Scalar and quantum pendants

1. Introduction

Version followed: the products as their sellers and distributors describe them ("scalar energy", "quantum" and "negative ion" pendants, bracelets and similar wearables; orgonite as orgonite sellers describe it), and their safety and regulatory status as the Dutch ANVS and RIVM (2021), the US NRC, Australia's ARPANSA and the UK ASA publish it. Orgone accumulators are covered in 086 (pointer to IV 007); orgonite is covered here.

The psychotherapist works alongside this method and never sells, recommends, supplies or "tests" these products. The therapist's work (section 4) is to ask about them without judgement, understand what they mean to the client, support informed decisions, coordinate with the client's doctor with consent, recognise risk, and know the reporting routes.

What sellers say it is. Scalar and quantum pendants are sold as alternative-health wearables said to be made of volcanic or lava stone or other minerals, with claimed benefits such as better circulation, stamina and flexibility [source: ARPANSA]. Similar items are marketed as "negative ion", "scalar energy" or "quantum energy" products: wrist bands, pendants, kinesiology tape, feminine products, pillows, mattresses and yoga pads, advertised for reduced inflammation, improved circulation and "protection from electromagnetic waves" [source: NRC]. One quantum-pendant distributor describes its product as mineral particles sorted by "inherent resonance" and fused at high heat, giving a "natural scalar resonance" that acts on the body's "bio-field" and can be transferred to liquids; it lists wide-ranging health benefits including shielding against electromagnetic waves, while also stating the product is not a medical device, is not intended to treat disease, and is non-radioactive [source: FusionExcel distributor page]. Some products are sold with explicit anti-5G claims; one quantum-pendant maker said its products "shield you from the harmful EMF ... and 5G rays" [source: Euronews 2021].

Orgonite, as sellers describe it. Sellers trace a lineage from Mesmer's "animal magnetism" and Reichenbach to Wilhelm Reich's "orgone" and present Karl Hans Welz as the developer of the first orgonite devices; modern pieces combine crystals, gemstones and metals (e.g. copper, steel) set in a resin that shrinks as it cures. The seller's stated mechanism is that resin shrinkage compresses the crystals, producing a piezoelectric charge directed through the metal, and that crystals make energy "flow and radiate"; small pieces are sold as wearable "orgone protection devices" for healing, vitality and spiritual growth [source: Mother Earth Orgone, history page]. Other origin accounts (e.g. naming further popularisers) are [uncertain: not verified].

Core idea of change (as held by sellers). A wearable or placed object is said to emit or organise a subtle field ("scalar", "quantum", "orgone", "negative ions") that harmonises the body's biofield and neutralises harmful influences such as electromagnetic fields and 5G. These are the sellers' concepts, described here as they hold them.

Evidence status (one line): ARPANSA states these products offer "no established evidence-based benefits"; the WHO finds "no scientific basis" linking electromagnetic-hypersensitivity symptoms to EMF exposure [source: ARPANSA; WHO].

Regulatory status (one line each):

Netherlands: in 2021 the ANVS found ten "negative ion" products (including a "Quantum Pendant", Energy Armor, Magnetix and Basic Nero items, among them a children's bracelet) contained radioactive materials above what the law permits; selling them breaches the Nuclear Energy Act and sellers were told to stop [source: ANVS; RIVM report 2021-0239].
United States: the NRC states that tested negative-ion products contained uranium, thorium or radium at levels requiring a licence to manufacture and sell, and that they "have not been licensed by the NRC or any state" [source: NRC]; Utah reports the FDA judged one wristband line not a significant public-health concern [source: Utah DEQ].
Australia: ARPANSA confirmed uranium-238 and thorium-232 in scalar energy pendants; state or territory regulators advise on disposal of larger items [source: ARPANSA].
United Kingdom: the ASA has ruled anti-EMF/5G claims for a shungite product misleading and irresponsible, and medicinal claims impermissible for products that are not licensed medicines or CE-marked medical devices [source: ASA ruling, Shop TJC Ltd, 2023]. UK product-safety regulation of radioactive wearables is [uncertain: not verified].
Malaysia (research): a 2021 PLOS One study of 20 scalar energy pendants bought online found thorium and uranium radionuclides, with some estimated annual doses above the public limit, and recommended banning import and sale [source: Hassan et al. 2021, PLOS One abstract, for the radionuclides and doses above the public limit; AuntMinnie report for the number of pendants and the ban recommendation].

