Anne Aster, EHS

Waves? Not my thing before 2020.

The topic of electromagnetic waves didn’t interest me before 2020, the year hell began with 5G. I regret having chosen ignorance for all those years. If I had done my homework—educating myself and properly equipping myself—when I was younger and more recoverable, I could have avoided mistakes that made me suffer needlessly for years. It took reaching a catastrophic point before I finally did what I had absolutely no desire to do.

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The stages of my EHS.

The cell phone:

I realized I was vulnerable to mobile phone waves around 1993 when I made a cell phone call far from antennas in a rural area. In this case, the cell phone worked at full power to connect to a distant antenna. After a few minutes of use, I felt a precise hot spot in my head, accompanied by localized pain in the same area.

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The old house with its original electrical installation.

Around 1996, I moved into a 1920s house with no grounding, with old wiring in the bedroom. I had no idea what problems this could cause me. An elderly man had warned me that my house was electrically unhealthy and that it was dangerous for my health, but I chose not to take him seriously. After all, "old people" worry and "exaggerate," I told myself. But what a mistake it was not to listen to him! The effects of electric and magnetic fields were something I didn’t know about at that time.

 

Wi-Fi

Around 2000, I bought a Wi-Fi antenna that attached to my laptop. From the first use, I had a headache, but not wanting to jump to conclusions too quickly, I tried again a week later, and this time, it was clear that I couldn't tolerate it. So I gave up. I was disappointed! I had always loved technology, and I thought the idea of wireless communication was great for its practical aspects. Darn!

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Cell phone with the antenna on the roof.

I thought I could use a cell phone in the car with an external antenna. That was fine, but my phone got stolen quickly, and I didn’t replace it. It's a shame that this type of system doesn't exist anymore. It would be great to bring it back to the market. The internal antenna was deactivated when the external one was plugged in. It was so much better!

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Bluetooth

Around 2017, I bought a Bluetooth speaker, thinking it might work, but no, even at 4 meters, it caused a headache. So I gave up on that too. But now, realizing that Bluetooth is in cars and so many devices! What a horror!

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Before 5G

Before 2020, life seemed pretty simple to me: no cell phone, no Wi-Fi, no Bluetooth, no smart meters, and that was it! But I was wrong. That wasn’t enough, and I didn’t understand it. At that time, I was able to live well in the city, and I didn't understand why. I didn't need to shield myself. But I learned my lessons the hard way. I didn't understand the issue, I was poorly equipped, and unprepared for 5G and the new, more intense Wi-Fi networks than the previous ones.

 

The Hell of 5G

Starting March 1, 2020, 5G started in my neighborhood in Montreal. After a week, my EHS symptoms became severe. I had never experienced such terrifying and dangerous symptoms. It was torture and a massacre of my health. My nervous system couldn't handle the intensity of the new 5G antennas located 195m from my home. It was then a descent into hell! I was in panic. I had to move urgently, and I was not ready.

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My Move

In short, I was welcomed by a family member in the suburbs in a safe area. It saved my life, and I can never thank them enough! The move took 3 months. I needed 2 days of rest for every half-day I spent in Montreal packing boxes. It was during this time that I started searching for effective shielding solutions. A real circus! I went through ghost veils, fencing helmets, paintball helmets, hat veils, the silver burka with mirror glasses, progress with ski goggles with removable lenses to shield the windows...

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Faraday Cages

There were also Faraday cage experiments. Many trials and errors, and I learned a lot. I first thought my priority was to have one for sleeping, when in reality, I needed to identify the sources of unwanted waves, like the alarm system, for example. All this to conclude that since I lived in a healthy area, my need was for traveling. So, I transformed my minivan into a double Faraday cage for eating and a simple one for sleeping, which paradoxically made things more complicated. Due to various technical reasons, I couldn’t do better. But I’m quite satisfied with it under the circumstances.

 

When it comes to Faraday cages, in my situation, what is most useful is the one in my car, the one I use in the hair salon, and the mini chair cage for visiting people. It makes a lot of things to carry, but when you've carried a dog around with you for more than a decade, you get used to it.

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In Public, Shielded

Regarding the experience of showing up in public, shielded in all sorts of ways in front of strangers and people I know, I can say it was... indescribable. How to describe such an unusual experience? It gradually transformed me, and I like the way it changed me. I feel bigger, more confident, more serene, and healthier on the inside. I feel like I’ve evolved, grown in many ways.

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The Hidden Face

Wearing an outfit that hides the face taught me that without a face, in a very short time, you no longer exist in a gathering of people. When people can’t see us, they can’t connect with us. They need our gaze and our smile. Without a face, we’re an intruder, like a thief. But facial recognition doesn’t work either, which is interesting. Nothing is perfect; what you gain on one side, you lose on the other. You have to choose and accept what comes with it. My verdict: in some particular situations, it can be interesting to go incognito without a face, but in most cases, it’s better to be seen and connect with people.

