Germ Theory AND Terrain Theory

Many of you working in the wellness industry may have noticed a strange polarization between “germ theories” and “terrain theories” supporters during the pandemic. As I wrote in my book Sacred Medicine, A Doctor’s Quest to Unravel the Mysteries of Healing, this argument can be resolved once and for all if it is not viewed as either/or binary but as a both/and paradox.

First, let’s clarify what “terrain theory” is. According to Conspirituality podcast notes, “Germs don’t exist.” They do exist. However, they can only make you sick if you destroy your relationship with your environment .”

I’m not a germ theory denizen, but that is all that matters. As a doctor, it is clear that the old school debate between Louis Pasteur et Antoine Bechamp was resolved just as well as the round earth vs. square earth debates. Louis Pasteur won. Covid is proof that germs exist. Germ theory denial was disproved. The end of the story.

However, that doesn’t mean that the terrain in our natural and inner landscapes doesn’t have an impact on how germs can affect the health of those who are infected.

It’s possible that you heard some nonsense about the New Agers, yogis, and other members of the wellness and spirituality communities suggesting that we can be immune to Covid if we just take enough vitamins and drink enough green tea and meditate on peace around the world.

No One Is Invulnerable To Infectious Disorders

Yes, there are germ theory deniers who believe in conspiracy.

People sell all kinds of grifts to make you immune to germs. This is a grandiose idea. It suggests that any human body can be kept so clean inside that they are not susceptible to outside threats.

Some people may feel more secure believing this delusion, as it could give them false control in uncertain times. Therefore, from a trauma-informed perspective, some people might have hoarded products sold by germ theory deniers. People might feel nostalgic if they culturally take from animist traditions and sell sessions or programs about how Indigenous wisdom will keep your safe from Covid so that you don’t have to get vaccinated.

I get angry when wellness influencers exploit trauma survivors’ vulnerabilities to make a profit. They want control over an unpredictable world.

It is understandable that people who have the means to purchase these products may be tempted to hoard all the expensive items wellness influencers sold during the pandemic. One of my coworkers is a Covid ER doctor on the frontline who was afraid of dying in 2020. These photos of him in a hazmat suit were sent to me by him. He didn’t have PPE for several weeks while he was intubating Covid patient. I understood why he took so many supplements each day, drank his green juice, prayed, meditated, and exercised daily. This gave him control, and may have also been a reason he didn’t get Covid. He took care of his inner territory with great care. He didn’t hesitate to jump at the opportunity to get his first vaccines.

This disclaimer is to clarify that trauma-informed empathy doesn’t make germ theory denialism or the notion that we can make our terrains impervious by using downward dog, raw foods, supplements or shamanic rituals factually correct. These interventions may not be beneficial for your health.

SARS- CoV-2 was a terrifying and frightening fact. None of us had immunity to it when it first appeared in China. Our immune systems hadn’t seen it before so there were no antibodies. Even though nutraceuticals were not going to prevent you from contracting Covid in 2020, a lot of conspiracy theorists made sure it did. All of us were susceptible to being infected. Some people got symptomatic, while others died. Others got Covid for a long time. Each person’s response to the new infection was different, so it is worth taking care of your terrain. This will increase our chances for a positive outcome if we do get infected. We’ll get to that in a moment.

The Inner Terrain Matters

I am suggesting that germs are real, we get sick from them, but that our inner and outer environments can also have an impact on how these infectious agents affect us.

Although the law of attraction theory that “thoughts make things” is true in a sense that our thoughts can influence our bodies and our reality, it is also true that our thoughts cannot control our reality. People can blame themselves for getting sick, and they may avoid life-saving treatment. They believe they are able to think that they are well. It’s too late when they realize that they didn’t cure their cancer by using affirmations that make you gaslight yourself.

Although your thoughts may not be 100% responsible for your health, that doesn’t mean they aren’t important. It is true that our thoughts, beliefs and feelings, as well as our collective and personal traumas and environmental influences, have an impact on our nervous system and, through epigenetics and our DNA. They can also impact our immune systems, endocrine and microbiome systems, as well as other organ systems. These infections can have a profound impact on our inner landscape, making us more or less susceptible to severe disease.

The science on this- via psychoneuroimmunology, as described by Candace Pert in The Molecules of Emotion and via what we’re learning in the cutting edge field of traumatology- is pretty clear. Bessel Van der Kolk says trauma has a real impact on the body and that “the body keeps the score.” I have a revised edition of Mind Over Medicine, and a new book Sacred Medicine, which explains a lot of this science.

Although we are all exposed to germs daily, most people don’t get sick. It’s a fact that if we are stressed, traumatized, or burnt out, our immune system makes us more susceptible to getting a common cold. Terrain theory is what I mean. 100 people could be in one room and have strep bacteria. Only one person could get strep. Why is it only one? Their terrain may be unmanaged and their immune system could be compromised by a variety of factors.