2. Framework

There is no treatment framework: these are consumer products bought, worn or placed at home. Below, first the client's experience as sellers and regulators describe it, then the psychotherapist's own phased work alongside it.

What the client experiences (as described by sellers and regulators):

Encounter and purchase: online shops, marketplaces (including international marketplace sites), social media, shopping TV, or a distributor with a "home business" offer [source: Euronews; ASA; FusionExcel distributor page]. Products may come with serial numbers, authenticity cards, "limited series" framing and claims of collectors' value [source: FusionExcel distributor page].
Use: worn continuously against the skin (pendants, bracelets, sleep masks, tape), slept on (pillows, mattresses), or placed in the home (orgonite) [source: NRC; ANVS; Mother Earth Orgone]. Some sellers describe transferring the item's "energy" to drinks; this is the seller's claim only.
Meaning: often bought as protection against 5G or EMF, for general wellbeing, or as spiritual objects [source: NRC; ASA; Euronews].

The psychotherapist's work (phases) [synthesis; no source sets phases for this work]:

Ask and record (any session; usually minutes): routine, non-judgemental inquiry about wearables, "energy" and "protection" products. Move on when you know what the client uses and why.
Understand (one or more conversations within ongoing therapy): meaning, hopes, explanatory model, worries (especially about EMF/5G). Move on when you can state the client's view back to them in a way they recognise.
Inform and decide: share regulator safety information if a product may be one of the radioactive types; support a values-based decision without pressure. Move on when the client has made a decision they own, or deliberately deferred it.
Coordinate and protect: with consent, involve the GP or prescriber for physical symptoms or concerns; check children, pregnancy, finances and group pressure.
Treat what belongs to therapy: health anxiety, EMF-attributed symptoms, distress, conspiratorial fear (cross-ref Domain II).
Follow up and report: revisit at review points; know the reporting routes.

Format: integrated into existing individual, couple or family therapy; no separate session count [synthesis].

3. Guiding principles

Never perform, sell, recommend or supply. You do not endorse, test, buy, sell or advise on products; practical meaning: if asked "does it work?", reflect, give regulator information where relevant, and route medical questions to the doctor [source: APA Ethics Code; application synthesis].
Curiosity before information. Practical meaning: understand what the item means before mentioning any safety issue, so information lands as care rather than criticism [synthesis].
Attribute, do not adjudicate. Practical meaning: describe "scalar", "quantum" and "orgone" as the client and sellers hold them; neither assert nor mock them [synthesis].
Physical safety information comes from regulators, verbatim in spirit. Practical meaning: cite the client's national regulator (ANVS, NRC, ARPANSA) rather than your own view, and note that regulators differ on disposal [source: ANVS; NRC; ARPANSA].
Autonomy and dignity. Practical meaning: the decision to keep, stop or discard is the client's; respect self-determination [source: APA Ethics Code].
Do no harm, including by shaming. Practical meaning: avoid ridicule; it damages the alliance and drives disclosure underground [source: APA Ethics Code; application synthesis].
Stay in your competence. Practical meaning: you do not estimate radiation doses, diagnose skin changes or advise on medicines; you refer [source: APA Ethics Code].
Coordinate with consent. Practical meaning: with the client's agreement, involve the GP, dermatologist or prescriber [source: APA Ethics Code].
Symptoms are real; treat the person, not the perceived exposure. Practical meaning: for EMF-attributed symptoms, follow the WHO/Belgian guidance to treat symptoms and functioning, not the felt need to eliminate EMF [source: WHO; Belgian FPS Public Health].
Watch for avoidance cycles. Practical meaning: protection-seeking can maintain fear and avoidance; address it gently through psychological work [source: Belgian FPS Public Health].
Protect children and the financially vulnerable. Practical meaning: a children's bracelet was among the radioactive products; ask who else in the home wears items; ask about money and recruitment [source: ANVS; FusionExcel distributor page].

