Welcome to Gaia! ::

This is my log of my experiment that I began as part of my alchemy training and when DSW was brought up I thought it may be interesting to share with everyone. So here it is, very long. I'm not sure how long I'm going to let this experiment run, but I'll probably update it each day at the bottom of this post until I terminate the experiment. You'll notice there's no control plant. This is because the protocol given to me doesn't call for a control plant and as each plant is treated physically the same, I don't feel a control is really necessary. You may disagree.

Biocommunication was pioneered by Cleve Backster. I'm sure you can look up his work on the Internet somewhere. Biocommunication has been expounded by many more people over the years.

If you have any questions or comments, post them in this thread.

Plant Biocommunication Experiment; Bush bean a.k.a. snap bean (Phaseolus vulgaris)

Sunday, November 25, 2007
"Positive" and "Negative" pots have been set up under equal conditions. They are in a window with Eastern exposure in identical pots with roughly the same amount of vermiculite and water and seeds are same size and placed at approx. equal depth.
Approx. 5 mins. positive focus on "Positive" pot.
Approx. 5 mins. negative focus on "Negative" pot.

Monday, November 26, 2007
Approx. 5 mins. positive focus on "Positive" pot.
Approx. 5 mins. negative focus on "Negative" pot.
No noticeable difference.

Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Added approx. 1 Tbsp water to each pot.
Positive pot's water received positive visualization.
Negative pot's water received negative visualization.
Approx. 5 mins. positive focus on "Positive" pot.
Approx. 5 mins. negative focus on "Negative" pot.
No noticeable difference.

Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Approx. 5 mins. positive focus on "Positive" pot.
Approx. 5 mins. negative focus on "Negative" pot.
No noticeable difference.

Thursday, November 29, 2007
Approx. 1 Tbsp water receiving positive visualization given to "Positive" plant.
Approx. 1 Tbsp water receiving negative visualization given to "Negative" plant.
Approx. 5 mins. positive focus on "Positive" pot.
Approx. 5 mins. negative focus on "Negative" pot.
No noticeable difference.

Friday, November 30, 2007
Approx. 5 mins. positive focus on "Positive" pot.
Approx. 5 mins. negative focus on "Negative" pot.
No noticeable difference.

Saturday, December 1, 2007
Approx. 5 mins. positive focus on "Positive" pot. Gave it life force.
Approx. 5 mins. negative focus on "Negative" pot. Took life force from it.
No noticeable difference.

Sunday, December 2, 2007
Approx. 1 Tbsp water receiving positive visualization given to "Positive" plant.
Approx. 1 Tbsp water receiving negative visualization given to "Negative" plant.
Approx. 5 mins. giving life force to "Positive" plant.
Approx. 5 mins. taking life force from "Negative" plant.
No noticeable difference.

Monday, December 3, 2007
Approx. 5 mins. giving life force to "Positive" plant.
Approx. 5 mins. taking life force from "Negative" plant.
No noticeable change.

Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Approx. 1 Tbsp of warm water receiving positive visualization given to "Positive" pot.
Approx. 1 Tbsp of warm water receiving negative visualization given to "Negative" pot.
Approx. 5 mins. giving life force and encouragement to "Positive" plant.
Approx. 5 mins. taking life force and harassing "Negative" pot.
No noticeable change.

Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Approx. 5 mins. giving life force to "Positive" plant.
Approx. 5 mins. taking life force from "Negative" plant.
No noticeable change.

Thursday, December 6, 2007
Approx. 2 Tbsp water for "Positive" plant; received positive visualization.
Approx. 2 Tbsp water for "Negative" plant; received negative visualization.
Approx. 5 mins. giving life force and positive visualization to "Positive" plant.
Approx. 5 mins. taking life force from and negative visualization to "Negative" plant.
"Positive" plant shows no change; sprout is visible in "Negative" pot.

Friday, December 7, 2007
Approx. 5 mins. taking life force from "Negative" pot and mentally harassing it.
Approx. 5 mins. giving life force to "Positive" pot and mentally encouraging it.
"Negative" pot has a sprout trying to fully erupt. No change is visible in "Positive" pot.

Saturday, December 8, 2007
Gave approx. 1 Tbsp of water to both plants. Positive visualization for "Positive" plant; Negative visualization for "Negative" plant.
Approx. 5 mins. giving life force, positive, visualization, and mental encouragement to "Positive" plant.
Approx. 5 mins. taking life force from and giving negative visualization and mental harassment to "Negative" plant.
Sprout visible in "Positive" pot. Sprout stil visible in "Negative" pot.

Sunday, December 9, 2007
Approx. 5 mins. giving life force, encouragement, and positive visualization to "Positive" plant.
Approx. 5 mins. taking life force from, harassing, and negative visualization to "Negative" plant.
Both have a sprout approx. the same size still trying to erupt fully.

Monday, December 10, 2007
Approx. 2 Tbsp water given to each plant; "Positive" plant's water received positive visualization and "Negative" plant's water received negative visualization.
Approx. 5 mins. giving life force, mental encouragement, and positive visualization to "Positive" plant.
Approx. 5 mins. taking life force from, mentally harassing, and negative visualization on "Negative" plant.
"Positive" plant has fully emerged from vermiculite.
"Negative" plant has not fully emerged. "Positive" appears to have grown substantially from yesterday whereas "Negative" has only shown a very small amount of growth from yesterday.

Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Approx. 5 mins. giving life force, positive visualization, and mental encouragement to "Positive" plant.
Appros. 5 mins. taking life force from, mentally harassing, and negative visualization on "Negative" plant
Gave 1 1/2 Tbsp water to each plant; "Positive" plant's water received positive visualization and "Negative" plant's water received negative visualization.
"Positive" plant has gained height and the end of the sprout has opened to reveal what appears to be the beginnings of leaves. "Negative" plant has fully erupted but is not as tall as "Positive" and the end of the sprout has not opened.

Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Approx. 5 mins. giving life force, positive visualization, and mental encouragement to "Positive" plant.
Approx. 5 mins. taking life force from, mentally harassing, and negative visualization to "Negative" plant.
Leaflets are more plainly visible for "Positive" and it appears to have grown in height approx. one inch. "Negative" has grown in height by approx. half of what "Positive" has grown and there are still no apparent leaflets emerging.

Thursday, December 13, 2007
Gave approx. 1 Tbsp water to each plant. "Negative" water received negative visualization; "Positive" water received positive visualization.
Approx. 5 mins. positive visualization, mental encouragement, and giving life force to "Positive" plant.
Approx. 5 mins. negative visualization, mental harassment, and takingn life force from "Negative" plant.
"Positive" has grown approx. an inch more in height. The end of the sprout is completely open and leaflets are beginning to unfurl.
"Negative" seems slightly shorter than "Positive" but not by much. The end of the sprout has opened more and leaflets are visible but it has not spread out like "Positive" has.

Friday, December 14, 2007
Approx. 5 min. mental and verbal encouragement, positive visualization, and giving life force to "Positive" plant.
Approx. 5 min. mental and verbal harassment, negative visualization, and taking life force from "Negative" plant.
"Positive" plant's stem is almost fully uncurled and the leaflets have spread apart more. "Negative" plant's stem still has a curl in it and the leaflets and end of stem are more pronounced but they have barely started to spread apart.
"Positive" appears to have grown approx. one inch in height while "Negative" seems to have only grown in height by half of "Positive"'s growth.

Saturday, December 15, 2007
Approx. 5 mins. giving life force to "Positive" plant.
Approx. 5 mins. taking life force from "Negative" plant.
Both plants appear to have grown approx. 2 inches. "Positive" has no curl in the stem and the leaflets have increased in size, have separated fully, and are seeking the sunlight. "Negative" no longer has a curl in its stem and while the leaflets have increased in size, they have not separated possibly because of the seed skin restricting them and keeping them together. While "Positive" has grown towards the source of sunlight, "Negative" has grown towards the light but appears to be turning away now, somewhat resembling the beginnings of a corkscrew-ish twist.

Sunday, December 16, 2007
Gave approx. 1 Tbsp warm water to both plants. "Positives" water received positive visualization and "Negative"'s water received negative visualizations.
Approx. 5 mins. giving life force to "Positive" plant.
Approx. 5 mins. taking life force from "Negative" plant.
"Positive" appears to have grown in height approx. one inch. "Positive" is now taller than "Negative" by approx. 1/2 inch. "Positive" continues to seek the sunlight and grow towards the window. Leaves continue to grow in both plants, however, "Negative"'s leaves have not spread apart, probably because of the seed skin restricting them still. "Negative" appears to be turning away from the Sun, continuing the twisting effect noted yesterday. Stem shaft in "Positive" is noticeably straighter than that of "Negative".

Monday, December 17, 2007
Approx. 5 mins. giving life force to "Positive" plant.
Approx. 5 mins. taking life force from "Negative" plant.
"Positive" has grown in height by approx. another inch. "Positive" is still slightly taller than "Negative" and the leaves continue to grow and seek the sunlight. "Negative"'s leaves are still restricted by the seed covering left over and are not as large as "Positive"'s leaves. "Negative" has turned back toward the sun and corrected its twist. "Positive"'s leaves appear to be a slightly darker green than "Negative"'s leaves. Overall, "Positive"'s visible energy field appears more robust than that of "Negative"'s. Note: each plant has two leaves.

Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Approx. 5 mins. giving life force to "Positive" plant.
Approx. 5 mins. taking life force from "Negative" plant.
"Positive" appears to have grown by approx. one inch in height. "Positive" is approx. one inch taller than "Negative" now. "Positive"'s leaves are larger than the leaves on "Negative" and they still appear to be greener. "Negative"'s leaves have spread some but they are still restricted by the seed covering that "Negative" continues to fail at throwing off. Overall "Negative" appears less developed than "Positive" does. Once again, the visible energy field of "Positive" is more robust and extends from the plant further than the visible energy field of "Negative".

Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Gave approx. 1 Tbsp. water receiving positive visualization to "Positive".
Gave approx. 1 Tbsp. water receiving negative visualization to "Negative".
Approx. 5 mins. giving life force to "Positive".
Approx. 5 mins. taking life force from "Negative".
"Positive"'s leaves continue to grow while "Negative"'s leaves appear to be unchanged since yesterday. "Positive" appears to remain taller than "Negative". "Negative" still has the remnants of the seed casing on its leaves. "Negative" also has a rather noticeable crook in the stalk just before the leaves begin.
In depth appearance: "Positive" is approximately 8 inches tall. The initial bud now lies 4 3/4 inches up the stalk. Six and 3/4 inches is where the leaves branch out from the main stem. The remnants of the first bud are withering significantly. There are no extreme bends in the stalk. Visible energy field extends 1/8 of an inch from stalk. Leaves are approx. 3/4 an inch wide and 1 inch tall.
"Negative" is approximately 7 3/4 inches tall. The initial bud lies approx. 5 inches up the stalk. Approx. 6 3/4 inches is where the leaves begin to branch from the stem. Remnants of first bud still appear relatively fresh. There is one approx. 75 degree bend in the stalk just before the leaves branch. Visible energy field extends barely 1/16 of an inch from the stalk. Leaves are approx. 3/4 of an inch wide and 3/4 of an inch tall. Instead of facing one another like the leaves of "Positive", the leaves of "Negative" are perpendicular to one another. The leaves also have the remnants of the seed skin resting on their tips.
"Positive"'s stem width is 3/16 of an inch at the base. "Negative"'s stem width is 3/16 of an inch at the base.

Thursday, December 20, 2007
Approx. 5 mins. giving life force to "Positive" plant.
Approx. 5 mins. taking life force from "Negative" plant.
"Positive"'s leaves continue to grow while "Negative"'s leaves don't seem to be doing much; they still have the seed skin on them. "Positive" appears to be slightly taller than "Negative" still. Both plants have bent closer to the window. The crook in "Negative" is less pronounced now. "Positive"'s initial bud continues to wither and "Negative"'s appears to be withering now as well. "Positive"'s visible energy field appears more robust than that of "Negative".

Friday, December 21, 2007
Approx. 5 mins. giving life force to "Positive".
Approx. 5 mins. taking life force from "Negative".
Aside from the initial bud of both plants further withering there has been no notable change.

Saturday, December 22, 2007
Gave approx. 3 Tbsp. water to each plant; "Positive"'s water received positive visualization and "Negative"'s water received negative visualization.
Approx. 5 mins. giving life force to "Positive".
Approx. 5 mins. taking life force from "Negative".
Initial buds of both plants continue to wither and turn yellow; "Positive"'s is more withered. "Positive"'s leaves have moved some and "Negative"'s leaves seem to have grown some but still have the seed skin on them. "Negative" has a noticeable bend in the stem and a pale spot at that point. Both plants appear to be sprouting again from between the leaves. "Positive" still appears taller and in better condition.

Sunday, December 23, 2007
Approx. 5 mins. giving life force to "Positive".
Approx. 5 mins. taking life force from "Negative".
Both plants appear to be the same height. "Negative" has lost what was left of its initial bud while "Positive" still retains one side. "Negative"'s leaves appear to have grown but still have the seed skin holding their tops together. No truly noticeable bends in the stems of either plant; they both seek the sun. "Positive" is showing the beginning of new stalk growth between its leaves; moreso than "Negative". "Positive" still appears to be in overall better condition.

The seeds are "genetically similar" per the description that I received. If I intended to publish my results then I would no doubt set up several positives, several negatives, and several controls. However, I think the idea of the experiment is merely to prove to the student of the program that a control of the inner fire/life force does have demonstrable effects on the physical environment and other life.

Yeah, it really is interesting if for nothing but personal observation. Good luck with your own plants.

And my update for today is *very* detailed and I hope it sheds more light on what's been going on. I hope to eventually take pictures of the plants, probably at the end of the experiment, as to photograph them I'd have to move them, and I don't really want to do that until the experiment is over as I don't want to set them back as far as growth towards the sun and all that.

Also, for your convenience, here's a short summary of biocommunication experiments.

1729: De Marian, a French alchemist/astronomer, found that plants could tell time and reacted to the time of day and month no matter where they were placed.

1748: Dr. R. Jaldabert sped up the growth of mustard seeds by using electrical currents.

Sir Jagadis Chandra Bose invented the "Crescograph," which detects the various levels of "discomfort" in various forms of life.

Dr. Dale Kretchman found that the behavior of plants could be changed by exposing them to music.

My experiment is apparently based off of experiments at Utrecht University, where identical plants where exposed to different stimuli. One plant was meditated on, calm music was played to it, and volunteers verbally encouraged it to grow. Another plant was cursed at and was exposed to angry rock music. The third plant only received the physical influences of water, sun, etc.

There's also the effect of examining leaves with Kirlian photography.

The actual field of "biocommunication" was pioneered by Cleve Backster in 1966. His experiments dealt with both plants and other living organisms and focused on widely observed electrical responses by plants and at the cellular level in other organisms.

My source for all of this is my course text, but I'm sure you can look up more of the details on the Internet if the need strikes you.