Doc 0000163359

The image displays a digital graphic serving as a title page or introduction for a document. On the left, a stylized, metallic vault door is depicted, complete with a circular dial and locking mechanisms, rendered in shades of gray and blue. To the right, the title "THE BLACK VAULT" is prominently displayed in a distressed white font against a dark, speckled background with a blue glow. Below the title, white text details the origin of the document as being from "The Black Vault," an online database of declassified government documents, specifically mentioning the "MKULTRA/Mind Control Collection." A yellow URL is provided at the bottom for accessing the information. There are no photographs, handwritten annotations, official stamps, forms, diagrams, tables, redactions, or visual evidence of experimental procedures visible on this page. :':~· ~'~ ~n \.'ul. 11. :-lo. I '·.\ 1 r\L YST is dedi<:ated to the new .,.n..crvauon. It is t:oncerncd with the total cnnronmcnt. We aim to help educate people to the 274 Madison Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10016 :~'li :~ threats to their environment:~! weU-b.:ing :~nd the need for a. change of attitude to quality rather than qu:~ntity values. This to insure that future generations do not inherit an environmental wastel.:u1d. CONTENTS Since it i~ one of the ironies of our fabulo>u~ age of technologiL'lli advances and scientific discoveries that there are now IS THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SETTING A GOOD available · to man more answers to his. EXAMPLE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY? problems than there are · users of thow :mswen, another of our aims is the transfer YES of know-how. · by Russell E. Train, Ouzirman, To this end CATALYST . also relays Council on Environmental Quality ................. . 6' pertinent new5 and views of leaders in the: field, so that, by servmg as . a kind or .•, ~ VASTLY MORE NEEDED transmittal belt, we may be a catalytic by Senator Gaylord A. Nelson 7 influenL-e jn getting relevant knowledge, tcse;u:ch and skills put to we. . ' , MAN: PLANETARY DlSEASE? While our focus is primuUy national. our . ;,. · .. _;.-..., by Jan L. McHarg, Landscape Architect, con~-erns are world..,idel:·.F··· ~; .. ,;~~-~;N:i , ' envir<>nment is no respecter of bOundarii'i.i~=~~'Sf~, .. and Professor, Unb·ersity of Pennsylvania •...•...•.•. 13 We ace all fellow passengers on the ·· '.· PLANTS DlSCOVERED TUNING IN ON US "spa~-eship earth" and have equal respon.~i- Interview with aeve Backster, bility for maintaining its environmental quality. plant researcher and polygraph expert. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 INDUSTRY SAYS- EDITOR: Vivian Fletcher MINING NEEDN'T BE A DlRTY WORD by Jan MacGregor, Qwirman and Chief EDITORIAL BOARD: . . , .. Executive Officer, American Metal Climax . . . . . . • . . . . . 24 Dr. Landrum Bolling ·Booth Hemingway Departments Dr. Robert Cushman Murphy Dr. Richard H. Pough Richard Vincent AUTHORS ......... ·_ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Richard Whittemore LETTERS TO THE EDlTOR . . . . . . . . The visible content of the page appears to be a table of contents and editorial information from a publication titled "Catalyst For Environmental Quality." There are no photographs, handwritten annotations, official stamps, forms, diagrams, tables, or redactions visible on this page. The visual content primarily consists of text arranged in columns, lists, and headings, indicating the structure and contents of the publication. H. Pough Richard Vincent AUTHORS ......... ·_ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Richard Whittemore LETTERS TO THE EDlTOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Design: N.D. Ward Associates PICTURE CREDlTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Copyright c 1971 by CATALYST For NEWS ........................................ 