How Fabric Affects the Electricity of the Body: Natural fibers, biological coherence, and our electrical connection with the Earth

Three years Living Outside Changed How I Understood My Body

There is a particular kind of silence that settles over the mountains on a cold winter night. The wind moves through the bare trees, occasionally stirring the canvas walls of my tipi. Beyond those thin walls lies the forest, the mountains, and the immense darkness of the night sky. Inside I am warm wrapped in my wool sleeping system, yet only inches from the frost forming on the ground.

As the night deepens, the temperature falls. The sounds of the forest become familiar companions. Without a house and automatic heating, electrical wiring, artificial lights I am still somehow perfectly comfortable and at ease while connecting to the elements using only natural materials.

Morning arrives gradually. Long before the sun clears the mountain ridges, the darkness begins to soften. Birds stir. The air changes. Light slowly filters through the canvas, and I awaken naturally, often just as the sun is rising.

And I feel extraordinarily rested.

But how did I come to be sleeping in a tipi in the middle of winter?

I had been listening to podcasts featuring neurosurgeon Jack Kruse, whose ideas about circadian biology, sunlight, grounding, and the electromagnetic environment challenged much of what I had previously understood about health.

Kruse described the human body as something profoundly connected to the natural rhythms of the Earth. Light was not simply illumination. Darkness was not merely the absence of light. The changing electromagnetic environment, the daily progression of sunlight, and our physical relationship with the ground might all have biological significance.

What fascinated me most was the realization that our biology is intimately connected to the rhythms of the Earth and cosmos. Sunlight is far more than illumination. Its changing wavelengths and intensity throughout the day provide timing information that helps regulate our hormones, metabolism, mitochondrial activity, sleep, and cellular repair. Darkness is equally important, allowing the body to enter its nighttime physiological rhythms. Beyond the daily solar cycle, the Earth’s magnetic field, atmospheric electricity, and Schumann resonances form part of the electromagnetic environment in which life evolved—and researchers are investigating how some of these signals may influence biological activity.

Through Jack Kruse’s podcasts, I began to see the human body not as an isolated biochemical machine, but as a living electrical system, continuously interacting with its environment. The implications were exhilarating. If our physiology is so profoundly shaped by natural light, temperature, and potentially other electromagnetic signals, what happens when we spend most of our lives insulated from them?

The more I learned, the more I wanted to experience these connections firsthand. Rather than simply reading about the theories, I wanted to immerse myself in the environment they described. I wanted to know what would happen if I allowed the sun, darkness, changing temperatures, and natural rhythms of the Earth to become the organizing forces of my daily life.

So I moved into a canvas tipi in the mountains of North Carolina.

What began as a personal experiment became three years on and off of outdoor living—and one of the most remarkable experiences of my life.

My sleep became amazingly deep and restorative. I noticed that injuries seemed to heal unusually quickly. My body grew stronger and more resilient without any deliberate effort to build strength or fitness. Perhaps most striking was the persistent sense of well-being that accompanied this way of life.

These were not subtle changes to me.

I wasn’t measuring brain waves, heart-rate variability, or electromagnetic fields. I couldn’t isolate which environmental factors were responsible for what I experienced.

But I could feel the difference.

The experience left me with more questions than answers.

Was it the natural cycle of light and darkness? The changing temperatures? The fresh air, the ground beneath me, or the absence of so many artificial influences?

Or was my body responding to something deeper—the rhythms and electrical environment of the Earth itself?

The podcasts had inspired the experiment. But it was the experience itself that compelled me to investigate the science more deeply.

My body seemed to know something that my conscious mind had not yet understood.

And I wanted to find out what it was.

What we wear may influence more than our temperature and comfort. The human body operates through electrical signals, and the fabrics touching our skin have their own electrical properties. Could the materials we wear and sleep in affect how our bodies function?

This question has fascinated me for years. Through my experiments sleeping outdoors in natural fibers, and my research into wool, synthetic fabrics, and traditional concepts of energy flow, I’ve become increasingly interested in the relationship between clothing and the electrical nature of the human body.

Some of these relationships are well understood through textile science. Others, including the possibility that clothing influences the body’s energetic systems, remain open to investigation.

What began as an experiment in outdoor living became an investigation into the relationship between the human body and the natural world.

And it eventually led me to question something I had previously taken for granted: the purpose of clothing and outdoor equipment.

Are We Electrically Connected to Nature?

We usually think of clothing and outdoor gear in terms of insulation, protection, durability, and comfort.

We ask how warm a fabric is, how much it weighs, whether it breathes, and how effectively it keeps out wind and rain.

But what if we are overlooking another important property of the materials we surround ourselves with?

What if clothing influences our electrical relationship with the natural environment?

The human body is not separate from nature. It is a living, electrical organism, continuously exchanging energy and information with its surroundings.

Our hearts beat rhythmically. Our brains generate electrical oscillations. Our cells maintain electrical potentials. Our biological clocks respond to the rising and setting sun.

Meanwhile, the Earth possesses its own electrical and electromagnetic environment, from atmospheric electricity and geomagnetic fields to natural resonances generated by lightning around the planet.

Life evolved within this environment.

Could the materials we place between our bodies and the natural world influence this relationship?

And could wool, cotton, linen, and other natural materials interact with the body’s electrical processes differently from synthetic fabrics?

These questions lead into a fascinating intersection of physics, biology, textile science, and the emerging study of biological coherence.

The Human Body Is an Electrical Organism

Electricity is fundamental to life.

