line, you could experience symptoms. Even within your house, there may be areas that are on a geopathic line and others that are not. Symptoms are believed to worsen when you sleep over the geopathic zone. Common symptoms include:
- Persistent headaches or migraines
- Reduced immune response
- Constant drowsiness
- Mental fog
- Numbness in extremities (e.g., hands and feet)
- Difficulty focusing
- Low mood or mood swings
- Anxiety
- Increased conflict
- Changes in personality
One of the most common symptoms of geopathic stress is its adverse effect on sleep quality. Those experiencing geopathic stress may experience a great deal of fatigue yet have difficulty falling or staying asleep at night. A person's quality of sleep will be significantly reduced, which is a contributing factor to the constant drowsiness they feel during the day.
Sleeping above an area where the Earth’s natural energy is disrupted by weak electromagnetic fields is believed to wreak havoc on your sleep quality. So, even with the best bedding and a buckwheat pillow, you could still feel like you are in a constant state of fatigue.
It is believed that children are even more sensitive to geopathic stress than adults, and it can significantly affect their sleep as well. Reports have cited children experiencing repetitive nightmares, waking up in the middle of the night, difficulty falling asleep and teeth grinding while sleeping.
If you or your family are experiencing any of these symptoms and you believe you have geopathic stress, it doesn’t mean you have to pick up and move. There are various remedies that can help reduce the vibrations that don’t involve moving or going off-grid. Your first step to dealing with geopathic stress is confirming that it is indeed the cause of your symptoms.
How do you know if your sleep quality is affected by geopathic stress?
Some companies can test your home to determine if you are sleeping in a geopathic zone.
One way people test for disturbance points is through dowsing. A dowsing wand is held out in front of you or a dowsing expert, and when it points to the ground, it means there is something below you as the wand is drawn to electromagnetic energy. Another way to determine if your sleep quality is affected by geopathic stress is to sleep somewhere else for a few days and see how you feel. Spend at least three days away from your home and monitor your symptoms.
If you only experience these symptoms in your house or at work, you could have Sick Building Syndrome (SBS). This is related to geopathic stress and can cause the symptoms mentioned earlier. To help determine if it is geopathic stress at your home, you will also need to rule out any other household hazards such as mold, poor air quality, humidity, or carbon monoxide.
How to cope with geopathic stress?
You can reduce the Earth’s “bad vibes” in your home. There are several tools and solutions that can help with geopathic stress as well as EMF radiation. One way is to rearrange your living space, especially your bedroom. If you are experiencing sleep difficulties, try taking your bed and buckwheat pillow and moving it to a different side of the room. Use Feng Shui guidance for a better layout.
Another popular solution is to place metal rods where you suspect a geopathic disturbance. This will neutralize or block the distorted energy. This has been dubbed as “Earth’s Acupuncture” and uses rods made of steel, brass, or copper. Sometimes people will also use strategically places crystals, flowers, and leaves to neutralize the energy. Check out our article about gemstones and crystals for better sleep to learn more about which crystals can improve your sleep quality the most.
Some believe that oak trees have developed a resistance to geopathic stress, and therefore, its bark can act as a barrier. You can try placing a cork mat under your bed to help with the energy disturbance.
Getting rid of or reducing electromagnetic pollution in your home can also help. You are likely surrounded by. There are electric poles, satellite towers, and power lines outside our homes which are also filled with wireless routers, microwaves, cell phones, and televisions – all contributing to electromagnetic pollution. This magnifies geopathic stress and can make symptoms worse. If there are appliances, you don’t need to use remove them from your home and if you do need them, unplug them when you are not using them.
Because there is not enough research to tell us with 100% certainty, it is hard to determine which symptoms may be caused by geopathic zones and what could be secondary symptoms. For example, geopathic zones may only disrupt sleep and, as a result, trigger migraines, reduce immune response, and lower mood. For better health, you need to make quality sleep a priority.
Unplug or keep all electronics, including your cell phone, out of your bedroom, use a comfortable pillow like a buckwheat pillow or millet hulls pillow, and use a natural sleep aid.
A natural sleep aid will ensure your body is getting the nutrients it needs for quality sleep. By sleeping better, you may find the other symptoms are diminished.