2R Environmental Quality. No portion of this RECENT BOOKS ................................. 37 magu1nc may be reproduced in any ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION AIDS ................ 40 ""'· i form without the written permission of CATALYST Fori::nvironmental Quality. INDEX TO VOLUME I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 The opinions expressed by the authors are .their own and do not necess:~rily reflect the - . pelicy of CATALYST For· Environmental Quality. PUBLISHER: Nelson Buhler Associate Publisher: John D. Rich Consultants: John Walker Hundley Enterprises Publkalion Office: CATALYST For Environmental Quality, 274 Madi..on Avenue. N.Y., N.Y. 10016. CATALYST is published quarterly-Spring, Summer. Fall, Winter. You can help in the fight for environmental quality if, after re2ding CATALYST. you Subscription rates: SS per year in the U.S. and Canada; $8 per year elsewhere. pasa it on to someone who also lihould be Singh: cories $1.50. Special rate for students-$4 per year. :c·:;.. conccmecl. . Subscriptions and address changes should be addressed to Circulation ;;~~ ~ Department. CATALYST, 274 Madison Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10016. ;:~~-·:.~~ ~ •. Contrail-..~ cin:uJation postage pending at Concord, New Hampshire . .;.:.+ :-1 CATALYST now accepts limited advertising. For rates and other information, Jllj] CATALYST. 274 . NY;: . ~l.t ~~~';' ,:~~84o6,:;~·· M•di~o A~ · -~-./:E~;:~J;~~~:KI~::c~::--:~~~:·::~~;::;:.~-::,Gfi·:;?::-:~~;-::;··;1;ix:~~~::~·~~~~:;::~x~7·~7~~:::~·-:·:· ':-~· c :~;-:, Ru"dl E. Tr.tin has been ChJir- of economic incentives for recycling of packaging and other : :"!1· ·? man of the Council on Environ solid wastes. an amendment to the anti-poverty program whidt . mental Quality since its creation puts the unemployed and elderly to work on cons.!rvation on January 30, 1970. He came projects. Born in Clear The page displays a biographical layout featuring four black and white portraits of men positioned within text blocks. To the left, a portrait shows a distinguished-looking man in a suit and tie, presumably Russell E. Train. Below him is another portrait of a man with a wide smile and a patterned shirt, identified as Ian L. McHarg. On the right, the top portrait is of a man with side-swept hair, likely Gaylord A. Nelson. Below that, a portrait depicts a man with glasses and a tie, possibly Cleve Backster, followed by a final portrait of a man with glasses and a serious expression, Ian MacGregor. The text is in two columns and appears to be standard biographical or informational content. There are no visible stamps, annotations, redactions, forms, diagrams, or experimental procedures depicted. incentives for recycling of packaging and other : :"!1· ·? man of the Council on Environ solid wastes. an amendment to the anti-poverty program whidt . mental Quality since its creation puts the unemployed and elderly to work on cons.!rvation on January 30, 1970. He came projects. Born in Clear Lake, Wisconsin in 1916. Gayh•rd Nelson ~l ;~~:?~!~~:~?