4. Intervention inventory

All interventions below are the psychotherapist's own work. None involves handling, testing, endorsing or supplying the products. Where a safety point appears, the source is the regulator named; everything else is [synthesis] unless cited.

4.1 Routine, non-judgemental inquiry and recording

Purpose / when: at intake and at reviews; whenever a client mentions EMF, 5G, "energy", sleep masks, wellness jewellery or protective objects. Many products are worn invisibly or bought online, so clients rarely volunteer them [synthesis].
Steps: (1) Normalise: say you ask everyone about things they use for health or protection. (2) Ask open questions: what, since when, where it came from, who else in the household uses it, what they paid, what it is for. (3) Note the product's marketing words ("negative ion", "scalar", "quantum", "anti-5G", "orgonite") because these matter for safety information [source for terms: NRC; ARPANSA; ANVS]. (4) Record factually in the notes, in the client's words, without evaluative language.
Example language (illustrative): "I ask everyone about anything they wear, carry or keep at home for their health or for protection. Is there anything like that for you?" / "What made you choose this one?"
Watch for: embarrassment or defensiveness (slow down; reaffirm you are not judging); mention of children wearing items; large spending. Working when: the client mentions products spontaneously in later sessions.

4.2 Exploring meaning, hopes and the explanatory model

Purpose / when: after disclosure, before any information-giving. Understand what draws the client: control over an invisible threat, hope, distrust of medicine or authorities, identity, community, spiritual practice, a gift from someone close [synthesis].
Steps: (1) Ask what the item does for them, in their words. (2) Ask how they understand it works (their model of "scalar", "quantum" or "orgone" energy), and reflect it back accurately. (3) Ask what they hope will change and how they would know. (4) Ask what worries them (often EMF/5G, illness, a sense of being unprotected). (5) Ask who else is involved: seller, online group, family. (6) Summarise without endorsing or disputing.
Example language (illustrative): "When you put it on, what's different for you?" / "So, if I've understood, it gives you a sense that you're shielded from the masts near your flat, and that matters most at night. Have I got that right?"
Watch for: fear that is pervasive, escalating or generalising (consider 4.7); rigid beliefs tied to a high-control group (4.6); grief or loss behind health-seeking. Working when: the client elaborates freely and corrects your summary.