Every living cell maintains an electrical potential across its membrane. This voltage results from differences in ion concentrations inside and outside the cell, maintained by specialized proteins and metabolic processes.

Nerves communicate through changes in electrical potential. Muscles contract in response to electrical signals. The heart’s coordinated electrical activity produces the rhythm of circulation.

Even processes that we ordinarily describe as chemical depend on the movement of electrically charged particles.

Inside the mitochondria, electrochemical gradients help drive the production of ATP, the molecule that powers much of the body’s work.

In other words, the body is not simply a biochemical machine.

It is an electrochemical system in which the organization and movement of electrical charge are essential to life.

But this electrical activity is not random. Much of it is rhythmic.

The heart, brain, nervous system, and cellular clocks operate through interacting cycles that must remain coordinated for the organism to function.

This brings us to the subject of coherence.

Coherence: The Organization of Living Rhythms

In physics, coherence describes a stable relationship between oscillations, particularly their phases.

When two oscillating systems interact, they may influence one another’s timing. Under suitable conditions, they can become synchronized, a phenomenon known as entrainment.

The classic example comes from the seventeenth-century scientist Christiaan Huygens, who observed two pendulum clocks mounted on a common support synchronizing their motion.

The clocks were not independent after all. Tiny vibrations transmitted through their shared support allowed them to influence one another.

Similar principles appear throughout nature.

Fireflies can synchronize their flashes. Groups of cardiac pacemaker cells coordinate their electrical activity. Networks of neurons produce organized brain rhythms.

Living systems are filled with oscillators.

And those oscillators do not function in isolation.

The body continually coordinates rhythms occurring at different scales, from cellular signaling to breathing, heartbeats, sleep cycles, and seasonal changes.

This organization is fundamental to life.

It also raises a larger question: how do the body’s internal rhythms relate to the rhythms of the surrounding environment?

Circadian Biology: How Life Synchronizes with the Earth

Perhaps the clearest example of biological entrainment is the circadian system.

The human body contains an internal timing network that coordinates sleep and wakefulness, hormone secretion, body temperature, metabolism, and numerous other physiological processes.

Its central pacemaker, located in the suprachiasmatic nucleus of the hypothalamus, receives information about environmental light through specialized retinal pathways.

Morning light helps synchronize the internal clock with the approximately 24-hour rotation of the Earth.

The timing, intensity, duration, and spectral composition of light all influence this process.

Temperature cycles can also serve as timing cues, particularly in plants, microorganisms, and peripheral biological clocks.

This means that our internal physiology is continually adjusting to signals originating outside the body.

Circadian rhythms are not merely a convenient response to daylight. They are a fundamental organizing principle of biology.

Disrupting the normal relationship between environmental timing and internal rhythms can affect sleep, metabolic regulation, alertness, and many other functions.

Looking back at my years in the tipi, this is one of the first scientific connections that stands out.

I was exposed to the natural progression of light and darkness every day. My sleeping environment changed with the weather and the seasons. I was no longer completely insulated from the daily rhythms of the outdoor world.

My exceptionally sound sleep and natural awakening at sunrise seem consistent with what we know about circadian regulation.

But circadian biology also opened the door to a broader question.

Light is a powerful environmental timing signal. Temperature is another.

What about the Earth’s natural electromagnetic rhythms?

The Earth Has Its Own Electrical Rhythms

The Earth is surrounded by an electrically active atmosphere.

Lightning continually transfers electrical charge through the atmosphere. The planet’s surface and the ionosphere participate in a global atmospheric electric circuit.

The Earth’s magnetic field also varies in response to solar activity and processes within the magnetosphere.

Among the most interesting features of this environment are the Schumann resonances.

These are extremely low-frequency electromagnetic resonances sustained within the cavity between the Earth’s surface and the ionosphere.

Lightning discharges excite the cavity, producing a fundamental resonance near 7.83 hertz, along with higher resonant modes near 14, 20, 26 hertz, and beyond.

The precise frequencies and amplitudes vary with atmospheric and ionospheric conditions.

What makes these resonances especially interesting from a biological perspective is their overlap with frequencies found in human brain activity.

And that brings us to one of the most intriguing areas of research into the relationship between the body and the Earth.

Schumann Resonance, Brain Waves, and Biological Entrainment

The brain produces electrical oscillations across a range of frequencies.

These are commonly described in frequency bands:

• Delta: approximately 0.5–4 Hz
• Theta: approximately 4–8 Hz
• Alpha: approximately 8–12 Hz
• Beta: approximately 12–30 Hz
• Gamma: generally above 30 Hz

Different patterns are associated with different aspects of brain function, including sleep, attention, memory, sensory processing, and states of relaxation.

The fundamental Schumann resonance, near 7.83 Hz, falls close to the boundary between the theta and alpha bands.

Several higher Schumann modes also overlap with commonly measured EEG frequency ranges.

This resemblance has attracted scientific attention for decades.

Researchers have explored possible relationships between natural electromagnetic activity and human brain rhythms. Some studies report correlations or transient periods of coherence between EEG activity and Schumann resonance measurements.

These observations raise the possibility that the brain may respond under certain conditions to changes in the Earth’s electromagnetic environment.

Frequency overlap alone does not establish that two systems are synchronized. There must also be a physical interaction capable of coupling them.

Nevertheless, research into biological responses to extremely low-frequency electromagnetic fields makes this a legitimate subject of investigation.