~~;;::~ graduated from San Jose State College, California. and re· · ceived a law degree from the University of Wisconsin. lie has received honorary degrees from Wisconsin's Beloit. College. ;, i1 After a 1956 safari to Africa, Northland College, and Lawrence University. ,! Following four years of Army service in World War II, he ~i:~!E: Mr. Train founded the African entered politics and served in the Wisconsin State Senate f11r -<-~-._;;__._._ 't Wildlife Leadership Foundation :t to train Africans in wildlife resource management. From 10 years. From 1958-62, he was Governor of Wisconsin. and 1965-9. he was president of the Conservation Foundation. since 1962 he has been a U.S. Senator. Then he served for a year as Under Secretary of the Interior Cleve Backster. founder and with environmental responsibilities. director of the Backster Re- Born in Washington, D.C. in 1920, Russell Train graduated search Foundation, has been a from Princeton (B.A.) and later got a law degree from Colum· polygraph (lie detector) expert bia. In his first career he was a tax specialist, serving in the since 1948. executive, legislative and judicial branches of 'the Federal He has served as an interroga government. 1n 1957, Mr. Train was appointed a judge of the tion specialist with the Centr:li , Federal Tax Court, a post he held until 1Q 65 when he moved Intelligence Agency and the US . over into conservation work. Anny Counterintelligence Corps, and as a polygraph consultant to fan L. McHarg is a. practicing many government agencies. landscape architect, regional planner, professor, writer, and He is the founder and operator of The Backster School, the lecturer, who holds the Chair of first non-military polygraph school to conduct advanced Landscape Architecture and courses in polygraph usage. And he has pioneered in utilizing Regional Planning at the Univer· psychogalvanic reflex instrumentation for stress monitoring sity of Pennsylvania. purposes other than the detection of deception. ~::.1!»~1:-.'l He is pne of America's fore· Born in Lafayette, NJ. in 1924, Cleve Backster studied civil most adv<X:a tes of the ecological engineering, agriculture, and psychology at utilizing Regional Planning at the Univer· psychogalvanic reflex instrumentation for stress monitoring sity of Pennsylvania. purposes other than the detection of deception. ~::.1!»~1:-.'l He is pne of America's fore· Born in Lafayette, NJ. in 1924, Cleve Backster studied civil most adv<X:a tes of the ecological engineering, agriculture, and psychology at Texas University, ;,.:.~· "~ approach in designing tomor- Texas A & M, and Middlebury College •. ~"~"·';"> -~·'·~).•¥:. row's cities and countryside, and As chainnan of the Research and Instrument Committee of ~f~ his most recent book, .. Design with Nature," spells this out. the Academy for Scientific interrogation for eight years, he , . contributed a· new technique component which materially ~:f:· Born in Clydebank, Scotland, Mr. McHarg has received from Harvard a Master's Degree in Landscape Architecture and reduces the number ~f inconclusive polygraph examinations. the degree of Master of City Planning. He holds honorary doc- torates from Amherst College and Lewis and Clark College. tan MacGregor. Chairman and Among the awards he has won arci the Horace Albright Chief Executive Officer of Memorial Lectureship at the University of California, the Dis- American Metal Clima.:~. Inc., tinguished Science Lectureship at Brookhaven National Labo- joined the company in !957 as ratory, and the Bradford Williams Medal awarded by the vice president. He became presi· American Society of L-andscape Architects. dent in 1966 and was clt:cted Chairman of the ·Board in I Q69. G<tdurd A. Nclwn. Democratic Born and educated in Senator from Wisconsin, has Scotland. Mr. MacGregor recciv- been an environmentalist ed degrees in metallurgy from throughout his political career. the University of Glasgow