120: Wired To Heal: Regeneration and The Body Electric

May 20, 2025

The discussion focuses on the intriguing link between electromagnetic fields and health, drawing from Robert O. Becker's groundbreaking insights. The hosts explore personal recovery stories influenced by electrical signals and the impact of technology on well-being. They tackle dietary strategies for optimizing metabolism and highlight how modern EMF exposure poses risks to our health. Engaging anecdotes about literature and the balance between personal success and health add a light-hearted touch to the compelling scientific exploration.

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INSIGHT

Child Fingertip Regeneration

Children under five can regenerate fingertips completely, including fingerprints and feeling.
After a certain age, this regeneration ability is lost, resulting in less effective healing.

INSIGHT

Magnetic Storms Affect Psychiatry

Magnetic storms correlate with increased psychiatric admissions by a significant margin.
There is epidemiological evidence of effects even without clear chemical mechanism explanations.

ANECDOTE

Nat's Shoulder Injury Recovery

Nat Eliason had a chronic shoulder injury that didn't improve with standard physical therapy.
After acupuncture sessions inspired by The Body Electric, his shoulder improved significantly.

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The Metamorphosis of Prime Intellect

Roger Williams

The Metamorphosis of Prime Intellect is a thought-provoking novel that delves into the implications of a technological singularity. It follows the story of Prime Intellect, an AI that reshapes human reality, leading to a utopian yet meaningless existence for humanity. The novel explores themes of human desire, the role of technology, and the search for meaning in a world without scarcity.

The Count of Monte Cristo

Alexandre Dumas père

East of Eden

Paul Osborn

In 'East of Eden', John Steinbeck tells the story of the Trask and Hamilton families, set against the backdrop of California's Salinas Valley. The novel is a modern retelling of the biblical story of Cain and Abel, focusing on the tumultuous relationship between Cal and Aron Trask, and their struggles with their father, Adam. The book delves into themes of love, rejection, and the choice between good and evil, symbolized by the Hebrew word 'timshel', meaning 'thou mayest'. The narrative is rich with characters like Samuel Hamilton, a kind and wise patriarch, and Kate, the embodiment of evil, whose past and actions significantly impact the lives of the Trasks.

Healing Back Pain

The Mind-Body Connection

John E. Sarno

This book, written by Dr. John E. Sarno, presents a groundbreaking approach to understanding and treating chronic back pain. Dr. Sarno's research on Tension Myoneural Syndrome (TMS) suggests that stress, anxiety, and other psychological factors, rather than structural abnormalities, are the root cause of chronic pain. The book explains how repressed emotions trigger tension in the body, depriving muscles and nerves of oxygen, and provides guidance on recognizing the emotional roots of TMS and severing the connection between mental and physical pain. It also advises on how to accept negative emotions, resume physical activity, and change the brain's behavior to heal shoulder, neck, and lower back pain without drugs, surgery, or physical therapy.

Musashi

Eiji Yoshikawa

This epic novel follows the life of Miyamoto Musashi from his early days as Shimmen Takezō to his transformation into the legendary swordsman. The story begins after the Battle of Sekigahara and details Musashi's journeys, his development of a unique sword-fighting style using both the katana and wakizashi, and his philosophical growth. The novel also explores the lives of various characters from different walks of life in feudal Japan, including daimyos, samurai, merchants, craftsmen, peasants, and priests. It culminates in Musashi's climactic duel with Sasaki Kojiro on Ganryujima Island.

Elon Musk

Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future

Ashlee Vance

This book is an authorized biography that delves into the life of Elon Musk, from his tumultuous childhood in South Africa to his rise as a visionary entrepreneur in Silicon Valley. Ashlee Vance captures Musk's journey through his various ventures, including PayPal, SpaceX, Tesla, and SolarCity. The book examines Musk's unique personality, his insatiable drive, and his ability to thrive through hardship. It also explores the broader context of American innovation and the challenges of global competition, positioning Musk as a contemporary amalgam of legendary inventors and industrialists like Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, and Steve Jobs.

The body electric

Robert O. Becker

Robert O. Becker's "The Body Electric" explores the often-overlooked electrical nature of living organisms. Becker details his groundbreaking research on the body's electrical system and its role in healing and regeneration. He challenges conventional medical understanding by demonstrating the importance of direct current in biological processes. The book delves into the implications of electromagnetic fields on health, highlighting the potential risks of exposure to certain frequencies. Becker's work has influenced the field of bioelectromagnetics and continues to inspire research into alternative healing methods.

