Physical background
In order to understand the functioning of CITE (Controlled Ionically Transferred Effect) it is necessary to look at some atmospheric electric phenomena, especially the nature and properties of atmospheric ions, or air ions.

Atmospheric ions
In the lower atmosphere you’ll always find a certain concentration of small molecular clusters known as air ions or atmospheric ions.

The core of these clusters is a nitrogen or oxygen molecule, which has lost an electron and consequently is positive, or gained an extra electron (in this case always an oxygen molecule) and thus is negative.

These so-called primary ions can exist only for some microseconds but gather around them a cover of mostly water molecules held together by polarization forces. In the case of positive ions the number of water molecules may be 12-15, with negative ions maybe 8-12.  Hence the negative air ions are lighter and more mobile than the positive ones.

The natural air ions are formed by radioactive decay in the air of radon and radon daughters and (to a lesser extent) by cosmic radiation. At sea level the average concentration is about 300-400 ions per cm3 for positive ions and a little less for negative ions (because of the higher mobility). However, these figures vary considerably from place to place. In the case of high particulate air pollution the concentrations of both polarities are reduced considerably.

The word ion originates from Greek, iov, meaning wanderer, and indicates that such a species when exposed to an electric field will move. In the direction of the field in the case of a positive ions and in the opposite direction when we’re dealing with negative ions.

In the lower atmosphere an electric field in the order of 150 V„ªm-1 (volts per meter) exist (in the absence of thunderstorms). This field will drive a current of positive ions to the ground and an equally large current of negative ions in the opposite direction. These currents have a magnitude of about 2„ª10-12 A„ªm-2 ( 2 picoamps per square meter). When integrated over the whole thunderstorm-free area of the earth the current adds up to some 1500 A.

If a thunderstorm is just overhead the situation changes. First of all the base of thunderclouds is generally negative, so the field from the ground is now directed upward. If we further have a lightning protection system with a pointed lightning rod on top, the field will no longer be homogeneous, but strongly distorted.

The result is that the current (density) to the lightning rod is increased dramatically, and is now maybe a million times (or more higher).

This means that a lot of negative ions are brought down to the lightning rod, where they are being neutralized, they give off their charge, and turn into an oxygen and a few water molecules.

 Now let’s look at an apparently different scenario.

An acupuncture needle inserted in a finger.

The person will normally be at ground potential. And if we now assume that an electric field exists in the surroundings, extra ions will flow to the needle and deliver their charge to the body

We don’t always surround ourselves with electric fields in our living rooms, but maybe more often than we imagine. 

In order to investigate if an acupuncture needle actually interacts with the atmospheric surroundings I did a series of investigations in the fall of 2002, the results of w