It’s (a) common sense
February 28, 2025
What sense do you have in common with monkeys, tortoises, plants, bacteria and fungi?
It’s the ability to sense minute electromagnetic fields.
‘From magnetotactic bacteria to humans, the ability to respond to MFs is ubiquitous among the so-called five kingdoms of life,’ say Denis Henshaw and Alasdair Philips, writing in the International Journal of Radiation Biology recently. ‘In terms of sensing, scientific evidence shows that ES [electrosensitivity] is universal.’
We know that insects, fish, birds and mammals – including humans – use the Earth’s magnetic field to navigate. The authors give the fascinating example of some mole rats who live in total darkness yet are able to build networks of underground tunnels.
We also know that different species – including humans – react to low intensity geomagnetic storms, even though humans may not be consciously aware of it.
The authors say it’s likely that all people’s bodies are sensitive to man-made electromagnetic fields, even if they don’t realise it. It could well be affecting their stress levels and sleep quality amongst other unwanted effects.
‘A significant increase in the number of people reporting adverse health effects due to EHS [electromagnetic hypersensitivity] has occurred in recent years,’ the authors say. ‘EHS effects cover a wide range of health problems, including headaches, tinnitus, fatigue, stress, skin symptoms, such as prickling, burning sensations and rashes, musculoskeletal pain, sleep disorders, mood issues, dizziness, and many other health problems’.
The authors suggest a number of potential mechanisms for this sensitivity of different life forms. They point out the presence of magnetic particles (magnetite) and cryptochromes (protein molecules) and voltage-gated ion channels that can influence the nervous system and the brain.
Given the evidence for this sensitivity to electromagnetic fields, the authors make a number of suggestions.
- Researchers investigating magnetoreception should be made aware that EHS could be a public health concern and given funds to investigate it.
- There should be more awareness of the mechanisms that allow life forms to sense electromagnetic fields.
- New research on EHS should assess objective measures such as heart rate variability, brain wave patterns and immune responses to oxidative stress.
The authors also say, ‘We recommend that the WHO properly reevaluates its understanding of EHS to align it with the substantial body of available scientific literature showing mechanistic evidence of interactions of all forms of life, including humans, with low levels of electric and magnetic fields.’
Henshaw, D. L., & Philips, A. (2024). A mechanistic understanding of human magnetoreception validates the phenomenon of electromagnetic hypersensitivity (EHS). International Journal of Radiation Biology, 1–19.
You can download a free copy of this paper here.
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