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Research Library
Publication

Biopsychosocial Wellbeing and Its Relationship with Geomagnetic Field Fluctuations in Lithuania

    • Published: 2020
    • Roza JoffÄ—-LuinienÄ—
    • Doctoral Dissertation, Medical and Health Sciences, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, 2020.
    • Download the complete paper, click here.

Introduction

Back in 60s, German physicist Winfried O. Schumann identified and started investigating the features of geomagnetic field (GMF) fluctuations that occur in the cavity between the surface of the Earth and the ionosphere. The resonances that have been identified are low frequency electromagnetic fluctuations which are closely related to human physiologic processes [28, 147]. Investigations of interactions between human and geophysical environ-ment were started. Numerous studies have investigated the correlations between incidents of myocardial infarctions, high blood pressure, newborns’ gender, monthly deaths, etc. and disturbances in GMF [107, 108, 165, 166].

It has become clear that interactions between geomagnetic activity (GMA) and our physiology are especially strong and that GMA can modulate electroencephalogram activity. This means that GMA can have a direct influence on our sympathetic and parasympathetic activity in our body. However, the lack of more specific and longitudinal studies makes it difficult to set a clearer understanding of geophysical environment impact on human health and, what is especially important, to propose possible methods of how geophysical parameters could be implemented in human health improvement.

Another important aspect in this field is to understand the differences between global and local GMF. There are quite a number of research studies about global GMA, but our local GMA in Lithuania was not possible to be measured due to lack of necessary devices. Because a GMA detecting device was installed in Lithuania in 2014, there are possibilities to obtain more accurate data and conduct studies linking GMA and live organisms’ health in Lithuania. Lithuanian researchers have had this possibility since 2014, when HeartMath Institute (California, USA) financed and installed a sensitive magnetometer, detecting local GMA fluctuations. Due to this magnetometer, there is a possibility to perform various studies researching links between GMA and different biopsychosocial components (development and progress-sion of non-communicable diseases, changes in the incidents of suicidal events, interrelationship quality and various processes, etc.).

This magnetometer became the fifth magnetometer among the global network of now six existing magnetometers worldwide. It will not only allow us to observe and assess local GMA processes that may be significant in Lithuanian population health context, but also to cooperate with researchers where the other five magnetometers are located (USA, Saudi Arabia, Canada, New Zealand, and South Africa). For effective data comparison at the global level, there is a consistent cooperation with scientists at the HeartMath Institute, and other researchers and experts in Macedonia, Latvia, Saudi Arabia, and United Kingdom.

Also, the obtained results of the research allow scientists and future studies to pay more attention to the psychoemotional state of a person, rather than merely concentrating on physical health indicators and/or objective measurements of a health status.