10/25/2025
GERM THEORY VERSUS TERRAIN THEORY
IF VIRUSES DON'T EXIST AND GERMS DON'T CAUSE ILLNESS, HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN 'CONTAGION'?
This is a common and totally understandable question I receive from those who are beginning to explore the germ-based vs. terrain-based health paradigms.
First off, the burden of proof always lies on the person making the positive claim. If someone asserts that viruses exist and cause illness, or that germs spread disease, it’s on them to provide proof — not on you to disprove it.
Also, you don’t need to know exactly what is happening to know what isn’t happening. Instead of assuming that illness is caused by the spread of viruses or microbes, let’s explore other possible explanations for why multiple people get sick at the same time in the same space.
1. SHARED EXPOSURE TO WEATHER CHANGES
Needless to say, the inhabitants of any given geographical location experience weather changes at the same time.
Sudden shifts in weather can initiate changes in the body, often triggering detox responses. When temperatures drop, blood vessels constrict, reducing circulation to extremities and slowing detox pathways.
Cold, dry air can irritate mucosal linings, prompting the body to produce mucus to protect and cleanse itself.
On the other hand, sudden warmth can activate sweating and lymphatic movement, aiding in detoxification.
Many people assume that symptoms like congestion, body aches, and fatigue mean they have “caught” something, but in reality, these are often the body’s natural responses to external environmental stressors.
Rather than blaming an invisible pathogen, it makes more sense to recognize how weather conditions influence hydration, circulation, and the body's ability to clear waste.
2. SHARED EXPOSURE TO SEASONAL CHANGES
Just as the inhabitants of any geographical location experience shared exposure to weather changes, they also experience shared exposure to seasonal changes.
The sun is not just a source of vitamin D — it is a primary source of energetic sustenance and plays a crucial role in the function of the waters of our body.
According to Dr. Gerald Pollack, the structured “fourth phase” of water in our cells is essential for energy production, detoxification, and overall vitality.
In winter, we spend more time indoors, surrounded by nnEMFs (non-native electromagnetic fields), toxic building materials, recirculated air, and artificial lighting.
We sweat less, move less, and accumulate more toxicity. When the body reaches a threshold, it may trigger a detox response, which is often mistaken for “catching” something. As spring arrives, we naturally spend more time outdoors, absorb more sunlight, connect with the earth, and sweat more — all of which might signal the body to release stored toxins.
What many call “seasonal illness” could instead be a seasonal detox process, as the body purges what it has accumulated.
3. SHARED EXPOSURE TO ENVIRONMENTAL TOXINS
(IN CITIES, HOMES, WORK & EVERYDAY SPACES)
Our modern environments are filled with toxins, many of which we are exposed to collectively. Most buildings contain toxic building materials, off-gassing carpets, synthetic fragrances, and more — all of which can cause symptoms of illness.
Many homes and workplaces are also filled with absurdly high amounts of nnEMFs from WiFi routers, smart meters, Bluetooth devices, which also contributes to symptoms of illness.
Maybe you’re more conscious in your own home, but what happens when you send little Johnny back to pre-school right by the 5G tower, where they’re using toxic cleaning products, toxic air fresheners, and more?
What happens when the farm down the road starts to use a new pesticide? Or what about the new factory down the river using a bunch of toxic chemicals (think DuPont)?
The point is, when multiple people in a shared space begin experiencing similar symptoms, it could be their bodies reacting to the same environmental stressors at the same time.
Poor indoor air quality, household cleaners, personal care products, office supplies, manufacturing chemicals, and more all contain chemical toxins that build up in the body over time. Instead of assuming someone “spread” an illness, ask: are we all being affected by the same toxic exposures?
4. SHARED EATING & LIFESTYLE HABITS
The food we eat, the water we drink, and the products we use daily all influence our health.
People in the same household tend to share similar dietary habits, often consuming the same processed foods, seed oils, pesticide-laden produce, and fluoridated water.
When a family follows the same eating patterns, they may also experience the same nutrient deficiencies or toxic loads, leading to shared symptoms.
Beyond diet, common lifestyle habits play a role too. Many families use the same personal care products, lotions, deodorants, perfumes, and laundry detergents — many of which contain toxic, endocrine-disrupting chemicals.
