interview in a protective coat
Is electrosmog esoteric humbug or a real danger? Just how radio-contaminated are we all anyway? We spoke with the young electromagnetic hypersensitive dropout Ulrich Weiner, who has been living the past 15 years in a caravan in the Black Forest, far away from the radiation. He was open to our request for an interview, but as he wrote, he cannot be responsible for exposing other people to more radiation via a call on a cell phone. Moreover, he only has access to a ground line from time to time. In the end we could speak with him via the Skype account of his assistant and avoided resorting to carrier pigeons.
“We have to go back to the future!”
Eva Holzinger: Mr. Weiner, where and how is it possible for you to Skype with us?
Ulrich Weiner: Thanks to a LAN cable and a neighboring farm in a “white zone”, where there is no reception. Naturally, the radiation from the computer isn’t doing me any good. Even when WLAN and Bluetooth are turned off, there are still fields being generated by the processor. That’s why I wrap my computer in a “screening” cloth and type on an external keyboard as far away as possible. I haven’t found a better solution yet.
Are you wearing a protective suit at the moment?
No, because I am in a white zone. But on the way back to the caravan I will. The screening material comes from the military, in case you were wondering.
Mr. Weiner, what has to change in society in your opinion?
I always say: We have to go back to the future! There are things we have to abandon in order to move forward. Mobile communication is one of them. It ranks among things like X-rays, nuclear power, asbestos, and quicksilver. All pioneering technologies and inventions which have proven to be harmful and dangerous in the end. The most alarming escalation is that mobile communication technology is almost omnipresent, so it affects almost everyone, whether they use this technology or not.
What will happen if we keep going on as we are now?
Biological systems – humans, plants, animals – cannot stand constant exposure to radio waves. You can see this in the forest and insect decline, nervous animals that produce less milk or are even deformed. Humans struggle with lapses in concentration and memory loss. I call it “Radio Alzheimer’s”. In my opinion, there are three scenarios which will happen: the stupefaction of humans, the sickness of humans, and the “Internet of Things” as the climax of the surveillance and control state. The problem is that the consequences all happen offset in time. Responsible governments need to respond now.
What other demands do you have from politics?
Areas of retreat for the afflicted. However, most people want a bit more comfort and infrastructure than I do. So we need a “white zone town” with doctors, schools, shopping facilities, telephone and Internet connections, etc.
You live in caravan in the Black Forest. What is a normal day like for you?
I have week and month agendas in which I write down when I have lectures. I write an “A” for “Außeneinsatz”, when I have an “outdoor mission”, in my calendar. The rest are normal “forest days”, that means: I get up, the table in the caravan becomes my office, and there I attend to my self-employed work. I receive studies and newspaper articles about electrosmog, radiation, everything that has to do with the topic. I read them and evaluate them, and then I prepare lectures or write an article for the homepage. Such a work day can easily last 12 to 16 hours.
“My friends here aren’t clicks on Facebook, they are real, in that I can trust.”
Do you miss “civilization”? Having a social life, a beer in the evening, watching a movie?
I’m doing splendid in the forest. I’ve been living here since 15 years. I left “civilization” when I was 25. I come from a different time, so to say! Naturally, it is a shame that I cannot accept all of the birthday or wedding invitations or regularly visit my relatives. The problem can only be solved selectively: One or the other visit is possible, but only with a lot of hassle. When I go somewhere it implies restrictions for others: smartphones have to be turned off, and not everyone agrees with that nowadays. I see my family members about once per year. My mother comes for a visit in the forest every now and then. When I want to visit her it is a bit more complicated: In her apartment you can receive 15 WLAN networks and there are six or seven transmission masts in sight. I also try to keep in contact with my old friends from my hometown. We don’t see each other that often, but we write regularly. My friends here aren’t clicks on Facebook, they are real, in that I can trust.
When all of the cell phones are turned off and a person turns theirs on, can you feel it?
Quite clearly, actually. Unfortunately, I cannot localize it – otherwise it would be a great trick for “Wetten, dass..?” (laughs)
… and how?