If the Earth’s natural electromagnetic rhythms influence biological activity, even subtly, the implications could extend beyond the brain.

They might also involve the autonomic nervous system, cardiovascular regulation, and the coordination of other physiological rhythms.

The Heart, Brain, and the Question of Coherence

Life on Earth did not evolve in an electromagnetic vacuum. From the earliest beginnings of life, organisms have existed within a planetary environment shaped by sunlight, the Earth’s magnetic field, atmospheric electricity, and the natural electromagnetic oscillations known as Schumann resonances.

These resonances arise primarily from lightning discharges around the globe, which excite electromagnetic waves within the cavity between the Earth’s surface and the ionosphere. Their fundamental frequency averages approximately 7.83 Hz, accompanied by higher resonant frequencies near 14, 20, 26, and 33 Hz.

But Schumann resonances are more than a set of frequencies. Their intensity and characteristics change in recurring daily and seasonal patterns, influenced by global lightning activity, the day–night cycle of the ionosphere, and solar conditions. They form part of the rhythmic electromagnetic environment in which terrestrial life evolved.

Circadian biology has established that living organisms are profoundly connected to the natural rhythms of their environment. The daily cycle of sunlight and darkness synchronizes internal biological clocks that regulate sleep, metabolism, hormone production, body temperature, immune activity, and cellular energy production.

These rhythms extend all the way down to the mitochondria.

Mitochondria are not simply cellular power plants operating independently of the outside world. Their metabolism, redox signaling, and energy production are closely integrated with circadian regulation. The timing of cellular activity matters, and disruptions to biological rhythms can affect mitochondrial function.

Researchers and thinkers such as Jack Kruse have proposed that this relationship extends beyond sunlight to include the Earth’s natural electromagnetic environment. In this view, biological organisms evolved not only in response to the daily appearance and disappearance of sunlight, but within a larger network of recurring electromagnetic signals that may contribute to physiological regulation.

The precise role of Schumann resonances in that network remains an open scientific question. Their existence and daily variations are established geophysical phenomena; their proposed role as biological timing signals, particularly at the mitochondrial level, requires further experimental confirmation.

Nevertheless, research has begun exploring possible relationships between these planetary signals and measurable physiological activity.

The human heart and brain offer an especially interesting example.

The brain regulates heart rate through the autonomic nervous system, while signals from the cardiovascular system continually return to the brain. Breathing influences both systems, coordinating changes in heart rhythm, blood pressure, vagal activity, and neural regulation.

One way researchers study these relationships is through heart-rate variability (HRV), which measures the changing intervals between successive heartbeats.

A healthy heart does not beat like a perfectly timed metronome. Its rhythm continually adapts to breathing, movement, emotional state, and the body’s changing physiological demands. These variations provide valuable information about autonomic regulation.

In a 2018 study published in Scientific Reports, researchers monitored HRV in sixteen participants over five months and compared their physiological measurements with solar activity, geomagnetic conditions, and Schumann resonance power.

They reported associations between increased Schumann resonance power and changes in HRV consistent with greater parasympathetic activity. Other investigators have explored relationships between geomagnetic variations and autonomic nervous system regulation.

These findings do not establish that Schumann resonances directly control the heart, synchronize mitochondrial metabolism, or maintain biological homeostasis. But they raise an intriguing possibility: that at least some aspects of human physiology may be sensitive to changes in the natural electromagnetic environment.

The deeper question is not simply whether the brain and the Earth share certain frequencies. It is whether the recurring electromagnetic patterns of the planet provide environmental information that living organisms can detect and incorporate into their physiological regulation.

If such relationships can be demonstrated, they could expand our understanding of how circadian rhythms, mitochondrial metabolism, and autonomic function interact with the natural world.

Perhaps the biological significance of the Earth’s electromagnetic environment lies not in any single frequency, but in the larger pattern of rhythms within which life evolved.

To what extent are the body’s internal electrical rhythms coupled to the changing electromagnetic environment of the Earth?

If such coupling occurs, could it be influenced by the materials surrounding our bodies?

Before returning to fabric, however, we need to consider another extraordinary component of biological electricity: water.

Water: The Medium of Biological Electricity

The human body is composed largely of water.

But water inside living tissue does not exist simply as a pool of ordinary liquid.

It interacts with proteins, membranes, dissolved minerals, and countless charged molecular surfaces.

These interactions influence the movement of ions, the stability of proteins, and the electrical properties of biological systems.

Water is central to the electrochemical processes that allow cells to function.

Its molecular structure is also dynamic. Hydrogen bonds continually form and break, and the organization of water near a surface can differ from that of water farther away.

This has led researchers to investigate the special properties of interfacial water—water located near other materials.

One researcher who has devoted decades to this subject is Dr. Gerald Pollack, professor of bioengineering at the University of Washington.

His work opens an especially interesting possibility for understanding the relationship between biological materials, radiant energy, and electrical charge.

Gerald Pollack and Electrically Structured Water

Pollack’s research began with a question about how water behaves next to hydrophilic, or water-attracting, surfaces.

His laboratory investigated gels, polymers, and other materials placed in contact with water containing microscopic particles.

Under certain conditions, the researchers observed that particles were excluded from regions immediately adjacent to the surfaces.

These became known as exclusion zones, or EZs.

Some of the observed regions extended hundreds of micrometers from the surface—far beyond the few molecular layers traditionally associated with interfacial water.

Pollack and his colleagues also reported differences in electrical potential between the exclusion zones and the surrounding water.