Sleeping habits also matter; shared blue light exposure at night, lack of deep sleep, and disrupted circadian rhythms can lead to fatigue and immune dysfunction.
When multiple people in a household experience symptoms at the same time, it’s worth asking whether their daily habits — not germs — are the true cause.
5. SHARED FEAR, STRESS & EMOTIONAL DYSREGULATION
In my humble opinion, this is by far the most overlooked factor.
Fear, stress, and emotional states have profound effects on health, often manifesting as physical symptoms. When we’re in a perpetual state of fight-or-flight, the body's ability to detoxify and repair itself is suppressed.
Chronic stress increases inflammation, disrupts digestion, and weakens the body’s natural regenerative processes. If a household or workplace is filled with tension, arguments, or unprocessed emotions, it can create an environment where symptoms appear collectively.
I’d argue that it’s pretty well established that prolonged exposure to stress can increase susceptibility illness.
For example, a study published in 2021 found that the 2nd strongest risk factor for death associated with “COVID” was fear/anxiety related disorders.
In families where fear and anxiety are constantly reinforced — whether through familial dynamics, work, financial stress, or media driven propaganda — symptoms can become more severe and prolonged. Rather than assuming illness is the result of contagion, it’s important to consider the emotional environment
as a major contributing factor.
6. THE NOCEBO EFFECT, SOCIAL CONTAGION, & MASS PSYCHOGENIC ILLNESS
As discussed by Dr. Bruce Lipton,
Dr. Joe Dispenza, Gregg Braden, Daniel Roytas, and others, the nocebo effect occurs when belief alone causes negative health effects.
If a person is convinced they have been “exposed” to an illness, their body may generate symptoms in response to that belief. This has been demonstrated repeatedly in medical studies where patients who were told they were receiving a harmful substance actually experienced negative effects — even when they were given a placebo.
Mass psychogenic illness is another example, where entire groups of people develop symptoms in response to psychological stress rather than a biological cause. The Tanganyika Laughter Epidemic of 1962, where uncontrollable laughter spread among thousands with no clear explanation, is a well-documented case of this phenomenon.
Similarly, mass social contagion occurs when ideas, emotions, and expectations are adopted collectively. When” flu season”, “loss of taste and smell”, and other narratives are constantly reinforced by media and cultural belief, many people subconsciously expect to get sick — and their bodies might follow suit.
7. BIORESONANCE & 4TH PHASE WATER
We are energetic beings and our bodies are likely largely composed of structured water. Every person has a biofield — a measurable electromagnetic field that surrounds the human body.
The water in our bodies may not just be passive; it liekly carries information, stores memories, and responds to external influences.
We know that our tech devices transmit and receive information via overlapping fields, frequencies, and signals — is it possible that our bodies possess the same abilities?
When someone in a household or community begins detoxing, the bioresonance of their field may signal to others that it’s time for their bodies to do the same.
Just as women’s menstrual cycles synchronize, our biofields might entrain one another, triggering collective detoxification responses.
Veda Austin’s research on water memory shows that water holds and transmits information, meaning that shared detoxification may be a natural, intelligent process.
What if what we call “contagion” is actually bioresonance prompting synchronized detoxification?
8. A UNIQUE COMBINATION OF ALL OF THOSE FACTORS, OR SOMETHING ELSE ENTIRELY?
Given that virtually all of us experience multiple factors from the previous slides at any given time, could it be a unique combination of influences specific to individuals, families, or communities?
What if it’s something else entirely? What other factors might be at play, both known and entirely unknown? What if there are tens, hundreds, or even thousands of other possible explanations for this phenomenon — explanations we haven’t even considered because we’ve been so myopically focused on the unproven germ paradigm?
It’s important to reiterate that the burden of proof lies on the individual or organization making the positive claim.
This means it is the responsibility of those who assert that viruses exist and cause illness — or that bacteria or fungi are the causes of disease — to prove their claims.
As I and many others have repeatedly discussed in posts, presentations, lectures, podcasts, and more, there is no evidence that viruses exist or cause illness, nor any evidence that healthy people become sick simply from exposure to the bodily fluids of sick individuals.
So we’re back to the drawing board, exploring with wonder and child-like curiosity, trying to understand what does cause the phenomenon colloquially known as “contagion.“