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The Silver Burka

Wearing a silver burka with transparent ski goggles: at least people can see the eyes, but clearly, the burka is more liked by people from certain ethnicities and religions and disliked by others for those reasons. So, I met people who were victims of racism, and they felt the urge to talk to me, thinking that if I wore such a garment, I could certainly understand them. I never thought I’d experience such a situation. TV shows seem dreadfully boring compared to the suspense of such an unusual experience.

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The Hat Veil

The hat veil seemed like a more modest outfit, less extreme and spectacular, so I had imagined it would be less “weird” socially, but... no, not really. The hat veil can be much more elegant to wear, depending on how it’s done. The view is not as good though. Even though it’s prettier than a helmet, wearing a veil on a hat still feels like an unconventional outfit that makes one ponder.

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What's it remind you of?

People like to try to figure out what the outfit reminds them of. Anything unfamiliar, they want to classify it into a category, they want to label it with an identity. A veil on the head, for example, reminds people of widows, ghosts, brides, except that the color is wrong. It also resembles the anti-mosquito hats worn by fishermen and hunters. Thinking about these comparisons, one feels something faded, discreet, barely assumed, suffering, and vulnerability hidden behind protection.

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While the helmet seemed initially more bold, extreme, and not discreet at all, in short, an outfit that "flashes," I thought it was necessary to own the look. Facing the public with it, what should I expect? I wondered. So, I dared. The decision wasn’t very difficult, I have to admit. The idea of enjoying the comfort of going into waves without suffering while having better sight and comfort, well, the effort wasn’t much.

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The Verdict

It is with the helmet that my social experience is the best. But I didn’t know what to expect. I discovered that by living the experience. What does a helmet look like? Comparisons include astronaut, beekeeper, deep-sea diver, "hamzat suit." It’s often perceived as work attire, and the vibe is very different. Such an outfit, well assumed, conveys and suggests greater leadership, more self-confidence, a more resilient, positive attitude, without victim connotations. I am more respected with a helmet than with the other outfits. People are more pleasant, sometimes laughing but in good spirits.

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The Attitude

My attitude is very important, I can see it, I can feel it. People who see someone dressed so strangely want to see a smile. They want reassurance and hope for a friendship that will allow them to tell others that they know this unusual person who smiled at them and spoke kindly. This connection is warm, friendly, empathetic, and supportive. Even though the urge to laugh is irresistible for some, respect wins in the majority of cases.

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Nice

So, what’s this nice attitude to adopt when wearing such an outfit? You simply have to wear it as if it were the most normal outfit in the world. Do things normally. Talk to people as if you didn’t know they were asking themselves questions. Laugh spontaneously with them when they try to make jokes. Often, when someone makes a beekeeper comment, I pretend a bunch of bees are heading in their direction and say “bzzzzz bzzzz bzzzz” while laughing. And then, the tone shifts to surprise and questions, and it turns out very well.

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Seeing Things Differently

But it goes further than that. I chose to change my way of seeing things when I’m in society with this outfit. Instead of taking the posture of the victim who needs reassurance and protection from others, instead of being the one who is scared and thinking that others are in a threatening position, I think the opposite. It’s not me who is afraid of them, it’s me who reassures them, showing them that I’m not threatening. My identifications serve this purpose: to reassure them by informing them. I’m not the victim because I am protected. I choose to have empathy and compassion for people. We’ve all been at some point in our lives the person who didn’t know, who didn’t understand, the one who was in a bad situation.

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With Valérie at the Palais des Congrès

Eventually, after answering questions from people I met on my path, I received a message from Valérie, who was in distress due to her recent condition of EHS. I helped her make a helmet like mine... actually, better than mine, and we went to visit the VR Show and the National Housing Show at the Palais des Congrès. It was the first time I went out in public with another person dressed like me. Result: 10 times more questions than usual. I estimate that we each answered about 350 people at the Housing Show. This doesn’t even count the questions at the VR Show!

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Removing the Helmet

I certainly always look forward to removing my helmet at the end of my outings. Wearing it only for outings brings a certain pleasure, but if I had to wear it all the time, I would be deeply unhappy. For me, at home, it’s sacred! I want to feel good there, for that place to be like a sanctuary.

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My Approach with the Website

My goal is to help others help others take good care of themselves. If we aren’t the first to take care of ourselves, what position are we in to demand that our most basic rights be respected?

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Doing Your Part; The Ball is in Their Court

After removing everything that could emit waves at home, after doing everything I could to protect myself properly, I’ve done my part. From there, it’s society’s turn to do its part. I like this posture.

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The Future

I dream of the day when shielding will no longer be necessary because we will have improved and corrected technologies to make them safe for everyone. We will also have reviewed our lifestyles and set aside white zones for EHS and for wildlife and nature. In the meantime, I continue to learn, experiment, and improve my health and quality of life, and I share my experiences and learnings with others.

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