In their interpretation, the region near certain surfaces develops a negative electrical potential while positive charge accumulates farther away.

This charge separation creates something resembling a small electrical battery.

An even more interesting finding concerned radiant energy.

Pollack’s laboratory reported that exposure to light, particularly certain infrared wavelengths, could increase the size of the exclusion zones.

In his 2013 lecture Electrically Structured Water, Pollack describes experiments in which infrared illumination substantially expanded the exclusion region.

He proposes that absorbed radiant energy helps organize water and separate electrical charge.

In this model, water is not simply a passive solvent. It may also participate in converting radiant energy into electrical potential.

Pollack has proposed that exclusion-zone water represents a distinct, ordered state, sometimes described as a fourth phase of water.

The exclusion-zone phenomenon has been investigated by other researchers, but its physical explanation remains debated. Some investigators favor mechanisms involving ion gradients and particle transport rather than a distinct phase of water.

The proposed large-scale hexagonal structure and the broader biological implications have not been established.

Still, the experimental observations raise important questions.

If water near certain surfaces can exhibit distinctive electrical behavior, what happens when water interacts with the proteins and fibers of living organisms?

And what happens when those proteins are exposed to infrared radiation?

These questions bring us directly back to wool.

Wool, Keratin, and the Electrical Properties of Water

Wool is made primarily of keratin, a complex biological protein.

Unlike most synthetic textile fibers, wool is highly hygroscopic. It can absorb considerable moisture from the surrounding atmosphere without feeling wet.

That water does not simply sit between the fibers.

Much of it enters the fiber structure and interacts with chemical groups within the keratin.

As moisture content changes, so do wool’s physical and electrical properties.

Its electrical resistance generally decreases as moisture increases. Its dimensions and mechanical behavior also respond to hydration.

These properties help explain why wool tends to accumulate less troublesome static electricity than many synthetic fabrics under ordinary conditions.

But I wonder whether this is only the beginning of the story.

Pollack’s research suggests that water near certain hydrophilic surfaces can behave differently from water in the bulk liquid.

Keratin contains numerous sites capable of interacting with water.

Could water associated with wool’s protein structure exhibit additional forms of electrical organization?

Could moisture within wool participate in charge-separation processes?

And could radiant energy influence those interactions?

We must distinguish moisture absorbed within a fiber from the liquid-water systems used in Pollack’s experiments. They are not automatically equivalent.

Nor has it been demonstrated that wool contains the specific exclusion-zone structures Pollack proposes.

Nevertheless, wool presents an intriguing material for investigating the relationship between proteins, water, and electricity.

It is a biological fiber with a complex internal architecture, substantial moisture absorption, and electrical properties that change with its environment.

These are measurable characteristics.

The possibility of additional electrical processes remains a hypothesis worth exploring.

Infrared Radiation: Another Connection

All objects above absolute zero emit electromagnetic radiation.

At the temperatures typical of the human body and the surrounding environment, much of this emission occurs in the infrared spectrum.

Our bodies continuously exchange radiant energy with the objects and materials around us.

Wool absorbs, emits, and reflects infrared radiation according to its physical properties, just as other fabrics do.

Its insulating performance also influences the temperature and moisture conditions near the skin.

Pollack’s experiments introduce a further question.

If radiant energy can influence charge separation in some interfacial-water systems, might infrared radiation also influence water associated with hydrated biological fibers?

Could the body’s own thermal radiation play a role?

Could environmental infrared radiation contribute?

And might the answer depend on the chemical and structural properties of the material?

I am not suggesting that wool has been shown to generate useful electrical energy from body heat, or that it necessarily amplifies electromagnetic signals.

But these are the kinds of questions that emerge when we consider wool as a protein–water system rather than merely as insulation.

Natural Fibers and Synthetic Fabrics: Two Different Interfaces

Natural and synthetic textiles differ in many ways.

Wool and cotton contain numerous water-interacting chemical groups. Polyester is comparatively hydrophobic, although the construction and finishing of polyester fabrics can still allow effective moisture transport.

Their electrical properties also differ.

When materials rub together, electrons or ions may be transferred between their surfaces, creating static charge through the triboelectric effect.

The familiar crackling of synthetic clothing in dry weather is one example.

Wool’s moisture absorption often helps electrical charge dissipate more readily.

But static electricity is only one part of the larger question.

The electrical behavior of a fabric depends on its composition, moisture content, structure, surface treatments, and contact with other materials.

Natural fibers are not automatically electrically conductive, and synthetic fibers are not universally electrical insulators. Some engineered synthetic textiles are specifically designed to dissipate static charge or conduct electricity.

Still, these differences suggest that clothing should be evaluated as more than a thermal barrier.

A fabric also creates a physical interface between the skin and the surrounding environment.

It influences humidity, temperature, friction, and electrical charge at that interface.

Could those differences affect physiological signaling?

Could they influence the body’s responses to environmental conditions?

And could the combination of water, protein structure, and radiant energy create interactions we have not yet fully investigated?

Clothing and the Flow of Biological Energy

Years ago, I encountered observations attributed to John Veltheim, known for his work involving acupuncture and the BodyTalk system.

In those accounts, different fabrics were reportedly placed over acupuncture points while changes in what was described as the body’s energy flow were assessed.

The reported results suggested that nylon produced a greater disturbance than cotton.

These observations intrigued me because they raised a question that conventional textile testing rarely addresses: could the material touching the body influence physiological processes beyond temperature and moisture?