At first I feel it in my concentration. It’s as if I cannot catch my own thoughts anymore, as if they are escaping me. Then there is a pressure in my head. My blood thickens, and I begin to have problems with my eyes and my heart. It can become quite critical with one’s health.
Many people complain about fatigue or headaches. How can you be sure that radiation is the source of your suffering? How can one determine if one is electromagnetic hypersensitive?
Generally speaking, it is like with an allergy or an allergy test. You have to listen to your body. How does it behave with and without radiation? If someone cannot sleep, I recommend: “Off to a white zone!” Things like this can only be verified through comparison. How do I feel with lactose and how do I feel without it? It is as simple as that. We are not dealing with a disease here in the classical sense, just like how lactose intolerance or a gluten allergy are not seen as diseases. It is more of a warning signal from the body.
“I don’t think in money – printed paper has no value in the forest.”
How do you finance you life?
If you are pursuing your purpose in life, then you do not need to think about the financing. I offer my lectures on a volunteer basis, so in turn all doors open automatically. For instance, people sometimes spontaneously bring me groceries, but also replacement parts for my caravan as well. It is a stroke of genius how it all comes together, something that no one can plan. So I see it more as sustenance than finances. I don’t think in money – printed paper has no value in the forest.
Are you religious?
For me, “religious” is almost a swearword. One is religious when they simply do things to make others or God happy. But the Bible is not a book of religion: It is the spoken word of God with universal validity, as can be seen in the example of the laws of nature – gravity, for instance. It applies to everyone, regardless if you are a believer or not. A practical example: In the Ten Commandments it doesn’t say “Thou shall not kill”, the ancient original says “Thou willst not kill”. When God is in your heart you are simply not capable of killing someone. That is the difference between religion and lived Christianity. I live Christianity, and I live with God. I live in the creation of nature; in the forest the existence of God cannot be doubted.
“I’m everything but esoteric.”
What do people say about you?
The things said about me are as varied as the people out there. But naturally against the backdrop of defusing the things I say because otherwise one might have to change their own life. Sure, it is far more comfortable to just pigeonhole me and forget the warnings that my life represents as quickly as possible. Such pigeonholes have names like “conspiracy theorist”, “nutcase”, “psychotic”, or “esoteric”. But that’s all part of the game. It’s very normal, if you look back at history, all the people who made a decisive change in the world were first not taken seriously or defamed.
So you wouldn’t call yourself esoteric?
I’m everything but esoteric, although the word has an interesting etymology: It comes from the Greek word for “inner”, “of the inner realm”. But today many associate the term with something negative. I think of people who are floating around and have to be pulled back down with a lasso. I’m completely the opposite. I bring things to the point in technical and physical terms. You cannot measure electrosmog with a feather, but you can with a measuring instrument. I am a scientist.
What’s the outlook for a society that is so addicted to cell phones that there is talk about a “phantom vibration syndrome”, the sense that one’s phone is vibrating when it isn’t? How can we organize ourselves without the Internet? Describe your utopia: back to nature, back to the Middle Ages?
Here is my vision for the future: The health of humans and the Earth’s creations is priority number one. All masts are turned off. Households and businesses are supplied fax, Internet, TV, and radio via optical fiber per FTTH (Fiber to the Home). For people underway, there are communication hubs everywhere, at every highway parking lot, places where you can access the Internet via Li-Fi (WLAN via light) and/or infrared technologies. Radio waves are privileged once again and only available to a select circle – police and rescue services, for example. Emergency doctors, important technicians, and the like can use beepers once again and be called back via telephones in the houses and communication hubs.
What would you like to say to say to our readers?
homes (WLAN, wireless phones), and don’t use a smartphone. More and more people are becoming sick because of these technologies. Very few people have the opportunity to leave their surroundings like I have and live under difficult conditions. If you have or know of suitable habitats located in a white zone and are looking for reliable renters or buyers, please contact me – living space for the electromagnetic hypersensitive is in high demand.
Thank you for the interview!