4.3 Sharing regulator safety information (radioactive "negative ion", scalar and quantum products)

Purpose / when: when a client or household member wears or sleeps on a product marketed as "negative ion", "scalar energy", "quantum" or anti-5G. You pass on what the regulator states; you do not assess the item yourself.
What regulators state (paraphrased): tested products in these categories have contained natural radioactive material (uranium, thorium, radium). The NRC and ARPANSA assess the whole-body dose from pendants and wristbands as likely low, but continuous wear can raise the skin dose, and inhalation is a greater concern for pillows, mattresses and yoga pads [source: NRC; ARPANSA]. The ANVS found that wearing a listed item constantly for a year could exceed the Dutch skin-dose limit, and that skin redness cannot be ruled out [source: ANVS; RIVM]. ARPANSA notes larger items such as mattresses have in some cases exceeded the public dose limit internationally [source: ARPANSA].
What regulators advise (jurisdiction matters; they differ):
- Netherlands (ANVS): stop wearing; store in packaging or a sealed bag in a closed cabinet; tell household members; do not put in household waste; await return or collection instructions; contact the ANVS (also for unlisted "negative ion" products and foreign webshop purchases) [source: ANVS].
- United States (NRC): the NRC's advice is to throw them away; household trash is acceptable; those who keep using them can reduce contact time, increase distance and wear pendants over clothing; anyone with health concerns should talk to a doctor [source: NRC]. State radiation programmes may give local advice (e.g. Utah) [source: Utah DEQ].
- Australia (ARPANSA): pendants may go in the general bin; for pillows or mattresses, consult the state or territory regulator; ARPANSA offers a radiation-meter hire service [source: ARPANSA].
- Elsewhere: direct the client to their national radiation-protection authority [synthesis].
Steps: (1) Ask permission to share safety information. (2) Say where it comes from (name the regulator). (3) Give the jurisdiction's advice in plain words, including the point about household members and children. (4) Invite questions; route health or dose questions to the GP and the regulator. (5) Leave the decision with the client (4.4). (6) Record what was shared.
Example language (illustrative): "Can I share something a radiation-safety regulator published about some products sold with the same description? I'm not saying yours is one of them; I can't know that. It's their information, and it's your decision what to do with it."
Watch for: panic or shame ("I put it on my child"): contain, then plan with the GP; dismissal of regulators as part of the threat (explore, do not argue; 4.6). Working when: the client can restate the regulator's advice and has a plan they chose.
Do not: tell clients the item is or is not radioactive; handle or measure it; advise on medicines or medical tests.

4.4 Supporting informed, values-based decisions

Purpose / when: after information-sharing, or whenever a decision about health products, spending or medical care is at stake.
Steps: (1) Clarify the decision (keep, stop, store, return, discard, involve doctor). (2) Elicit the client's values (safety, protection of family, spiritual meaning, money). (3) Lay out options and what each would mean for those values, using regulator information for safety. (4) Explore what would help them decide (more information, talking to family, a doctor's view). (5) Check for pressure from sellers or groups. (6) Accept the decision; agree when to revisit. No published decision aid specific to these products is cited here [uncertain: not verified].
Example language (illustrative): "What matters most to you as you think about this: feeling protected, keeping your family safe, or something else?" / "Whatever you decide, I'd like to keep talking about how you're feeling about the masts."
Watch for: your own urge to persuade (a sign to step back); decisions made to please you. Working when: the client articulates reasons in their own words.

4.5 Coordination with the client's doctor or pharmacist (with consent)

Purpose / when: physical symptoms the client attributes to EMF or to a product; skin changes where an item is worn; pregnancy; children wearing items; any question about medicines or medical tests.
Steps: (1) Explain why you suggest the doctor is involved. (2) Obtain explicit consent and agree what will be shared. (3) Share factual information (product type and marketing description, duration of use as the client reports it, symptoms, the regulator notice) without diagnosing. (4) Encourage the client to raise health concerns with the doctor themselves, as the NRC advises [source: NRC]. (5) Record consent and contact. Medicine questions always go to the prescriber or pharmacist [source for coordination: APA Ethics Code].
Example language (illustrative): "Would you be OK with me writing to your GP so they know about the bracelet and the rash? I won't make any judgement about it; that's their area."
Watch for: refusal of medical contact rooted in distrust (explore; respect autonomy unless a safeguarding threshold is met). Working when: the client attends the GP or agrees a plan.

