The Secret Life of Plants
Encyclopedia
The Secret Life of Plants (1973) is a book by Peter Tompkins
and Christopher Bird
, described as "A fascinating account of the physical, emotional, and spiritual relations between plants and man."
The book claims that plants may be sentient
despite their lack of a nervous system
and a brain
. The authors claims that this sentience was observed through changes in plants' conductivity, as through a polygraph
, as pioneered by Cleve Backster
. The book is regarded as pseudoscientific.
The book was the basis for the 1979 documentary of the same name directed by Walon Green
and featuring a soundtrack by Stevie Wonder
, later released as Journey through the Secret Life of Plants
. The film made heavy use of time-lapse photography
(where plants are seen growing in a few seconds, creepers reaching out to other plants and tugging on them, mushrooms and flowers popping open, etc.) in order to portray them as animate beings.
Peter Tompkins
Peter Tompkins was an American journalist, World War II Office of Strategic Services spy in Rome, and best-selling occult author....
and Christopher Bird
Christopher Bird
Christopher Bird was a best-selling author, specialising in unconventional beliefs. His notable works included The Secret Life of Plants which was co-authored with Peter Tompkins and The Divining Hand: The 500-Year-Old Mystery of Dowsing...
, described as "A fascinating account of the physical, emotional, and spiritual relations between plants and man."
The book claims that plants may be sentient
Sentience
Sentience is the ability to feel, perceive or be conscious, or to have subjective experiences. Eighteenth century philosophers used the concept to distinguish the ability to think from the ability to feel . In modern western philosophy, sentience is the ability to have sensations or experiences...
despite their lack of a nervous system
Nervous system
The nervous system is an organ system containing a network of specialized cells called neurons that coordinate the actions of an animal and transmit signals between different parts of its body. In most animals the nervous system consists of two parts, central and peripheral. The central nervous...
and a brain
Brain
The brain is the center of the nervous system in all vertebrate and most invertebrate animals—only a few primitive invertebrates such as sponges, jellyfish, sea squirts and starfishes do not have one. It is located in the head, usually close to primary sensory apparatus such as vision, hearing,...
. The authors claims that this sentience was observed through changes in plants' conductivity, as through a polygraph
Polygraph
A polygraph measures and records several physiological indices such as blood pressure, pulse, respiration, and skin conductivity while the subject is asked and answers a series of questions...
, as pioneered by Cleve Backster
Cleve Backster
Cleve Backster is a best known for his experiments with biocommunication in plant and animal cells using a polygraph machine in the 1960s which led to his theory of "primary perception." Backster began his career as an Interrogation Specialist with the CIA, and went on to become Chairman of the...
. The book is regarded as pseudoscientific.
The book was the basis for the 1979 documentary of the same name directed by Walon Green
Walon Green
Walon Green is an American documentary film director and screenwriter for both TV and films. He is currently the showrunner/executive producer for the USA Network television series, Law & Order: Criminal Intent.-Career:...
and featuring a soundtrack by Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...
, later released as Journey through the Secret Life of Plants
Journey through the Secret Life of Plants
Stevie Wonder's Journey Through "The Secret Life of Plants" is an album by Stevie Wonder, originally released on the Tamla Motown label on October 30, 1979...
. The film made heavy use of time-lapse photography
Time-lapse
Time-lapse photography is a cinematography technique whereby the frequency at which film frames are captured is much lower than that which will be used to play the sequence back. When replayed at normal speed, time appears to be moving faster and thus lapsing...
(where plants are seen growing in a few seconds, creepers reaching out to other plants and tugging on them, mushrooms and flowers popping open, etc.) in order to portray them as animate beings.
See also
- Plant perception (paranormal)Plant perception (paranormal)Plant perception or biocommunication may denote not only that plants are sentient - they can certainly communicate through chemical signals and have complex responses to stimuli - but that may respond to humans in a manner that amounts to ESP and that may be interpreted as experience of pain and...
- Jagdish Chandra Bose