However, the original experimental methods and the reported numerical results need to be verified before they can be treated as scientific evidence.

Traditional concepts such as chi cannot simply be equated with measurable electrical current.

Yet the broader question remains interesting.

The skin is an electrically active organ, and the properties of materials touching it can influence measurable skin impedance, moisture, and surface charge.

Investigating those effects could help distinguish physical mechanisms from more speculative interpretations.

Grounding: Electrical Contact with the Earth

Grounding, or earthing, is another part of this investigation.

In electrical engineering, grounding means establishing a conductive connection to the Earth’s electrical potential.

Human contact with conductive ground can allow static charge to dissipate and may alter measurable body voltage under particular conditions.

This is a physical phenomenon.

Whether grounding produces specific health benefits is a separate question, and the clinical evidence remains limited.

It is also important to distinguish grounding from electromagnetic resonance.

A person may be exposed to the Earth’s magnetic field and Schumann resonances without having a direct conductive connection to the ground.

Likewise, touching the ground does not automatically synchronize the body’s rhythms with Schumann resonance.

But both phenomena belong to the larger subject of how the body interacts electrically with its environment.

Could different footwear, sleeping surfaces, and clothing materials alter these interactions?

Certainly, their electrical resistance and moisture properties can differ.

Whether those differences meaningfully influence physiological function is a question that deserves careful measurement.

Wool itself should not be described as an electrical ground simply because it is natural or absorbs moisture.

But its electrical properties may still be relevant to the conditions at the skin–fabric interface.

Could Natural Materials Support Biological Coherence?

We can now return to the larger question.

The body contains many interacting electrical and physiological rhythms.

The environment contains recurring signals, including light, temperature, geomagnetic variations, and atmospheric electromagnetic resonances.

Some environmental signals, especially light, are established regulators of biological timing.

Others, including natural extremely low-frequency electromagnetic fields, are subjects of continuing research.

Meanwhile, the materials surrounding the body influence temperature, humidity, surface charge, and the physical conditions of the skin.

Water associated with proteins may also exhibit interesting interfacial electrical behavior.

Could these phenomena be connected?

Could the materials we wear influence the body’s ability to respond to environmental rhythms?

Might some materials help preserve the conditions under which biological systems maintain coordinated function?

And might natural fibers offer properties that are not captured by conventional measurements of insulation, durability, and moisture transport?

These are ambitious questions.

The term coherence must be used carefully. A coordinated physiological rhythm is not automatically healthier simply because it is more synchronized, and coherence in one physical system does not prove coherence in another.

But the broader investigation is worthwhile.

It asks us to consider clothing as part of the body’s relationship with the natural world.

How Could We Investigate These Ideas?

Some of the questions raised here could be studied with relatively straightforward experiments.

We could compare wool, cotton, linen, and polyester under controlled conditions, measuring their electrical resistance, static charge, moisture content, and surface potential.

We could investigate how infrared exposure affects these measurements while controlling for changes in temperature.

More advanced experiments could examine water associated with keratin and determine whether it exhibits electrical behavior beyond that predicted by ordinary moisture-dependent conductivity.

We could also measure physiological responses while participants wear different materials, carefully controlling for comfort, temperature, humidity, activity, and expectation.

For questions involving environmental electromagnetic rhythms, simultaneous measurements of the relevant field and biological activity would be essential.

The goal would be to determine whether measurable coupling exists and whether fabric properties alter it.

Such experiments might confirm some of our hypotheses and reject others.

Either outcome would be valuable.

The important thing is to ask questions that can lead to new knowledge.

The Bigger Question: Are We Isolating Ourselves from Nature?

When I think back to those winters in the tipi, I remember more than the cold mornings, the sound of rain on canvas, or the experience of living close to the earth.

I remember how remarkably good I felt.

I remember awakening at sunrise, deeply rested. I remember the sense of strength and resilience that seemed to develop naturally. I remember feeling that my body was functioning in a way I had rarely experienced before.

Those memories continue to motivate my research.

Modern technology has given us extraordinary control over our immediate surroundings.

We can illuminate the night, regulate indoor temperatures, insulate ourselves from the weather, and surround our bodies with engineered materials.

These developments have brought undeniable benefits.

But they also invite an important question.

In our effort to protect ourselves from the environment, have we sometimes overlooked the ways our bodies depend on environmental signals?

We know that daylight helps regulate circadian timing. We know that temperature and moisture influence physiology. We know that electrical signaling is essential to every living cell.

We are also discovering more about how biological rhythms respond to changes in the wider physical environment.

And research into water, proteins, and interfacial electricity continues to raise questions about processes that may be important to living systems.

Perhaps our understanding of clothing and shelter should evolve alongside this knowledge.

Rather than asking only how effectively a material separates us from nature, we might also ask how it allows us to interact with nature.

This does not mean rejecting modern materials or assuming that everything natural is automatically beneficial.

It means recognizing that the body is a living system, not an inert object that simply needs to be insulated and protected.

The body has its own remarkable capacity for regulation, adaptation, and synchronization.

Perhaps some of the benefits we associate with healthy living are not things we have to manufacture or force, but capacities the body expresses when its environment supports its natural rhythms.

Our task as designers—and as people seeking to understand our relationship with the natural world—is to learn how to cooperate with those processes.

Wool may turn out to be especially interesting in this regard. Its biological protein structure, ability to hold water, and distinctive electrical properties make it a promising material for further investigation.

Or we may discover that some of the effects we are exploring occur in many materials, natural and synthetic alike.