4.6 Recognising and responding to risk

Purpose / when: throughout; formally at intake, at disclosure and at reviews.
Risk areas and responses:
- Children: a children's bracelet sold with "negative ions" was among the radioactive products the ANVS listed, and the ANVS asks owners to tell household members, including children, not to wear them [source: ANVS]. Ask whether children wear or sleep with such items; share regulator information with parents (4.3); involve the GP. Escalate to safeguarding only if a child is being harmed or deprived of needed medical care, following your local procedures [synthesis].
- Pregnancy: encourage the client to tell their midwife or doctor about any wearable or bedding sold as "negative ion", scalar or quantum [synthesis]; do not interpret risk yourself.
- Delayed or replaced medical care: sellers' pages may list disease-related benefits while disclaiming medical use [source: FusionExcel distributor page]; the ASA has ruled such medicinal claims impermissible for unlicensed products [source: ASA]. If a client is relying on a pendant instead of investigation or treatment, name the concern, explore, and offer to coordinate with the doctor (4.5) [synthesis].
- Financial exploitation and multi-level selling: watch for distributor recruitment ("start a home business", income claims), "limited series", serial numbers, authenticity cards, collectors' value and "beware of fakes" framing, which a distributor page uses [source: FusionExcel distributor page]. Ask about money spent, debts and recruitment of friends and family; support the client's own decisions [synthesis].
- Group and conspiratorial pressure: anti-5G products are marketed by playing on fear that 5G is harmful, which the ASA found irresponsible [source: ASA]. Ask about online groups, isolation from family, and whether doubts can be voiced safely [synthesis].
- Escalating avoidance: spending on home modifications and avoiding places or devices can maintain symptoms [source: Belgian FPS Public Health]; see 4.7.
Example language (illustrative): "Has anyone suggested you sell these, or recruit others?" / "Does anyone else at home wear one, including the children?"
Watch for / working when: risks are named, a plan exists for each, and the client remains engaged.

4.7 Health anxiety, EMF-attributed symptoms and idiopathic environmental intolerance (cross-ref Domain II)

Purpose / when: when a client experiences symptoms they attribute to EMF/5G (the WHO lists skin redness, tingling and burning, fatigue, concentration difficulties, dizziness, nausea, palpitations and digestive disturbance) and relies on protective products [source: WHO].
Framing from sources: the WHO states the symptoms "are certainly real" and can be disabling, but that double-blind studies do not link them to EMF exposure; it advises treatment focused on symptoms and functioning, medical and psychological evaluation, review of home and workplace factors, coping strategies and return to normal social and working life [source: WHO]. The Belgian FPS Public Health describes CBT as the most effective approach: questioning assumptions, considering other causes, developing coping strategies and managing stress; it warns that exposure reduction can create a "vicious circle" of symptoms, blame and avoidance [source: Belgian FPS Public Health].
Steps: (1) Validate the symptoms as real. (2) Confirm medical evaluation has happened or arrange it via the GP (4.5). (3) Build a shared formulation of the symptom cycle (attention, worry, arousal, avoidance, safety behaviours including protective items) using the established health-anxiety and somatic-symptom approaches in Domain II. (4) Agree goals in terms of function (sleep, work, social life). (5) Address safety behaviours gradually and collaboratively; the client decides about any product. (6) Address stress and other factors (ergonomics, lighting, noise, sleep) that the WHO lists. (7) Review progress by function, not by belief change.
Example language (illustrative): "I don't doubt for a second that the headaches and the tingling are real. What I'd like us to understand is what keeps them going and what helps you live the way you want to."
Watch for: depression, panic or psychosis-like fixed beliefs (assess and refer as usual); feelings of being disbelieved. Working when: function improves and avoidance narrows, whether or not the client keeps the product.

4.8 Conversations about orgonite and other non-wearable "protective" objects

Purpose / when: a client keeps orgonite at home, carries it or gifts it, often for protection from EMF or for spiritual reasons, as sellers present it [source: Mother Earth Orgone].
Steps: (1) Explore meaning as in 4.2; for many clients it is a spiritual or aesthetic object. (2) Respect it as such. (3) If it is tied to fear of EMF or avoidance, work as in 4.7. (4) Ask about spending and whether it is linked to group or seller pressure (4.6). (5) Note that the regulator warnings listed here concern "negative ion", scalar and quantum products; whether any orgonite products have been tested for radioactivity is [uncertain: not verified]. Do not speculate either way; route questions to the national radiation regulator.
Example language (illustrative): "Tell me about the piece on your desk. What does it mean to you?"
Watch for: objects used as safety behaviours that keep fear going. Working when: the client relates to the object by choice rather than compulsion.

