Dear Claudi,

Water & spa culture

In our previous letters, we discussed how we actively seek out places surrounded by good water for our physical and mental well-being, exploring some of the beneficial effects that water has on us.

In earlier times, people utilised water more actively as a remedy, not only through swimming or bathing but also by incorporating it into their drinking habits. As early as the Middle Ages (and even before that, during the Roman Empire), individuals practised regular spa rituals involving drinking and bathing cures. While the Middle Ages (and preceding the Roman era) were familiar with regulated spa practices incorporating drinking and bathing cures, it was only during the Rococo period, after overcoming the devastations of the Thirty Years' War, that people recalled the healing power of water. This led to the zenith of German spa culture in the second half of the 18th century, with places featuring natural healing spring water becoming meeting points for refined social life.

In Europe, there are still hundreds of healing baths and spa resorts that, in my opinion, remain relatively unknown. What sets them apart is the incorporation of officially recognized natural remedies used for various therapeutic purposes. These healing baths and spa resorts include mineral and thermal baths, mud baths, climatic health resorts (air spa resorts), seaside resorts, Kneipp resorts, healing baths with radon therapy, or a combination of several of these designations.

Water & Inspiration

However, upon learning about water's capacity as a "memory holder" and "information communicator," as described in my last letter, I am inclined to believe that there is another lesser-known reason behind people's attraction to water-rich environments — one that extends beyond optimising physical wellness.

It addresses the question: What effect does water have on our minds?

Throughout human civilization, individuals have harnessed the elemental quality of "wet" to foster creativity, inspiration, and insights. Notably, the German poet and thinker Goethe, who frequented baths and spa towns, believed that heavenly messages flowed more freely in such environments. Goethe remained steadfast in his belief that his words originated from a higher realm. He perceived his purpose, or "Dharma," as a celestial mission to liberate individuals from the constraints of earthly entanglements and guide them from confusion to freedom. Today, he is widely acknowledged as the greatest and most influential writer in the German language. Goethe is not alone in this sentiment; other historical creatives such as Frederic Chopin, Mark Twain, Richard Wagner, and many more were passionate about healing baths and spa resorts.

This aligns with the perspective presented by award-winning author Elizabeth Gilbert in her bestseller "Big Magic" , exploring the enigmatic nature of inspiration: Gilbert posits that "ideas" exist around us, waiting for a "vessel" to bring them into reality. We don't generate all thoughts; rather, we "catch" them.

As you highlighted in your recent letter, water is omnipresent in the air, sometimes less and sometimes more, and water is not only a source for wellbeing, but also for inspiration.

Aren't we all more inspired during a brisk walk through fog as opposed to under the dry heat of the sun?

Haven't we all had some Eureka moments while swimming in the ocean or lake?

Toddlers, composed of about 80% water, are particularly intuitive. They understand concepts long before they learn to speak.

People report experiencing more prophetic dreams, clairvoyant perceptions, and other supernatural phenomena near water. Some Yogis claim that regular exposure to water, a diet rich in structured water through vegetables and fruits (which are mostly water, and most importantly, naturally structured), and the avoidance of meat enhance the ability to convey thoughts, feelings, and images.

Upon reflection, I have also noticed livelier, longer, and more intense dreams when the humid air comes through my window with the rain. I linger longer in the dream phase. Generally, I feel more creative and easily get into a state of flow when it's raining outside. Dryness and heat make me feel more paralyzed.

Is it a coincidence or a false impression of mine that people who live near water are more open to ideas of supernatural experiences that cannot be proven by science yet?

If water contains and conveys information, doesn't it make sense that extrasensory perception is higher in humidity?

To me, it is not challenging to embrace the concept of water as an "informant" when considering what quantum physics reveals about the oscillation field of matter. Life involves a continuous exchange of energy and information.

Max Planck, the pioneer of quantum theory and a later Nobel Prize laureate, articulated: "In fact, there is no matter." Everything is composed of vibration. Consequently, the matter we perceive and touch is only a minuscule aspect of reality. According to the insights of modern physics, pure matter—comprising the atomic nucleus and electrons, the building blocks of everything—constitutes a mere 0.001 percent of reality. Quantum physics designates 99.999 percent as a vacuum, the medium for the specific vibration pattern. Each elementary particle is enveloped by an electromagnetic oscillation field. In chemical reactions, the causal agents are not the material particles (matter) interacting with each other, but their fields. The outcome is intricate, composed vibration systems generated through interference with the individual frequencies of atoms and molecules. Therefore, every material structure possesses a distinctive and unmistakable vibration field. This principle applies to water as well.

I would like to end our little conversation about water with a quote from the intriguing naturalist, philosopher, inventor and “water wizard” Viktro Schauberger:

"Only a profound study of intuitively gifted individuals can explore the innermost essence of the life substance water. Only with the complete understanding of the material primal substance 'water' will it be possible to show humanity, which is mentally and physically declining, the paths that lead it upward again."

Schauberger, 1963

In hopes that we can intuitively trust without having to fully “understand” the material substance of our very mysterious element of life, water, to help us thrive on earth. See you soon, perhaps in a thermal bath of a European spa town?

Yours sincerely,

Elisa