Either way, the investigation could change how we think about the fabrics closest to our skin.

The body is the first piece of gear. And the body has never existed apart from the Earth.

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References and Further Exploration

1. Alabdulgader, A., McCraty, R., Atkinson, M., et al. (2018). Long-Term Study of Heart Rate Variability Responses to Changes in the Solar and Geomagnetic Environment. Scientific Reports, 8, 2663.
2. Zheng, J.-M., Chin, W.-C., Khijniak, E., et al. (2006). Surfaces and interfacial water: Evidence that hydrophilic surfaces have long-range impact. Advances in Colloid and Interface Science, 127, 19–27.
3. Chai, B., Yoo, H., & Pollack, G. H. (2009). Effect of radiant energy on near-surface water. Journal of Physical Chemistry B, 113, 13953–13958.
4. Pollack, G. H. (2013). The Fourth Phase of Water: Beyond Solid, Liquid, and Vapor. Ebner & Sons.
5. Pollack, G. H. Electrically Structured Water. EU2013 lecture, January 2013, published by The Thunderbolts Project in 2022.
6. Exclusion Zone Phenomena in Water—A Critical Review of Experimental Findings and Theories. International Journal of Molecular Sciences (2020), 21, 5041.

Additional primary research on Schumann resonance, EEG synchronization, circadian biology, grounding, and textile electrical properties should be reviewed and added before publication.The Human Body Is an Electrical System

The human body is not simply a collection of chemical reactions. It is also an electrical system.

Our nerves communicate through electrical impulses. Our hearts beat through precisely coordinated electrical signals. Even our cells maintain electrical potentials across their membranes.

The skin also has measurable electrical properties, including resistance and electrical potential, which vary with moisture, temperature, and physiological conditions.

This raises an intriguing question: If the body is electrical, what happens when we surround it with different materials?

Clothing is one of our most continuous points of contact with the environment. We wear it throughout the day and often surround ourselves with it during sleep.

Different fabrics accumulate, retain, and dissipate electrical charge differently. This is especially noticeable when comparing natural fibers with synthetic materials.

Natural vs. Synthetic Fabrics and Static Electricity

Anyone who has pulled a polyester fleece over their head on a dry winter day has experienced static electricity.

The crackling sounds, clinging fabric, and occasional shock when touching a metal object demonstrate that clothing can accumulate electrical charge.

This phenomenon is known as the triboelectric effect. When different materials contact and separate, electrons can transfer between their surfaces, creating an electrical imbalance.

Synthetic fabrics such as polyester, nylon, and acrylic often retain this charge, particularly in dry conditions.

Natural fibers behave differently, although their properties vary.

Wool, cotton, and linen absorb moisture from the atmosphere. This moisture can help electrical charges dissipate rather than accumulate.

Wool is particularly interesting because it can absorb substantial quantities of water vapor without feeling wet.

This contributes to its ability to regulate moisture, moderate temperature, and reduce persistent static buildup under many everyday conditions.

It is important to distinguish these measurable textile properties from the larger question of whether fabrics influence internal biological electrical signaling. That relationship has not been established.

Nevertheless, the differences in the electrical behavior of fabrics are real and worth understanding.

Fiber	Moisture regain at 65 % RH*	Static behaviour	Feel next to skin
Wool	13–16 %	Dissipates — rarely sparks or clings	Dry to the touch, buffers sweat
Cotton	7–8 %	Dissipates	Cool; feels wet when saturated
Silk	9–11 %	Mild static	Smooth, cool
Nylon	4–4.5 %	Builds charge	Slick, can feel cold and damp
Polyester / fleece	0.4 %	Builds charge strongly — crackles, clings, attracts dust	Warm but sweat sits on the skin
Acrylic	1–2 %	Builds charge strongly	Pilling, clammy

Does Wool Conduct Electricity?

Wool is generally considered an electrical insulator, especially when dry. However, unlike polyester, wool naturally absorbs moisture from the surrounding air.

As wool absorbs moisture, its electrical resistance decreases, allowing static charge to dissipate more readily. This is why wool often produces less persistent static electricity than polyester and other synthetic fabrics.

So the answer depends on the conditions: dry wool is a poor electrical conductor, but moisture makes it more conductive. This doesn’t mean wool conducts electricity like metal or automatically grounds the body to the earth.

Clothing and Chi Flow: John Veltheim’s Experiments

An especially interesting perspective comes from John Veltheim, who served as Principal of the Brisbane College of Traditional Acupuncture and Natural Therapies in Australia.

Veltheim described experiments investigating whether different clothing materials influenced the flow of chi, the vital energy described in traditional Chinese medicine.

According to his account, sensitive equipment was used to monitor changes associated with acupuncture stimulation along the body’s meridians.

One example involved an acupuncture point known as Stomach 36, located just below the knee.

In traditional Chinese medicine, this point is associated with the stomach meridian, which extends upward through the body.

Veltheim reported that stimulation of this point produced measurable changes in the energy readings associated with the meridian.

What Happened When Subjects Wore Nylon or Cotton?

Veltheim described a series of particularly striking observations.

With the subject unclothed, the measured response to acupuncture stimulation was assigned a baseline of 100 units.

He reported the following differences:

• Unclothed: Baseline response of 100 units.
• Nylon underwear: A reduction in the measured response of up to 60%.
• Cotton underwear: A reduction of approximately 20%.