4.9 Reporting routes

Purpose / when: a client wants to report a product or advert, or you become aware of an unlawful sale or of harm.
Routes (as sources state them):
- Netherlands: ANVS for consumers with "negative ion" products, including foreign webshop purchases (the ANVS passes information to authorities abroad); Dutch suppliers contact the ANVS directly [source: ANVS].
- United States: NRC safety-concern line and state radiation-control programmes (e.g. Utah's Division of Waste Management and Radiation Control) [source: NRC; Utah DEQ].
- Australia: ARPANSA and state or territory radiation regulators [source: ARPANSA].
- United Kingdom: advertising complaints to the ASA, which rules on misleading health and anti-EMF/5G claims [source: ASA]. UK consumer-product safety routes are [uncertain: not verified].
- Children: local safeguarding procedures where a child is harmed or deprived of necessary medical care [synthesis].
- Professional: a regulated health professional who sells or prescribes such products with health claims can be reported to their board [synthesis].
Steps: explain options; let the client choose; support them to report themselves where possible; observe confidentiality limits; record.
Example language (illustrative): "If you'd like to, there's a regulator you can tell about where you bought it. Would that be useful to you?"
Watch for: fear of reprisal or shame; reporting as a way of reducing helplessness. Working when: the client acts, or chooses not to, with full information.

4.10 Managing your own position and conflicts of interest

Purpose / when: always; especially if you hold views on EMF or energy products, or have connections to sellers.
Steps: (1) Never sell, recommend, receive commission on, or accept products as payment; this avoids conflicts of interest and exploitation [source: APA Ethics Code]. (2) Use supervision when you notice strong reactions (ridicule, fear, alignment). (3) Base anything you say on established knowledge and named regulators [source: APA Ethics Code]. (4) Document what was discussed and shared.
Example language (illustrative): "I don't recommend or sell any health products. My part is helping you think it through."
Watch for: client asking you to endorse or to buy from them (decline warmly, explain why). Working when: the client experiences you as neither salesperson nor critic.

5. Handling problems

Sources do not address psychotherapy problems with these products; all guidance below is [synthesis] unless cited.

Client feels judged after safety information. Repair: acknowledge the impact, restate that the decision is theirs, return to their meaning and hopes (4.2). "I may have jumped to the safety bit too fast. I'd like to understand more about what it means to you."
Client dismisses regulators as part of the threat. Do not argue facts. Explore the history of their distrust; ask what source they would trust; keep the relationship. Revisit if risk to children or health is present.
Panic on learning of possible radioactivity. Ground first; give the regulator's view that whole-body doses from pendants are likely low while continuous wear can raise skin dose [source: NRC; ARPANSA]; plan practical next steps (the jurisdiction's advice, GP for concerns). Avoid both reassurance you cannot give and alarm.
Conflicting disposal advice found online. Explain that regulators differ (ANVS: do not put in household waste and await instructions; NRC and ARPANSA: household bin acceptable for pendants) and that the client should follow their own country's regulator [source: ANVS; NRC; ARPANSA].
Client asks you to examine or test the item. Decline; point to the regulator (e.g. ARPANSA's meter-hire service in Australia) [source: ARPANSA].
Non-adherence to agreed GP contact. Explore barriers (distrust, cost, shame); offer to help prepare for the appointment; respect autonomy unless safeguarding thresholds apply.
Stuck in EMF fear despite CBT work. Review formulation; check for depression, trauma, or pervasive conspiratorial beliefs; consider increasing focus on function and values rather than belief; seek supervision; consider psychiatric review if beliefs are fixed and distressing (Domain II).
Family conflict (e.g. one partner wants the products out of the home, especially from children). Offer a joint session focused on shared values (safety, care) and on regulator information; avoid taking sides.
Financial harm or recruitment. Validate any shame; separate the person from the purchase; support practical steps the client chooses (stopping recruitment, talking to family, consumer advice) [synthesis]; consider reporting routes (4.9).
Rupture over your perceived stance on 5G or energy. Name it, take your share, and recommit to the client's goals.
Therapist's own discomfort or ridicule. Use supervision; ridicule risks harm and silence [source: APA Ethics Code; application synthesis].

