The above images are oscilloscope waveforms of the stray electricity from a properly grounded outlet verified by a conventional 3-light outlet checker (left) and from a grounded mat using an outdoor Earthing grounding rod (right). I think this stray electricity can vary in intensity from home to home and may be causing unwanted symptoms in people who use the outlet with their grounding products. I have been monitoring thousands of posts on the Earthing & Grounding HEALS group on Facebook for more than six years. We’ve grown from a community of a few thousand to over 46,000 members, with 400+ new members weekly.

I have noticed a trend. While few may experience “grounding detox,” many cases of headaches, fatigue, heart palpitations, anxiety, insomnia, aches, and EMF-related symptoms are more likely caused by EMF toxicity from stray electricity in outlets. Often, these symptoms go away when people switch from the outlet to a dedicated grounding rod outside. Although these outlets meet electrical codes for fire safety and equipment, they were never designed as human-grade grounding points.

We have medical-grade water, saline, and instruments, but no equivalent for indoor grounding. So why assume all outlets are safe for grounding the human body?

I posted a poll to assess how many people experienced detox symptoms.

Poll Insights:

This Facebook group of over 46,000 members is the largest community for earthing/grounding. In just two days, we gathered significant responses:

• 46% initially practiced barefoot earthing outdoors, and only 2% reported detox symptoms.

• 50% used an outlet to ground initially, with 43% reporting detox symptoms.

• 4% experienced detox symptoms using an outdoor grounding rod.

• 51% reported no detox symptoms at all.

Out of 283 respondents, 121 reported detox symptoms from outlet grounding, while only 4 reported detox symptoms from barefoot grounding. Notably, half of the respondents experienced no detox symptoms.

A Word of Caution:

Roy Cooke, a former Master Electrician and moderator, has inspected over 4,000 homes and notes that only 50% of outlets are wired correctly. The 46% correlation between outlet grounding and detox symptoms is significant and should challenge the assumption that all outlets are safe for grounding.

While many users report positive results from outlet grounding, this may be due to low levels of stray electricity or personal adaptation. For some, the benefits of grounding outweigh the minor side effects. In medicine, we see similar scenarios where patients tolerate side effects for the greater benefit of treatment. However, in this case, symptoms like headaches, fatigue, and palpitations are likely side effects of grounding with improperly wired or less-than-ideal outlets—not true detox.

To test the safety of an outlet for grounding, you’ll need an oscilloscope, shielded copper wire or speaker wire long enough to connect from your main electrical panel to the outlet being tested, an Earthing cord, and alligator clips.

Follow these steps:

1. Using an outside ground with a grounding rod and wire is best for grounding the oscilloscope. However, if you live in a highrise, then locate the grounded bolts on the outside of your main electrical panel (CAUTION: DO NOT OPEN THE PANEL UNLESS YOU ARE QUALIFIED AS AN ELECTRICIAN). These bolts are connected to the building’s ground.

2. Attach one alligator clip to a bolt and connect it to your copper wire, which will be used to ground the oscilloscope.

3. Use the alligator clip on the oscilloscope probe to ground the probe to the wire.

4. Plug the Earthing cord into the outlet ground and touch the oscilloscope probe to the metal portion of the Earthing cord.

5. Observe the waveform and voltage output on the oscilloscope. Ideally, the waveform should be flat, with no significant stray voltage.

Important Notes:

• Stray voltage in the outlet ground exceeding 2–4 volts is generally considered unsafe and warrants further investigation.

• For grounding the human body, even 2–4 volts is far too high. Ideally, stray electricity should be as low as possible—likely less than 50 millivolts (0.050 V).

• Unfortunately, there is insufficient data to define safe levels of stray electricity for human grounding. If the outlet is making you feel ill, then stop using the outlet with your grounding products.

Recommendation:

Choose an outlet or grounding method with the lowest measurable stray electricity. For maximum safety, consider using a dedicated outdoor grounding rod.

Key Takeaways:

1. Improper grounding can worsen symptoms. Poorly grounded outlets may introduce stray electricity into your body, amplifying EMF toxicity.

2. Verify your outlets. Ensure outlets are properly grounded, but don’t rely solely on outlet testers—they are often inaccurate. Use an oscilloscope to detect stray electricity.