Veltheim further claimed that patients wearing nylon underwear during acupuncture treatments sometimes required twice as many treatments to obtain comparable results.

These are remarkable claims, especially considering how much of our modern clothing is made from synthetic materials.

However, the figures come from Veltheim’s account. Without independently published experimental methods, instrument specifications, controls, and replication, they cannot be treated as established measurements of biological energy flow.

Traditional chi meridians also should not be confused with the electrical pathways of the nervous system.

Still, his observations raise an interesting question: Could the electrical properties of clothing influence physiological measurements or our responses to certain therapies?

This is a question worth investigating with modern instrumentation and controlled experiments.

How Clothing Interacts With the Skin’s Electrical Properties

The surface of our skin is electrically active, and its electrical characteristics change throughout the day.

Skin conductance, for example, is influenced by sweat gland activity and is routinely measured in physiological research.

Veltheim and practitioners of bioenergetic therapies have proposed that static electricity generated by clothing may interfere with the body’s energetic systems.

The underlying observation—that synthetic fabrics can accumulate static charge—is well established.

The proposed consequences for health, however, require further investigation.

A static shock demonstrates an electrical discharge between surfaces. It does not, by itself, establish that the body’s nervous system or cellular electrical activity has been disrupted.

Understanding this distinction allows us to explore these ideas without confusing a promising hypothesis with a demonstrated fact.

My Outdoor Sleep Experiments: Three Winters in Natural Fibers

My own interest in these questions grew out of a much more practical experiment.

I wanted to discover whether a person could sleep outdoors through an entire mountain winter using natural fibers, without depending on a heated shelter.

This became an extended experiment spanning three winters in the mountains of North Carolina.

I slept in a canvas tipi using wool bedding and natural-fiber clothing, experiencing the changing temperatures, humidity, and weather conditions of the North Carolina mountains.”

The experiment eventually contributed to the development of Lucky Sheep and the Rewilder wool sleeping bag.

One of the most important discoveries was how differently wool behaved in damp conditions.

Synthetic materials could sometimes leave me feeling clammy as moisture accumulated. Wool, by contrast, absorbed moisture vapor into its fibers while maintaining a relatively dry feel against the body. The full story is in The Tipi Experiment series.

Wool also releases a small amount of heat when it absorbs moisture vapor, a phenomenon known as the heat of sorption.

These properties became particularly valuable during cold nights when moisture management was just as important as insulation.

I began to appreciate that a sleeping system is not simply about trapping heat. It is about creating an environment in which the body can regulate temperature and moisture throughout the night.

The experience deepened my curiosity about the electrical properties of wool and whether natural materials might offer benefits beyond those already explained by conventional textile science.

Although these outdoor experiences were not controlled bioelectric experiments, they helped shape my approach to designing natural-fiber outdoor gear.

Is Wool a Grounding Fabric? The Surprising Role of Moisture

One of the most fascinating properties of wool is something we rarely think about: wool is almost never completely dry.

Even when it feels perfectly dry to the touch, wool contains moisture absorbed from the surrounding atmosphere.

At a relative humidity of 65%, wool typically holds approximately 14–18% of its dry weight in absorbed water. Compare that with polyester, which absorbs less than 1%.

When wool is worn against the skin, it is exposed to additional moisture vapor released by the body.

This moisture has an important effect on wool’s electrical properties.

Although dry wool is an electrical insulator, its resistance decreases as it absorbs moisture. This means electrical charges can dissipate more readily than they would through completely dry wool.

Scientists have studied this phenomenon for decades. Research published in Textile Research Journal in 1965 demonstrated that changes in atmospheric humidity alter the electrical conductance of wool fibers.

This raises an intriguing question: Could the moisture naturally present in wool help maintain an electrical connection between the body and its surroundings?

We know that moisture increases wool’s conductivity. We also know that electrical grounding requires a conductive pathway between the body and the earth.

Whether ordinary wool clothing or bedding can provide a meaningful grounding connection under real-world conditions is another question. The answer would depend on moisture content, electrical resistance, and what other materials separate the body from the ground.

Water itself is not automatically a good conductor. Pure water conducts electricity poorly, while dissolved salts and other ions can greatly increase its conductivity.

Wool’s ability to dissipate static electricity under suitable conditions is established. Its potential role in facilitating electrical grounding deserves further investigation.

For me, this adds another dimension to wool’s remarkable relationship with the human body. The same moisture-absorbing properties that help regulate temperature and improve sleeping comfort also influence the electrical behavior of the fabric.

Wool is not simply a passive layer of insulation. It is a natural material whose properties continually respond to the moisture and temperature of its environment.

Could Wool Also Influence Electromagnetic Radiation?

There is another intriguing possibility arising from wool’s natural moisture content.

Water interacts with electromagnetic radiation, absorbing energy at certain frequencies and changing how electromagnetic waves travel through materials.

Because wool continually absorbs moisture from the atmosphere and from the body, it raises an interesting question: Could this moisture also give wool some ability to attenuate electromagnetic radiation?

Research has demonstrated that moisture can alter the electromagnetic shielding properties of textiles. However, whether ordinary wool clothing provides meaningful protection from environmental electromagnetic fields remains to be established.

A material’s shielding effectiveness depends on several factors, including frequency, conductivity, thickness, and moisture content. The ability to absorb electromagnetic energy does not necessarily mean a fabric provides useful protection from exposure.

This opens another fascinating avenue of investigation into the relationship between natural fibers, water, and the body’s electrical environment.