Harm account

What was actually done

Products and claims. Wearables and bedding were sold online and through distributors as emitting "negative ions", "scalar energy" or "quantum energy", with claims of reduced inflammation, better circulation, stamina and flexibility, and "protection from electromagnetic waves" or from 5G [source: NRC; ARPANSA; Euronews]. Vendors attributed the effect to additives such as monazite sand, volcanic rock, zeolite, germanium, titanium or tourmaline; monazite is a common source of thorium [source: NRC].
How they were used. Pendants and bracelets were worn against the skin, often continuously; sleep masks were worn at night; tape was applied to skin; pillows, mattresses and yoga pads were slept or lain on [source: NRC; ANVS]. A children's bracelet was among the products sold [source: ANVS].
Netherlands, 2021. After a member of the public raised concerns, the ANVS commissioned the RIVM to measure ten "negative ion" consumer products (jewellery and sleep masks). On 16 December 2021 the ANVS announced that all contained radioactive materials above what the law permits, named products including a "Quantum Pendant", Energy Armor items (sleep mask, necklace, bracelet), Magnetix items (including the Smiley Kids bracelet) and a Basic Nero bracelet, ordered sellers to stop, and told owners to stop wearing them and store them pending return arrangements [source: ANVS; RIVM report 2021-0239]. Shortly afterwards, some listed products were still advertised by a German-based seller and a Quantum Pendant was offered by third-party sellers on international marketplace sites, beyond Dutch jurisdiction [source: Euronews].
United States. Oak Ridge National Laboratory, analysing for the NRC, found wrist bands and pendants containing uranium and thorium above the threshold requiring a licence; none was licensed [source: NRC]. Utah reports earlier versions of one company's "negative ion" wristbands likely contained licensable amounts of natural radioactive material; the company stopped distribution and arranged disposal [source: Utah DEQ].
Australia and Malaysia. ARPANSA confirmed uranium-238 and thorium-232 in scalar energy pendants [source: ARPANSA]. A 2021 study of 20 scalar energy pendants bought online (ceramic, glass, metal, plastic-covered) measured thorium and uranium radionuclides and estimated that some could exceed the annual public dose limit; the authors recommended banning import and sale [source: Hassan et al. 2021, PLOS One abstract, for the radionuclides (highest thorium-232 activity in a metal pendant, highest uranium-238 in a glass one) and doses above the 1 mSv public limit; AuntMinnie report for the sample of 20, the materials and the ban recommendation].
Advertising. In the UK, shopping-TV presenters promoted a shungite product as blocking EMF and 5G and as helping with fatigue, asthma and autoimmune conditions; the ASA upheld complaints in 2023 [source: ASA].