One Hundred Years of Solitude

Gabriel García Márquez

One Hundred Years of Solitude tells the story of seven generations of the Buendía family, founders of the fictional town of Macondo. The novel spans a hundred years of turbulent Latin American history, from the postcolonial 1820s to the 1920s. It is a tale of love, loss, and the cyclical nature of history, filled with magical realism that blends the supernatural with the ordinary. The story follows the family's experiences, including civil war, marriages, births, and deaths, and explores themes such as solitude, fate, and the inevitability of repetition in history. The novel is renowned for its narrative style and its influence on the literary movement known as the Latin American Boom[1][4][5].

Infinite jest

wit and humor in Italian Renaissance art

Paul Barolsky

In this book, Paul Barolsky examines the role of wit and humor in Italian Renaissance art, providing insights into the artistic and cultural context of the period. The work delves into how artists of the Renaissance used humor and wit in their creations, reflecting the broader cultural and social attitudes of the time.

“The greatest polluting element in the earth's environment is the proliferation of electromagnetic fields. I consider that to be a far greater threat on a global scale than warming, or the increase of chemical elements in the environment.”

Welcome back to another episode of Made You Think! In this episode, we’re diving into The Body Electric by Robert O. Becker, a fascinating read on how electricity flows through the body and the ways it might influence healing, health, and even consciousness. Becker, a pioneer in bioelectricity, lays out connections between injury recovery, electromagnetic fields, and the body’s natural currents.

We cover a wide range of topics including:

The link between magnetic storms and spikes in psychiatric admissions
How the body’s healing process relies on electric signals
Diet, metabolism, and avoiding the “swamp”
Modern concerns about EMF exposure from wifi, Bluetooth, and power lines
The crossover between bioelectricity and mitochondrial theory

And much more. Please enjoy, and make sure to follow Nat, Neil, and Adil on Twitter and share your thoughts on the episode.

Links from the Episode:

Mentioned in the Show:

Anabology (19:53)
Experimental Fat Loss (23:41)
Randle Cycle (26:26)
Faraday Labz (35:56)
Husk (52:34)
Gauntlet AI (55:12)

Books Mentioned:

The Body Electric
Elegant Complexity (1:55)
Infinite Jest (1:37) (Book Episode 1) (Book Episode 2) (Nat's Book Notes)
The Count of Monte Cristo (2:30)
One Hundred Years of Solitude (3:31)
East of Eden (3:48) (Book Episode) (Nat's Book Notes)
Healing Back Pain (12:54)
Musashi (52:09)
The Metamorphisis of Prime Intellect (57:32)

People Mentioned:

Ray Peat (15:26)
Noah Ryan (22:30)

Show Topics:

(0:00) We’re back! Nat, Neil, and Adil catch up and share some recent long reads that delivered a good payoff.

(4:11) Today’s discussion is on The Body Electric by Robert O. Becker, a deep dive into the body’s electrical systems and what they mean for healing, health, and human potential.

(8:59) Psychiatric admissions spike after magnetic storms... why is that? And how injuries can disrupt your body’s electrical current, slowing down the healing process.

(15:05) We explore the overlap between Becker’s ideas and theories on mitochondrial efficiency, including connections to Ray Peat’s metabolic philosophies.

(20:57) Energy flow, metabolism, and how different diets affect the body’s ability to generate and use energy.

(25:25) Why you should avoid the “swamp”. With all the conflicting diet advice out there, how do we know what to eat?

(28:50) Mitochondria and the electrical nature of cells. While Becker doesn’t directly mention mitochondria, modern science connects the dots.

(33:05) Neil shares his findings from using an EMF meter around the house. We talk about everyday EMF exposure and what to avoid.

(37:49) What does Deep Research have to say about some of the claims in the book?

(43:37) Living near high-voltage power lines, earbuds, and lifestyle changes we’ve made (or not made) since reading the book.

(48:55) Bluetooth vs. wifi: Is one worse than the other in terms of EMF exposure?

(52:07) Nat, Neil, and Adil wrap up the episode with chats about what book is next on the podcast. Thanks for listening to this episode!

If you enjoyed this episode, let us know by leaving a review on iTunes and tell a friend. As always, let us know if you have any book recommendations! You can say hi to us on Twitter @TheRealNeilS, @adilmajid, @nateliason and share your thoughts on this episode.

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