and He was national co-sponsor of the University of Strathclyde. He also holds honorary degrees Earth Day, and has introduced a from the Montana College of Mineral Science and Technology wealth of emironmental propos- (Doctor of Laws), and from Tri-State College (Doctor of als fcv legislation. Science). Those signed into law in- Mr. MacGregor is a director of many companies. and S~::rves elude: establimment of criteria as a board member of The Conference Board, Inc. He is a for maximum limits on pesticides member of the Mining and Metallurgical Society of Amerio.:a ~j :~~~~~.:h:r ~~:;;::~,;,:~·;d~~::::;, ~~:~:~;;~;:,~:::; ~~~h~h~.,S:.~~;'o;~~~:':~·~~~~,::'~~~!~~ ::: ::~ :~~~1i;lJ;fi~b\~:'·l:~~'SIG~~~·:c~'7:'20•\";'JT·Y~~1'G'?""·~.~~::~c;%~;,.,•.·•'7t:·;·. ·.... . ~-•"<'·:·.~;,.·.!.,._. ·:.'·-~·· ;.·o·;:.:.:.~\-. ~ ·.:..~ --.. . ·, ,:··-~-- :'- .. .,.__.,._ r! ·~:~~-:~~- PLA,NTS DISCOVERED TUNING IN ON US <k::) CATALYST Editor, Vivian Fletcher, interviews Cleve Backster, the polygraph expert who has The document is a scanned page containing an interview between Vivian Fletcher and Cleve Backster, titled "PLANTS DISCOVERED TUNING IN ON US." The text is arranged in columns, with a header at the top and page number at the bottom. There are no photographs, stamps, handwritten annotations, forms, diagrams, tables, or redactions visible on this page. The visual content is solely composed of the printed text of the interview. The page contains text from a document, likely a transcript or report, detailing an experiment involving a polygraph and a plant. The text discusses plant reactions to stimuli, drawing parallels to human responses and lie detection. The page is bordered by intricate line drawings of plants, rendered in a black and white, illustrative style. One large drawing dominates the right side, depicting a complex, flowering vine with coiled tendrils and leaves. Additionally, a smaller, less detailed drawing of a plant is present towards the bottom left of the page. At the bottom right corner, the name "W. LUBELL" is inscribed, along with the page number "17". There are no photographs, stamps, forms, filled-in fields, or redactions visible on this page. the Mining and Metallurgical Society of Amerio.:a ~j :~~~~~.:h:r ~~:;;::~,;,:~·;d~~::::;, ~~:~:~;;~;:,~:::; ~~~h~h~.,S:.~~;'o;~~~:':~·~~~~,::'~~~!~~ ::: ::~ :~~~1i;lJ;fi~b\~:'·l:~~'SIG~~~·:c~'7:'20•\";'JT·Y~~1'G'?""·~.~~::~c;%~;,.,•.·•'7t:·;·. ·.... . ~-•"<'·:·.~;,.·.!.,._. ·:.'·-~·· ;.·o·;:.:.:.~\-. ~ ·.:..~ --.. . ·, ,:··-~-- :'- .. .,.__.,._ r! ·~:~~-:~~- PLA,NTS DISCOVERED TUNING IN ON US <k::) CATALYST Editor, Vivian Fletcher, interviews Cleve Backster, the polygraph expert who has discovered that plants read people's minds, react to death of other living things, feel pleasure and pain, "fainf', and remember. Vivian Fletcher: Mr. Backster, (understand that plants here dog's coat. Well, one night I was monitoring a plant's rea~tior in your Ba~kster Research Foundation laboratory have been about 20 or 30 feet from where (was feeding the dog. Tom} exhibiting very strange behavior. That they "cry out" when amazement the plant showed a strong reaction just as l crack- live shrimps are dumped in boiling water. That they sense ed open the egg. people's intents. That they "faint" when someone they fear is Fletcher: Something had upset the plant? near. That they ''yelled" ouch when you accidentally cut your Backster: Right. The next night I watched closely while finger and put iodine on it. And that they seem to have "mem- going through this egg-breaking routine, and again the same 6ry ,'' and respond to Pavlovian conditioning. Are these things thing happened. Now the idea of a plant reacting to the crack '·2c:/' ·:o;; really true'' ing open of an egg was awfully interesting to me. (t se~mec ~-~-~---~_J-__--:~ - -~li!