How it caused harm

Radiation mechanism (as regulators describe it): alpha particles are mostly absorbed within the item; beta particles are absorbed mainly in the skin, so continuous wear raises the local skin dose; gamma rays penetrate a larger area of tissue; inhalation is a greater risk with bedding-type products [source: NRC; ARPANSA]. Ionising radiation can damage tissue and DNA; skin redness where an item is worn cannot be ruled out [source: ANVS; RIVM].
Magnitude: whole-body doses from pendants and wristbands are assessed as likely low by the NRC, ARPANSA and several state agencies, and the NRC says they do not pose a major health hazard [source: NRC]; but the Dutch assessment estimated skin exposure above the Dutch and IAEA local skin-dose limit with year-round wear [source: NRC; ANVS], and some mattresses internationally have exceeded the public dose limit [source: ARPANSA]. The FDA judged one wristband line not a significant public-health concern [source: Utah DEQ]. Regulators thus differ in emphasis.
Documented injuries: no specific injuries from these products are reported in the regulator pages and news report cited here [source: Euronews; ANVS]; any case reports are [uncertain: not verified].
Who was most at risk: continuous wearers, children (a children's bracelet was among the listed products), people sleeping on treated bedding, household members unaware of the issue [source: ANVS; NRC]. Pregnancy-specific guidance is [uncertain: not verified].
Indirect harms (as sources describe): money spent on products with "no established evidence-based benefits" [source: ARPANSA]; advertising that exploits fear of 5G and EMF, which the ASA ruled irresponsible [source: ASA]; avoidance and expense that can reinforce EMF-attributed symptoms [source: Belgian FPS Public Health]; distributor and recruitment structures [source: FusionExcel distributor page]. Delay of medical care because of disease-related claims is a plausible risk [synthesis].

Recognising it today

Marketing words: "negative ion", "scalar energy", "quantum energy", "quantum science", "anti-5G", "EMF shield", "bio-field", "nano fusion", volcanic or lava stone, mineral powder; mentions of monazite, tourmaline, germanium or zeolite [source: NRC; ARPANSA; FusionExcel distributor page].
Product forms: pendants, bracelets and wristbands (including children's), sleep masks, kinesiology tape, feminine products, pillows, mattresses, yoga pads [source: NRC; ANVS].
Sales features: health claims beside a "not a medical device" disclaimer; limited series, serial numbers, authenticity cards; income claims for distributors; sale via foreign webshops or marketplaces after a national ban [source: FusionExcel distributor page; Euronews].
Identification hints from regulators: the NRC notes that packaging may indicate whether a product claims to emit negative ions, and that a magnet or hologram suggests the product is probably not radioactive; the ANVS notes that harmful effects from other similar products cannot be ruled out and asks people to contact it about any "negative ion" product; the ANVS also states ionic air purifiers are not covered by its warning [source: NRC; ANVS].
Red flags in a colleague's or a group's practice: a therapist or health practitioner selling, recommending or distributing these products; health or disease claims; recruitment of clients as distributors; discouraging medical care; framing 5G as a threat to sell protection [source: ASA; APA Ethics Code; synthesis].
How legitimate approaches differ: for EMF-attributed symptoms, the WHO and Belgian guidance recommend medical and psychological evaluation and symptom-focused treatment rather than exposure-elimination products [source: WHO; Belgian FPS Public Health].

What to do instead and how to help those harmed

Safer alternatives: for EMF worry and symptoms, symptom-focused medical review and CBT-based psychological help (4.7; Domain II) [source: WHO; Belgian FPS Public Health]. For wellbeing goals, explore the client's own values-based options within therapy [synthesis].
Assessment of affected clients: what was worn or used, by whom (children?), for how long in general terms, any skin or other symptoms, money spent, recruitment, beliefs and fears, emotional reaction to learning of radioactivity (guilt, anger, fear) [synthesis].
Practical response: share the jurisdiction's regulator advice (4.3); route health and dose concerns to the GP and the regulator; never advise on medicines [source: ANVS; NRC; ARPANSA].
Psychological care: guilt (especially parents), anger at sellers, fear of illness and loss of trust; use health-anxiety approaches where worry persists (Domain II) [synthesis].
Ethical, reporting and legal duties: report or support reporting to the national radiation regulator and advertising regulator (4.9); safeguarding where a child is harmed or deprived of medical care; never sell or recommend products [source: ANVS; NRC; ARPANSA; ASA; APA Ethics Code].

Sources

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