EMF Conference 2019

Mudita had the opportunity to be part of the first Electromagnetic Fields Conference (EMFC) 2019, which took place at 1440 Multiversity in Scotts Valley, California. EMFC is the first major medical conference of its kind in the U.S. to address the health effects of electromagnetic field/electromagnetic radiation (EMF/EMR) exposure.

Originally, the conference was “initiated and inspired by William J. Rea MD (1935 - 2018), a pioneer in the evaluation and treatment of electrosensitivity. After Dr. Rea’s passing in August of 2018, a commitment to produce the conference continued in partnership with the leading practitioners and organizations that have been working globally to provide credible research and education in the area of exposure to cell phone and other wireless radiation.”

We wanted to share some of the key messages we took home with us after this profound experience by sharing videos of impromptu chats we had during the conference. We'd also like to thank the organizers, Lisa Nagy (EMF Conference Co-Chair), Lyn Patrick ND (EMF Conference Co-Chair) and Pam Chaloult (EMF Conference Director). We’d like to say a special thank you to Ariane Glazer, an amazing person who went above and beyond to make us feel welcome at the conference!

The Vetting Process

EMFC needed to confirm that Mudita’s Research and Development (R&D) team were experts in electromagnetic fields in in order to provide the best experience for both attendees and other vendors. The only presentation and sales of goods and services that were allowed required demonstrated clinical relevance, laboratory testing, clinical efficacy and safety. Due to our technology being related to the mitigation of EMF/EMR we were vetted by the EMFC Scientific Review Board. As we were successfully able to provide all of the necessary documentation, we were approved and thus able to present our phone, Mudita Pure. 

An image of our prototypes during the EMF Conference 2019, including our original titanium prototype and examples of our custom-developed antenna.

Our Head of Industrial Design , Gosia, created the phenomenal table display design for our booth, so we were able to recreate it using the images she gave us with all of the materials. We showed six prototypes (including the original titanium prototype) and examples of our custom-developed antenna. Mudita Pure, is a minimalistic phone; while users can still make calls, send and receive text messages, there’s no internet browser, no applications, and no access to social media. Other key features include a high-res E Ink display, global GSM for worldwide coverage, MuditaOS (our custom operating system) and a meditation timer. 

One of Pure’s key features is its ultralow Specific Absorption Rate (SAR). It is the only internationally agreed standard of measuring EMF radiation by measuring heat absorption on human tissue. Using an our patent-based antenna and custom-made shielding, Mudita Pure minimizes a user’s exposure to radiofrequency energy, with estimates of less than 0.08W/kg at your head (for context, an iPhone X’s SAR value is 1.08W/kg). It was tested at Verkotan (a FINAS and ILAC accredited testing laboratory) in Finland.

The conference was incredibly busy and it would be impossible for us to summarize the entire experience in one post. Instead, we’ve decided to keep it short and would like to welcome any questions you might have. 

EMF Experts

We were lucky enough to meet and chat with several experts such as Olle Johansson, PhD, and Devra Davis, PhD, MPH. Other notable figures were speaking at the conference, the full speaker list can be found on the EMFC website. In the video below, Przemek Kitowski chats to Professor Olle Johansson. Olle Johansson PhD is a global authority in the field of EMF radiation and health effects. He originally coined the term ”screen dermatitis” which became recognized as the functional impairment known as electrohypersensitivity. Survey studies show that somewhere between 230,000-290,000 Swedish men and women—out of a population of 10,000,000—report a variety of symptoms when in contact with electromagnetic field sources. In 2000, the diagnosis of electrosensitivity was officially recognized by the Swedish government as a disability which may interfere with daily functioning and qualifies for both medical care and the provision of an electrosmog-free working environment.

He is a past associate professor at the Karolinska Institute, Department of Neuroscience, and head of The Experimental Dermatology Unit as well as a guest and adjunct professor in basic and clinical neuroscience at the Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm. He has published more than 600 original articles, reviews, book chapters and conference reports within the fields of basic and applied neuroscience, dermatology, epidemiology, and biophysiology.

A complete bio with a list of publications can be seen here. We apologize for the sound quality in the videos below but we wanted to share them with you, so we have included subtitles.

In the video below, Tiffany Horan chats to Dr. Devra Davis, PhD, M.P.H.,  Dr. Davis is a visiting Professor of Medicine at the Hebrew University Hadassah Medical School, Israel, and at the Ondokuz Mayis University Medical School, Turkey and President of Environmental Health Trust (https://ehtrust.org). She was Founding Director for both the Board on Environmental Studies and Toxicology of the U.S. National Research Council and for the Center for Environmental Oncology, University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute. Davis served as an appointee to the Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board and was a member of the Board of Scientific Counselors of the National Toxicology Program.

She has authored over 200 publications on environmental health in books and journals ranging from the Lancet and JAMA to Scientific American. Her three popular books - The Secret History of the War on Cancer, When Smoke Ran Like Water and Disconnect: The Truth About Cell Phone Radiation- have been translated into more than 14 languages.  

