Swiss BioGeometry Projects
Exploring BioGeometry at Community Scale
During the early 2000s, two landmark Swiss projects — Hemberg and Hirschberg — explored how BioGeometry principles could be applied beyond individual properties to wider communities where modern communication infrastructure had become a source of concern.
Both projects followed reports from residents of adverse changes in their wellbeing after new telecommunications equipment was introduced.
Katholische Kirche St. Johannes der Täufer, Hemberg / St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, where a new mobile phone antenna was placed inside the church tower
The Hemberg Project
Working With an Environment as a Whole
In Hemberg, Switzerland, a number of residents reported negative changes following the installation and operation of a new mobile phone antenna.
The Swiss Ombuds Office for Mobile Communication and Environment (OMK) investigated the situation, gathering information from the municipality, Swisscom, the local parish and the state physician of St Gallen. Its investigation found that the antenna had been correctly installed and that measured values were below the applicable limits for non-ionising radiation.
With conventional avenues having provided no resolution to the residents' concerns, OMK initiated an experimental BioGeometry project. Swisscom agreed to participate, and Dr Karim began work in Hemberg in August 2003.
Dr Karim did not approach the mobile phone mast as the sole cause of the difficulties being reported. His assessment identified earth influences, electrical installations, and other conditions already present in Hemberg, with the newly installed antenna adding another influence to the wider picture.
The BioGeometry Approach
The aim was not to remove, shield, or interfere with the telecommunications technology.
Using specialised BioGeometry tools and methodologies, Dr Karim worked at the antenna location and in participating homes. Geometric forms were introduced at selected points in the area around the antenna, which was housed inside the church tower, as well as at its electrical supply and within individual properties.
Rather than changing the technology itself, BioGeometry sought to support greater qualitative balance across the wider environment.
Reported Experiences
Following the BioGeometry work, participating residents reported changes including:
- Improved sleep
- Increased energy
- Fewer headaches
- A greater sense of ease
Residents also reported the return of birds and bats that they said had previously disappeared from the area. The contemporary project report recorded these initial observations.
A later questionnaire compared participants' experiences before the antenna was introduced, after it began operating, and following the BioGeometry work. The documentation described an overall improvement in the complaints recorded, while acknowledging the limitations of the participant group.
The project attracted considerable media attention in Switzerland and internationally, with the phrase “The Miracle of Hemberg” becoming associated with its coverage.
Newly installed telecoms infrastructure in Hirschberg
The Hirschberg Project
Expanding the Investigation
The work in Hemberg was followed by a further community-scale investigation around the Hirschberg antenna in the Canton of Appenzell Innerrhoden. In response to concerns raised by people living around the installation, the Canton and OMK announced a BioGeometry research project in 2005, with Swisscom also involved. It subsequently developed into a broader environmental harmonisation initiative that continued through 2006 and 2007.
Agriculture & Living Systems
The scope extended beyond residents and their homes to include animals, plants, and the surrounding rural environment.
BioGeometry tools were installed at selected locations, extending the work across the land and its relationship with the technological and environmental influences present.
In a 2007 letter to Dr Karim, the cantonal authorities in Appenzell Innerrhoden formally acknowledged the Hirschberg project and referred to reported positive effects involving residents as well as the animal and plant environments.
From Swiss Villages to Modern Homes
The Swiss projects illustrate an approach in which technology is considered alongside the many other influences already present in a place.
The same perspective can be brought into modern homes, where architecture, materials, electricity, wireless technology, natural surroundings, human activity, and many other conditions coexist.
BioGeometry does not require us to reject modern technology. Instead, it asks: