Effects of solar and lunar cycles, geomagnetic storms, and seasons on biological rhythms and human health

Living organisms have evolved within the Earth's native electromagnetic fields which include the geomagnetic field, Schumann resonances, and the global electrical circuit. Many living organisms use the geomagnetic field for orientation, navigation, and synchronization of biological rhythms. Humans are entrained with the diurnal variation of light but can also be influenced by variations in the Earth's geomagnetic and electrostatic fields which vary with sunlight, solar activity and locations. Winter seasons, solar storms and sunspot extrema affect living organisms in various ways, slightly increasing the incidence and severity of various diseases, possibly due to altered biological rhythms and internal coherence, which leads to inflammation. Anthropogenic electromagnetic fields and non-ionizing radiation at specific frequencies can also interfere with biological processes, even at nonthermal levels. The present chapter provides an overview of the beneficial and detrimental effects of native electromagnetic fields on human health and disease, along with a discussion of the possible mechanisms involved.