| Title: | Psychic Phenomena |
| Notice: | Please read note 1.0-1.* before writing |
| Moderator: | JARETH::PAINTER |
| Created: | Wed Jan 22 1986 |
| Last Modified: | Tue May 27 1997 |
| Last Successful Update: | Fri Jun 06 1997 |
| Number of topics: | 2143 |
| Total number of notes: | 41773 |
Does anyone recall the final results of the experiments that
were being conducted on plant's reactions to thought.
I first became aware of them during the early seventies.What
researchers were doing was connecting a device
(wheat stone bridge SP?)that measured changes in the resistance
between two different connection on a plant.They would then think
of burning the plant and the needle would jump.I remember that
I read that distance was not a factor and that a car had been
started that was over 3000 miles away.I can think of a number of
obvious experiments I would have done.For example I would have
used a number of different plants and used the order of the
reactions by the plants to send information.ASCII code plant style.
Where I have not heard anything further on this I have assumed that
there was found to be nothing to it when it was closely examined.
Curious George D.
| T.R | Title | User | Personal Name | Date | Lines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 743.1 | Poorly done, I'm afraid. | PBSVAX::COOPER | Topher Cooper | Thu May 19 1988 14:39 | 9 |
These experiments are not well regarded in parapsychological circles.
I don't remember specifics but these experiments (conducted by a
Mr. Backster and his associates) become less convincing the more
details you know about them. The way the experiments are actually
conducted (as opposed to how they are described to the press and
in popular boods) are very sloppy and allow for many "conventional"
explanations. The idea is exciting but the evidence is lacking.
Topher
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| 743.2 | Plant's Aware???? | DRUID::DECICCO | Fri May 20 1988 12:14 | 13 | |
I read a book called Secret Life of Plants by Peter Tompkins about
ten years ago. I agree that in a lot of the experiments cited, the
protocols were sloppy and\or ill defined. However, there was enough
stuff in there that seemed OK to me, and leads me to believe that
plants do have consciousness. In my poor anecdotal experience, it
does appear that plants I pay psychic attention to, do better than
those I ignore.
Reilly
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| 743.3 | Conscious as a severed finger | DECWET::MITCHELL | The Cosmic Anchovy | Fri May 20 1988 18:11 | 13 |
RE: .0 etc.
This is discussed somewhere else in here, but I don't know where.
Backster was never able to duplicate his "experiments." I and a
friend tried similar experiments with a psychogalvanometer and
a polygraph, with no success. Of the several studies that I know
of, not one detected any kind of "reaction" in plants to thoughts
or non-localized physical trauma. Psychic plants is pretty much
an urban legend.
Plants need consciousness like animals need chlorophyll.
John M.
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