CLAIM: Walking barefoot on grass boosts your sixth sense

FACT: This claim is FALSE and lacks context. While walking barefoot may help energy levels and reduce fatigue, it does not enhance any "sixth sense." The body’s response is physiological rather than extrasensory

An Instagram reel posted by a verified account with over 600,000 followers, @chikitsaguru, which posts regularly about 'ayurveda and naturopathy consultant & expert' Manish Acharya, claims that walking barefoot on grass can help boost one's "sixth sense."

The video, which has close to 60,000 views and 2,000 likes, features a conversation between Manish Acharya, and renowned comedian Bharti Singh and her husband Haarsh Limbachiyaa.

 

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"You would remember that when you visited our hospital in Meerut, we would ask you to walk barefoot on grass... (this is because, walking barefoot on grass) helps the body connect with nature, enhances our sixth sense and intuition power," Manish Acharya says in the video.

"(Your sixth sense) improves so much that you get to know who to lend money to, and who not to lend to. Whether you should get (someone) married to someone or not," he says, much to the fascination of Singh and Limbachiyaa, while adding that your sixth sense can be improved only if you walk barefoot on grass, soil or sand. He elaborates on the 'scientific aspect' of the practice, claiming that walking on grass, soil, or sand allows the body to absorb electrons from the earth, which supposedly benefits overall health.

While the reel was posted a couple of weeks ago, it seems to have been excerpted from a longer video podcast from October 2023 on renowned comedian Bharti Singh's YouTube channel BHARTI TV, which has garnered over 5 million views.

Does sixth sense exist?

Advocates of the concept of a "sixth sense" or extrasensory perception (ESP) describe it as the ability to perceive or gain insights about the future through channels beyond the conventional five human senses.

A study by researchers at the University of Melbourne, however, challenged the notion. Participants in the study viewed pairs of photographs of a woman with subtle differences, such as a new hairstyle. Although many sensed a change, they couldn't determine exactly what had changed. For example, they might notice a difference in colour without realizing it was due to the woman's clothing.

According to lead researcher Piers Howe, this ability to sense changes without identifying them relies on subtle cues picked up by traditional senses, not an extrasensory mechanism. The findings suggest that the perception of change is rooted in incomplete sensory processing rather than a "sixth sense."

Another study titled "Exploring Intuition and its Role in Managerial Decision Making" highlights intuition's role in helping managers make quick, accurate decisions, emphasizing its reliance on nonconscious processes. However, it calls for further research on intuition and nonconscious mechanisms in organizational behaviour, noting that while psychology has explored these processes, organizational studies have yet to fully address their impact.

Princeton University's PEAR Lab (1979–2007) spent nearly three decades investigating the effects of human consciousness and extrasensory perception (ESP). The lab’s experiments aimed to measure subtle influences of human consciousness on physical systems, suggesting potential evidence of ESP. However, the findings remain controversial due to methodological flaws. James Alcock, a psychologist known for his skepticism of parapsychology, has argued that many claims of ESP and consciousness effects on physical systems are better explained by cognitive biases, experimental artifacts, or statistical anomalies.

Similarly, Ray Hyman, another psychologist and skeptic, has extensively critiqued parapsychological studies, highlighting flaws in methodology and statistical analysis.

What do the experts say?

Dr. Nimesh Desai, Psychiatrist and former Director of the Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences (IHBAS), said that the concept  of sixth sense has fewer takers among the scientific community.

 "The idea of a sixth sense is not widely agreed upon in scientific communities. It remains a nebulous and variable concept, lacking any real consensus," he told First Check.

Discussing practices like acupuncture, Dr Desai explained that stimulating pressure points in the feet may increase awareness, but this has little to do with enhancing any mystical sixth sense or intuition.

He attributed the heightened awareness in human beings to brain-body connection while rejecting any supernatural triggers.

 "We know from anatomy that certain areas of the body, especially the limbs and feet, are represented in the brain’s cortical areas. These interactions are well-studied in relation to body physiology," Dr. Desai said. "When people feel a heightened sense of awareness or a connection to nature while walking barefoot, it’s largely due to the body’s sensory system—not any supernatural or extrasensory phenomenon."

The takeaway is that while walking barefoot may increase body awareness, it does not enhance any supernatural "sixth sense." The body’s response is physiological rather than extrasensory. Thus, this claim is FALSE and lacks context.

Also read: FACT CHECK: Should we be consuming multivitamins?

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