Scientific reference: Effect of moisture content on the electromagnetic shielding ability of non-conductive textile structures — Scientific Reports (2021)

How Fabric Choice Affects Sleep Quality

While the influence of fabrics on internal bioelectric processes remains uncertain, there are several established ways that clothing and bedding affect sleep.

Temperature Regulation

The body must regulate its core temperature during sleep.

Wool can help buffer changes in temperature and humidity, reducing the sensation of becoming alternately overheated and chilled.

Moisture Management

Perspiration and water vapor must move away from the skin.

Wool absorbs moisture vapor into its fibers and can release it gradually as conditions change.

Static Electricity

Synthetic fabrics may accumulate static electricity, producing clinging, crackling sounds, and occasional shocks.

These sensations can be unpleasant, particularly in dry environments.

Comfort Against the Skin

Texture, breathability, fit, and moisture all influence how comfortable a fabric feels during extended contact with the body.

These factors provide practical reasons to consider natural fibers for sleep, independent of more speculative bioenergetic explanations.

For readers interested in experiencing wool’s properties outdoors, the Rewilder wool sleeping bag was developed from this philosophy of natural-fiber sleep.

Choosing Fabrics That Work With the Body

After years of working with natural materials, I have come to appreciate the importance of simplicity.

Rather than relying exclusively on synthetic membranes, chemical finishes, and highly engineered fabrics, I prefer to begin with materials that have served human beings for generations.

Wool, cotton, linen, hemp, and silk each offer distinct advantages, depending on the application.

Wool remains my preferred material for outdoor sleeping insulation because of its combination of warmth, moisture buffering, resilience, and comfort.

This does not mean synthetic materials have no useful applications. They can be exceptionally lightweight, strong, and effective in certain conditions.

The important thing is to understand the tradeoffs and choose deliberately.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does clothing affect the body’s electricity?

Clothing can affect static electricity at the skin and influence electrical charge accumulation and dissipation. Whether ordinary clothing significantly changes internal bioelectric signaling remains uncertain.

Do synthetic fabrics generate more static electricity?

Many synthetic fabrics, particularly polyester and acrylic, readily accumulate static charge under dry conditions. Fiber combinations, friction, finishes, and humidity all influence the result.

Does wool conduct electricity?

Dry wool is generally an electrical insulator. However, its ability to absorb atmospheric moisture can increase electrical conductivity and help dissipate static electricity.

Is wool a grounding fabric?

Wool’s electrical resistance decreases as its moisture content increases, but that does not automatically make it a grounding fabric. An actual grounding connection requires a sufficiently conductive pathway to the earth.

Does wool protect against electromagnetic radiation?

Moisture can change the electromagnetic properties of textiles. However, there is currently insufficient evidence that ordinary wool clothing provides meaningful protection from environmental electromagnetic exposure.

Can natural fabrics improve sleep?

Natural fabrics can improve sleep comfort through temperature regulation, moisture management, and their feel against the skin. The effect depends on the fabric, construction, environment, and individual sleeper.

The Bigger Question: What Are We Surrounding Our Bodies With?

The relationship between clothing and the electrical nature of the human body deserves further exploration.

We already know that fabrics differ in electrical resistance, moisture absorption, static charge accumulation, and thermal behavior.

We also know that the body depends on electrical activity for many essential functions.

What we do not yet know is whether the differences between everyday clothing materials meaningfully influence those internal electrical processes.

John Veltheim’s reported observations offer one hypothesis. Modern textile science provides measurable mechanisms worth studying. My own outdoor sleeping experiences have demonstrated the practical advantages of natural fibers.

The discovery that wool’s electrical conductivity changes with its moisture content opens additional questions about grounding and the electromagnetic environment.

Together, these perspectives encourage a larger conversation about the materials we place next to our bodies.

For me, this is part of a broader philosophy: the body is the first piece of gear.

Everything we wear, carry, and sleep in should begin with an understanding of how the human body functions in the natural world.

And sometimes the simplest materials offer the most interesting possibilities.

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Scientific References

1. Algie, J. E., and Watt, I. C. (1965). The Effect of Changes in the Relative Humidity on the Electrical Conductivity of Wool Fibers. Textile Research Journal. DOI
2. Effect of moisture content on the electromagnetic shielding ability of non-conductive textile structures. Scientific Reports (2021). Read the study
3. Effects of Environmental Conditions on Electrical Properties of Textile Fabrics. Read the study
4. John Veltheim — reported observations concerning clothing, acupuncture, and chi flow. Original publication details to be confirmed before final citation.

Moisture and sleep: the difference you actually feel at 3 a.m.

A sleeping adult loses roughly half a litre of water overnight through skin and breath. Where that water goes decides whether you sleep through the night.

• Synthetic fill and shells can’t absorb it. Vapour condenses on the cold side of the fabric or stays on your skin as liquid sweat. The result is the familiar cycle: warm → sweaty → clammy → chilled → awake. Fleece and polyester sleeping-bag liners are the worst offenders because they sit right on the skin.
• Wool absorbs vapour into the fiber before it becomes liquid, and releases heat as it does — the heat of sorption, about 960 kJ per kilogram of water absorbed. That is why a wool bag feels warmer as the night gets damper instead of colder, and why the surface stays dry to the touch. We cover the physics in How wool stays warm when wet and the field experience in Why damp cold feels colder.
• Cotton absorbs well but holds liquid water against the skin once saturated and dries slowly — fine for a sheet in a dry house, poor for a base layer on a wet