How the Lightbulb Ban Affects Your Hormones

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As the governing bodies that be continue rolling out arbitrary “energy saving” legislations that infringe upon personal liberties without actually addressing our culture’s desperate and spiritual disconnection from nature which lies at the root cause of “climate change”…

we the aware are left to stand witness and choose an intelligent response.

In case you need catching up, a little over a week ago, US administrators declared a ban on the manufacturing and selling of incandescent lightbulbs in the states.¹

Incandescent lightbulbs were the original invention that brought lighting indoors. Although technically “artificial”, the modality of using a burning filament to create light, provided a spectrum of illumination that most closely resembled that of fire than perhaps any of the newly invented lightbulbs that followed it (CFL, fluorescent, LED, etc.)

Biohackers, wellness influencers, doctors, and scientists alike have been warning about the impacts of indoor artificial lighting, often sighting incandescent bulbs as being the safest bet, aside from going all in on candlelight.

I’ll link to some of these conversations and resources at the end of this article², but for the sake of simplifying your life—here’s the crux of the matter:

• The human body receives cues from the light in its environment that help it orient to space and time.

• These cues trigger complex hormonal cascades that regulate things like waking and sleeping cycles, menstrual cycles, and hormone D production.

• Sunlight, Moonlight, and firelight are the three main sources of natural light that govern and nourish life on Earth.

• Non-native sources of light include screens, digital displays, and of course, lightbulbs.

• Artificial lighting provides a spectrum of light that isn’t native to the natural environment—primarily, a narrow band of blue light.

• Blue light is naturally received from the Sun during peak daytime hours and prompts the body to generate “awake” hormones like cortisol.

• By receiving an intense amount of blue light, indoors, during non-peak daytime hours, we confuse the body’s sense of time and contribute to disfunction in the hormonal matrix which influences stress levels, menstrual cycles and fertility, as well as the ability to sleep and complete healing expressions.

We have the science to support how damaging LEDs can be for the human body, so without incandescents as an option, what are we supposed to do?

Well, after spending a hot minute in a moment of panic—as well as a tinge of fear as I remembered what the bigger agenda is here³—I decided to pivot.

The truth is, the human body is designed to live in alignment with natural cycles. After thousands of years of relying on the Sun, the Moon, and the magnificent discovery and management of fire, indoor lighting is but a 200 year blip in the history of our species.

Even incandescent isn’t perfect, and ultimately enables us to dissociate from the seasons rotating right outside of our doors.

Until we adapt to the artificial environments we’re creating for ourselves (if we adapt, and in how many generations?) I’m grounding as close to the Earth and cosmos as I can.

In that spirit, I’m using this event as an opportunity to explore the ways in which I can commit even more fully to my relationship with light.

Here’s what that looks like for my family:

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Okay, I admit, first I did a teensy bit of “panic buying” and ordered some incandescent string lights online. Yuletide is such a special time of year for my family and it brings me so much joy to light up a Yule tree that isn’t going to fuck with my body :) I have calculated that each string I purchase can last up to two Christmas seasons if I play my cards right. Of course, hoarding isn’t sustainable, so you know I went down a worm hole discovering how our ancestors lit their trees before the invention of the lightbulb. It turns out it was quite hazardous, but the special clip-on candle holders invented by Frederick Artz in 1878 still exist! Light up at your own risk.⁴⁵

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Jumping out of the Christmas tree rabbit hole…

There are a few kinds of bulbs that are exempt from the ban:⁶

These incandescent lightbulbs are not included in the ban

Black lights, bug lamps, colored lamps, infrared laps [sic], plant lights, flood lights, reflector lamps and traffic signals are not included in the ban, according to the DOE.

The items of note here are the infrared and plant lights.

One of the only bulbs that we use in our living space after sunset is an infrared bulb designed for reptile cages!⁷ This mimics the affect of firelight and what is biologically appropriate for evening exposure. I love them, and fortunately, it seems like they’re here to stay.

The use of plant lights (also known as grow lights) for humans is also a crafty approach as you can get lights that specifically emit more of the orange/red side of the light spectrum, which should ultimately provide a wider ban than household LEDs.⁸

Beyond these solutions, we plan on keeping it simple:

• Align work and family schedules with the changing seasons.

• Balance periods of activity in the Summer with deeper periods of rest in the Winter.

• Commit to boundaries around screen use after sunset.

• Rely on infrared bulbs, candlelight, and good old-fashioned fires after dark.

This lifestyle may require huge changes for some people, and a commitment to a way of life that has been forgotten. There are no biohacks around it, and you’ll definitely be the “weird” ones for not having lights in your house.

I personally wouldn’t have it any other way.

I love you. You can do it!

Athena

RESOURCES

1. Biden Administration Implements New Cost-Saving Energy Efficiency Standards for Light Bulbs

2. The Truth About Light Masterclass | Dr. Cassie Huckaby

The Deep Science of Blue Light Toxicity, & Why LED Trashes Your Health | The Life Stylist Podcast, 2020

Ep. 36 Andy Mant: BLUblox Glasses | Expanded Podcast, 2019

Is secondhand screen time the new secondhand smoking? | The Conversation, 2020

3. Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development | United Nations

4. The history of Christmas tree lights: From fire hazards to “festoons” | Aleteia

5. It’s interesting to note that in previous generations the Christmas tree was purchased on Christmas Eve, and the lighting of the tree was a special and isolated event—a bit unlike today where families keep a tree up from Thanksgiving to Valentine’s Day (I’m trying not to roll my eyes) and require a lot more energy in order to maintain the lighting of the festivities.

6. What to know about the ban on incandescent lightbulbs | ABC News

7. Zoo Med Nighlight Reptile Bulb

8. Indoor Grow Lights | Epic Gardening