3. Consider alternative grounding systems. Shared grounding systems in apartments or homes can carry stray electricity from other appliances. Outdoor grounding rods or metal cold water pipes are safer alternatives.

4. Listen to your body. If grounding via an outlet makes you feel worse, stop using it and switch to an outdoor rod-based system.

Let’s prioritize safe and effective grounding practices to minimize risks and maximize benefits!

Author

  • Doctor Doan

    Dr. Andrew Doan specializes in ophthalmology, aerospace medicine, neuroscience, public health, and gaming/media/personal technology addiction research. He received his M.D. and Ph.D. degrees from The Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine. He completed an Internal Medicine Internship and Ophthalmology Residency at the University of Iowa. Then, he completed an Eye Pathology fellowship at the University of California, Los Angeles. With a desire to care for aviators and flight crew, in particular their mental health and physical needs, Dr. Doan completed a residency in Aerospace Medicine and a Masters in Public Health at the Naval Aerospace Medical Institute. To better understand the impact of media and gaming addictions, Dr. Doan spent three years full-time with psychiatrists and psychologists to study and research media addictions. He has studied gaming/media/personal technology addictions for over 13 years. To date, he has trained over 2000 healthcare providers on media and gaming addiction. Dr. Doan practices comprehensive ophthalmology full-time and teaches online on his YouTube Channel.

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6 responses to “Which Grounding Method Will You Pick For Your Body?”

  1. Ale Avatar
    Ale

    Bought the grounding sheets, and checked our ground outlet, and it is fine.

    Slept on my grounding sheet for about 4 nights in a row. I didn’t think anything negative about it, my son slept with me in the bed he’s 5 years old.

    Now I am having slight heart palpitations and feeling a tingling throughout my body (feels like hives) unsure

    it’s been 2 days since I stopped sleeping on my sheet.

    How I am I make this feeling go away??
    It’s 4 am and I’ve just woken up, unable to go back to sleep because of tingling 😞

    How can I set an appointment with you doctor ?

    1. Doctor Doan Avatar

      Try switching to an Earthing grounding rod with 40’ cable: https://bit.ly/3Zl0gOX

      I am a military physician, and I only see patients who have Tricare. Please find a physician in your local area.

  2. Alvaro Avatar
    Alvaro

    I have used a grounding sheet connected to an outlet for 4 nights, and I’m feeling some tingling on my legs/hands. Could it be dirty electricity?

    I have reviewed this and other post/videos in your YT channel trying to understand how to measure my outlet to check if it is good or not for grounding, but I can not understand a good way to do it, because I have no access to the ground (living on third floor, not even a yard outside so…).

    What can I do? many thanks!

    1. Doctor Doan Avatar

      These symptoms can be associated with stray (50/60 Hz current) and dirty (microimpulse electrical pollution) electricity. One way to detect it is using an oscilloscope and grounding the oscilloscope to the outside of the electrical panel: https://articles.andrew-doan.com/oscilloscope-measurements-of-outlet-ground/

      1. Alvaro Avatar
        Alvaro

        Thanks for the answer.

        I have seen several comments on reddit talking about this:
        https://frequencygeek.substack.com/p/earthing-and-dirty-electricity

        And the same way is referring this link:
        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_nv_Q9WbeE

        He claims that grounding in our yards we are also exposed to dirty electricity from everything around (houses, buildings, etc).

        Whats your opinion?

        1. Doctor Doan Avatar

          You’re absolutely right to raise this concern—dirty electricity and ground currents do exist, and they can pose a real issue when grounding improperly.

          That’s why measurement is key. Before grounding directly into your yard or any electrical system, you need to check for ground currents, especially those caused by nearby homes, transformers, or utility infrastructure.

          If the ground you’re using has zero or very low current, then it’s typically safe. But if there’s measurable current, you’re potentially introducing unwanted electrical noise into your body—defeating the purpose of grounding.

          Here’s a great video showing how to test with the ExTech Ground Current Meter:
          🔗 https://youtu.be/FJG9Zemmc8E

          Don’t guess—measure. Grounding can be healing, but only if the ground is truly clean.

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