Have recently started reading a series of books by Phil Rickman (author of supernatural and mystery novels) about a fictional Deliverance minister (diocesan exorcist) called Merrily Watkins. Now the story lines are interesting because Merrily’s job as Minister of Ledwardine Church and Deliverance Consultant brings her into situations that are possibly supernatural in origin, or maybe they’re just induced by human corruption and suffering?
His books are a particularly good read for anyone like me because the story-lines highlight that, what some might consider an experience to have been paranormal can sometimes be easily explained -if we just know all the details.
Particularly, it was The Lamp of the Wicked which highlighted electro-sensitivity, rather than anything paranormal, being the likely reason behind the killings carried out by a psychotic serial killer. We find out that the killer had a strange upbringing, became a bit weird once his parents died and he and his brother parted company. His home sits very close to an electricity pylon. It’s an examination of ecology, politics, and psycho-geography, sprinkled with some cynicism and doubt, and makes us contemplate the boundaries between modern Christianity and New age beliefs.
Every now and then articles appear in the papers and online of people who are deemed to suffer from an allergy to the technology of our modern age. They say they can’t live near electrical appliances and blame the prevalence of wi-fi, mobile phones, phone masts, TV screens, smart meters and fluorescent lights. They blame the radiation from these for causing a wide range of symptoms including headaches, nausea, sickness, severe abdominal pain, heavy bleeding and even blackouts.
Yet EHS is a controversial condition. Whilst some countries, such as Sweden and recently France, recognise it as a ‘functional impairment’, here in the UK, the Health Protection Agency says there is no scientific evidence linking ill health with electrical equipment.
Yet there appear to be a fair number of people in the UK claiming the debilitating symptoms they are experiencing are caused by electrosensitivity, so much so that there is a ElectroSensitivity UK website (http://www.es-uk.info/) who states that their aim is to provide unbiased and balanced information to help those who have become sensitive to mobile and cordless phones, their masts, wifi, and a multitude of common everyday electrical appliances.
I found a blog by a lady called Michelle who, at one time suffered from electrosensitivity and made for herself a mini-Faraday cage! She explains “The picture dates from the days when I was very electrosensitive myself and could only go out at all if I was wrapped in silvery netting. The silver threads created a sort of mini Faraday cage around my body and head protecting me from some, although certainly not all, of the ambient radiation. Incidentally, one of the most difficult aspects of ES is that protecting yourself against radiation is not cheap – this silver net fabric cost around £50 a metre and if you have been made so ill by radiation that you are no longer able to work, then protecting yourself becomes financially impossible.”
If you’d like to read her blog Michelle’s blog – electro-sensitivity recognised as a handicap in France
In the course of my research I found a website from a Dr Mercola who posits that EMF exposure is worse than cigarettes and that it is a silent enemy harming our health. I’m providing you with his link so that you can read what he has to say in relation to the Five Primary Sources of Electromagnetic Field Exposure however, I would point out that his website has at least one pop-up (which I abhor) together with numerous clickable “health” adverts so be wary of what you click on!
Frankly, I can’t make up my mind about this “condition”. We know our eyes and brains can be easily fooled by pareidolia and that infrasound can make us feel faint or dizzy. However, it’s not beyond the realms of possibility that maybe some people are susceptible to electro-sensitivity where others experience nothing (much like some paranormal phenomena!). There really isn’t enough scientific research on this to make a judgement although the people who experience it do say if they go to an environment where there is no EMF radiation or electrical equipment, their symptoms improve – but could this be mind over matter? Just by moving away from your home to a location to get away from items you consider are detrimental to you, doesn’t that have a sub-conscious effect on you?
Taking this one stage further, our modern landscapes are littered with pylons, transmitters, masts and the paraphernalia of our modern age. Yes, you can remove yourself to somewhere remote in the hopes that you won’t be anywhere near these things but what about the satellites orbiting the earth? They’re the reason we can talk with anyone in the world and the internet can link to all four corners of the globe.
From the NASA website I find that “thousands of artificial, or man-made, satellites orbit Earth. Some take pictures of the planet that help meteorologists predict weather and track hurricanes. Some take pictures of other planets, the sun, black holes, dark matter or faraway galaxies. These pictures help scientists better understand the solar system and universe.”
“Still other satellites are used mainly for communications, such as beaming TV signals and phone calls around the world. A group of more than 20 satellites make up the Global Positioning System, or GPS. If you have a GPS receiver, these satellites can help figure out your exact location.”
I understand that there are places where GPS doesn’t work but, by and large, the planet is well covered by a GPS signal so surely, even if you put yourself into the middle of a desert or a forest, you might still be affected by the EMF waves even if you’re miles from the nearest civilisation!
The women who say they are allergic to modern life and blame modern technology – Daily Mail Article
Edit 08/07/2016 BBC Article about Marion Bartoli and her electro-sensitivity which is claimed to have been caused by an unknown virus.
To add to this I want to bring into the equation the often quoted complaints about mobile phones (most usually quoted by people who are technophobes) that the radiation from them will fry your brains.
I’m not discounting ES as a condition because there’s still so much that we don’t really understand about the capabilities of our brains and bodies. Maybe there are some people more susceptible to EMF than everyone else. The people who claim they are suffering from it obviously have to cope with trying to adapt their lives so they can live comfortably in spite of the negative opinions of doctors and other professionals.
We are not directly aware of it but EMF is so much a part of our everyday lives now. There were reports of the radiation from mobile phones affecting your brain and advice to always use headphones rather than put the phone to your ear. There’s the video on YouTube where kernals of popcorn are placed on a table and mobile phones are placed around this and turned on and made to ring – and the kernals pop! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-XW4wOJqjQ
So I have to remain sceptical on this because sometimes (but NOT always) it’s mind over matter and, as I’ve found in other researches and stressed before, our minds are easily fooled!
Edit 4th August 2016 Wi-Fi won’t fry your brains or internal organs! How-To-Geek’s article dispels the Wi-Fi is ruining the world mythos How-To-Geek’s article: Don’t worry, Wi-Fi Isn’t Dangerous!
Edit 17th January 2021
The Action Lab guy’s video asking: How DANGEROUS Is Your SMARTPHONE?
Interesting video where the Action Lab guy proves, using a microwave leak detector, that there is little danger from the radiation emitted by your smartphone.
How dangerous is your smartphone?
Do you, or someone you know, suffer from the affects of this? Are you able to prove that it positively IS the EMF radiation that is causing your symptoms? I’d love to hear from you!
Skeptissimma - A Paranormal Skeptic 
Yes, I can prove to doctors that I have real physical electro-sensitivity from the extremely severe, physical skin reactions I have to prolonged exposure at close proximity (I refer you to inverse square law) to a number of forms of high frequency radiation such as Wi-Fi and mobile phones.
Doctors have seen it for themselves. However, an NHS immunologist who gave my GP written evidence of a diagnosis of real physical electro-sensitivity said he “would “get into so much trouble” if he gave me more supporting evidence than this. There is pressure from corporations and governments to maintain radio silence. This is despite the fact that Prof. Ole Johansson has proven real physical electro-sensitivity exists from experiments on the skin biopsies of electro-sensitives. And if it ‘s harming me, you can guarantee that at some level, it’s harming you.
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