She earned a PhD in science studies at the University of Chicago as a Danforth Foundation Graduate Fellow and an M.P.H. in epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins University as a Senior National Cancer Institute Post-Doctoral Fellow.

Policy and Awareness

Representatives from organizations such as Wireless Education and Safe Living Technologies Inc. were also in attendance, as well as those from many other notable initiatives and institutions. There were speakers who focused on public policy, reducing environmental EMF exposure and a few sponsored speakers too. In the video below, Tiffany Horan chats to Cece Doucette. Cece has facilitated safe technology practices in schools and worked to introduce legislation to address wireless radiation and public health. She also collaborated with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health to develop public health fact sheets. See her research repository for details, Understanding EMFs. Cece is also a founder and Education Services Director with the international non-profit Wireless Education, which has distilled the independent scientific literature and medical advisories into affordable 30-minute on-line courses for Schools & Families and Corporate Safety Induction. See wirelesseducation.org.

She publishes wireless safety information on social media, writes articles for local outlets and has been featured on FOX News, PBS, O’Dwyer’s, EMF Warriors and in the films Generation Zapped and Wi-Fi Refugees. She was honored to co-chair the technology panel for the Health in Buildings Roundtable Conference at the National Institutes of Health.We apologize for the sound quality in the videos below but we wanted to share them with you, so we have included subtitles.

In the video below, Tiffany Horan chats to Rob Metzinger, who is by trade, an Electronics Engineering Technologist. He is also a BBI, certified Building Biology Environmental Consultant and a certified Electromagnetic Radiation Specialist. Rob has applied his 18 years of experience in the field of Electromagnetic Radiation and is passing on his knowledge as an instructor at the Building Biology Institute USA since 2008.

Rob is currently the President of Safe Living Technologies Inc. and is a factory certified Gigahertz Solutions Test Equipment Technician and Instructor. Safe Living Technologies is now designing and manufacturing their own brand of RF meters called the Safe and Sound RF Meter line. To contact Rob, please visit his website: www.slt.co

Electrohypersensitivity

For those of us who were not suffering from EHS, it’s likely that we also benefited from everyone having their electronic devices in airplane mode or completely off. At Mudita, "we also try to address the problems of those who might need extra care. We design products which help to deal with several issues, from nomophobia to a sensitivity to EMF. Michal, our founder, became concerned about EMF exposure quite early on and decided to develop the appropriate products to address it. Initially, his primary intention was to develop a product for himself and for people like him. However, he soon realized that these products could help even more people."

We apologize for the sound quality in the video below but we wanted to share it with you, so we have included subtitles.

Sam’s book ‘Unplug’ can be found in our resources section and can be purchased on Amazon.Tiffany Horan chats to Sam Wieder, the author of 'Unplug: How to Survive and Thrive in a Wi-Fi World Gone Wild', a book about living with electrohypersensitivity (EHS). Sam Wieder is a speaking coach who specializes in working with chiropractors, fitness coaches, and other natural health professionals who are passionate advocates for healthy living. He helps his clients learn to speak with confidence and harness the power of their personal stories to motivate people to take command of their health. Sam’s greatest challenge in life has been his long-time struggle with electromagnetic stress. Yet by finally bringing that challenge to light and learning how to overcome it, he has uncovered a story that he believes is the most powerful and timely one that he has ever wanted to share.

Digital Detox

The beautiful venue, in amongst the huge Californian redwood trees, with all of its offline activities was a welcome break from the lecture theatre and exhibit hall. We had set mealtimes for breakfast, lunch and dinner where we didn’t take out our phones but rather ate mindfully and had insightful conversations with one another.  There were a number of people discussing how hard it was to access WiFi during the day, which was ironic when you consider the nature of the conference. Although the WiFi was switched off during the night, which may have accounted for people sleeping so well! There are several studies which show that less EMF and blue light exposure means higher melatonin levels and a better night’s sleep! Our conscious decision to add an E Ink display to Mudita Pure is something we know will help a lot of people. Most of us use our devices too much, so an E Ink display is far better for the eyes. To learn more about E Ink click here.

In the end, the conference was a huge success and we’re incredibly proud to have been a part of it. We have several articles you might like if you’re struggling with device overuse or you’re simply interested in spending more time offline, here are four to get you started:

• Nomophobia: A 21st Century Disease

• Digital Detox Mini-Guide

• How to Start a Digital Detox

• 30 Offline Hobbies to Try Outdoors

Is there anything you’d like to add, have we missed anything? We’d love to know what you think. If you’re interested in sharing your experiences with us or writing a guest post for us, send us an email via hello@mudita.com! 

Please feel free to get in touch via social media (send us some photos or videos too), you can find us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, let’s connect! To learn more about Mudita, take a look at our website and our other posts. If you enjoyed reading this article, please share and recommend it! We need to go online to find people who’d like to spend more time offline.