It’s not just Germ Theory

I was triggered by the conspiracy against public health guidelines and science denialism that were unethically broadcast by deluded conspiritualists. However, I was also triggered because of the complete lack of education about preventive measures to fight viruses such as Covid. This was completely ignored by the CDC.

The conspiritualists ignored public health recommendations to protect them against germs, while the scientific materialists ignored any suggestions that might support the terrain. Both were problematic from my perspective if we really wanted to help people avoid Covid, and if they do get it, to ensure that they have the best outcomes.

Every good integrative and functional medicine physician I know has a list with natural food recommendations, lifestyle recommendations and vitamins like Vitamin C, Vitamin D, that they recommend to prevent and treat Covid. Because I am familiar with food deserts and other health equity issues, I know that not all of these recommendations can be easily accessed or afforded by low-income populations. Public health departments must ensure their recommendations are widely applicable for health equity reasons.

While I know that cutting-edge trauma treatment might improve our nervous system and affect how our bodies react if we get infectious diseases, I also realize that insurance doesn’t usually cover these treatments. In my case, the CDC isn’t going to tell you to drink your green juice and take 100 vitamins so your terrain is better should you get Covid. Because you have no idea how expensive a glass green juice can be. Do you realize how rare it is to have access to fresh organic kale, and be able to afford 100 supplements? How many people are able to afford or find good Internal Family Systems, Somatic Experiencing, or Advanced Integrative Therapies trauma therapists?

I understand that it is important to get vaccinated. However, it bothers me that they do not acknowledge that you should also wear masks, social distancing, wash your hands and follow other health recommendations. If you are able to afford it, it might increase your chances of a positive outcome.

1 Avoid toxic substances

2 Eat organic, ethically sourced, and nutrient-dense foods, mainly plants

3) Exercise regularly

4) 8 hours sleep

5) Vitamin C and Vitamin D (and I have previously published the list I recommend for Covid prevention/treatment)

6) You should consider trauma therapy if your trauma history is known. We all do, if we include developmental trauma and collective trauma in our definitions, which I do in Sacred Medicine

7) Avoid toxic relationships and stressful situations if possible

8 Drink lots of water (and green tea if possible)

9: Make sure to meet your community needs and love as well as those of others by following the public health guidelines.

10) To protect social justice, change public policy

11: Be green, respect Indigenous wisdom, and follow the guidelines in The Future We Choose, a book by Paris agreement negotiator.

12 Calm your nervous system using spiritual practices such as non-spiritually bypassing mediations, yoga, and contemplative prayer

Preaching to The Choir Here

You get the idea. I don’t have to tell those who have read Mind Over Medicine, Kelly Turner’s Radical Remission or Jeff Rediger’s book Cured what healthy lifestyle choices and behaviors can make you miracle-prone. We should all be the choir, and not just throw the baby out with it.

However, I am not saying that you will be immune to Covid if all the recommendations are followed. Or that you will die of Covid if you get sick. It would be misleading and exaggerated to suggest this, which would also be cruel to anyone who has suffered a terrible outcome from Covid.

We need to be aware of the public health guidelines in order to protect ourselves from an infectious disease (germ), but it’s also important to take care of our internal landscapes so that we can survive the Covid virus. Your “terrain” could be a body that has been eating too many processed foods, not enough sleep, not getting enough exercise, or is riddled with chronic inflammation due to untreated trauma, nervous system dysregulation, immune system dysfunction, and a pool of collective trauma such as war, colonization, and climate change. If this happens, it is scientifically probable that the body will become more susceptible to the virus.

My editorial opinion is that the problem with Covid’s alternative medicine/natural medicine “camps” is that neither side is focusing on the other side of the “germ theory and terrain theory” paradox in healing. Both conventional medicine and public health are mostly ignoring or neglecting the effects of any type of infectious disease on a body. What about preventive measures that could be covered by nationalized healthcare and provided in a more health-equity-friendly format?

Some Q-adjacent wellness experts and conspiritualists also love to talk about terrain theory. They falsely suggest that Covid is only possible if the terrain isn’t perfect. It is possible to see better outcomes from Covid for those who take care of their inner terrain. This includes cutting-edge trauma treatments, avoidance of toxic substances, immune-boosting nutraceuticals and healthy sleep and exercise. Lifestyle modifications that calm the nervous system to allow the “ventral vagal” aspect of the parasympathetic nerve system to activate and aid in fighting the virus should it infect. These people may have a greater chance of surviving Covid with no long-term sequelae than those who live in a slumbering couch potato and eat junk food, but have never received therapy. I believe that if these people are also Indigenous People of Color or Black in the United States, then they might be at greater risk. This could explain why BIPOC dies so often from Covid.

Yes, there are issues of health equity in the privileged wellness sector. This is a serious public health problem that must be addressed at the social justice level. Despite that, we can all agree that germs exist and cause infectious disease. How we treat our bodies, not only our normal lifestyle choices and healthy behavior, but also how we deal with our traumas emotionally, mentally and spiritually will have an impact on our health outcomes if we are infected by a pathogen.

*Sacred Medicine now available everywhere you buy books. Watch the trailer here.