·· Cleve s'ackster: As a scientist, I would more cautiously de· that the plant was providing a valuable clue. I then decided t• .• ,-:· scribe some of the capabilities you are suggesting. although the attach the polygraph electrodes directly to an unbroken egg ·i -':r"- plants we are working with are showing us some amazing per- and l succeeded in obtaining a nine-hour recording from on~ 0 5 t }_'··-·~·_;_~_:_-_:_~_:_~_,_ ;-~t.·.' ht~a~v;eli1~:e ys~_,{]:!:!:~:;~:,: ::::~ ~:·:: Wo~;,!:c~:: ,:::~, '~~~~ ~:mso:;:.~·:~;,~ - 1 :::,::::·:: 1 her:l:n : .• -~ . 1• 1 .,. startling. Though this was a non-incubated, fresh egg, the chCIT' ~:1~:·-~-_-;-;.c_·_;._.~_:_,_,_-::_'~--~-.-~-.-:-_~-~.:t_ s:~~~~e~ulr s;~~~;:~~ ~~~~~~c~:~:~ :~~~~ l~e :~~~ ttl~i~~ d~~f~: ~~;;~t ~~~ :er;;~ ~:a~e ;;:~~~~:t~ ~~~:0;~;/;:;~~';: ~~ ent .. _-.:. ~. polygraph instrumentation and )!Ct meaningful readings re· embryo between three and four days along in incubation. A'··- ·j :;:;Xj. corded on the moving chart pape1. TlliS allows us to conduct there was no other way to account for d~~f~: ~~;;~t ~~~ :er;;~ ~:a~e ;;:~~~~:t~ ~~~:0;~;/;:;~~';: ~~ ent .. _-.:. ~. polygraph instrumentation and )!Ct meaningful readings re· embryo between three and four days along in incubation. A'··- ·j :;:;Xj. corded on the moving chart pape1. TlliS allows us to conduct there was no other way to account for this frequency. HH li§ ! scientific experiments with our plants and offer evidence of when we afterward opened up the egg and carefully ched..;·.- ~ .., ., ·· • their reactions. the conte~ts, we found absolutely no physiological eviden.·( ··- 4•r::_~.-~--~-~->-'~ _·-~-~.-_- --~-~-·.:_: ;~:~~~:~ ~~~:r~va/5~, 1 :,~;a:;, 1 n:xi~r~e~r:ni·~ ~~~:vioral c~~e~:~:;~~a~:s ~antastic! stud- a What conclusions do Y''u .; •.• ,. .·. ___ , .._. :_. . ~" ;; ies on human beings, using the polygraph or so-called lie from it'? :~~ ~ detector. Backster: No conclusions. This was an observation Ji .. ~1 j gra~~e:~:~~s ~~tp~::;:, ~e~~~~~~t;~~•.'ve ~~~da~~:~r ;~~~dw~em:r~~~~n~p~i;gr~~~t~=:~dki;~~:~,;- also been doing poly- .- .;;: :• ~,:~ ~::~~::£~:~:.~:: :~::~:~:~;~,:~~:~~:ti~: ~;~~: ;,::~::~;:_:n~::~:t;,:l:;~• :~~:::!~•;: ~!?. ,J I] ... Fletcher: Such as what? Fletcher: And you say you're now doing further resc.;. ~:,:~:.·~1: ::~ ~~~;~:~2;~:~::~:~~;::,::::.:; ::.~l~~:~::: ~~::::~,"~::!~!. ~:~ .:~:.~=~::·0~~:. :!~ ~ you didn't know about an egg'! tion . _:_-_-,_r_;l_~_-: : -.-~·~_--,: for~~~~~:..f~~n;;;!~~~~~~hat res!'~~~er: could have profound implications How does your egg research 'relate to th,· ,,,., .. • __ :. .-; Fletcher: Can you tell me about tt? Backster: It seems to add weight to the idea that • . ~:.:.: ~ Backster: I don't like to talk about things while they're still m u n ica tion capability exists among all living thll•>" •.r.~.·.: ~,--~---~----~-~-·.-_._-_ -~-·~-_--.,._.___ ~~e~~~;~x:;~r~~:;r~~ ~:);:· ~~:·:~r :a:~sr~~:t~~d~~~~~~~:~~~!c:~:dv :~~~e5n:·.·.~ ~ ,-~: ___ t bu 1 I can te II you about some of our _...,; .. ., I used to have a dobennan pincher, and I'd bring him here our plant research we get consistent indication of strt>~._, ;·: .. • ~~l~.~:~l~~;:~:~~,~:;~~::~~:~~~~~~~:~~~:~:~~:~::~~~~~~~;;;~{; e ·· ·.· · ·· ... · ·. · :<~.::·z:L~.-~--~-'----'"~··"~~~-'"-;., <·!.:.;{;;_·,_: __ 43 ri~t% ~ :~·.-..~.:;::on o:~plo~:.~::,~~~:.::.:,~.~:.:,:···· c:~. ;, - ... ~ ·c -. ; ·· / . . · . ' 1 ~ gr;J;•I ·rllnwdiately rcat.:tcd to the death of st,me form of hum~n cell .l:· ;·~ -~{j{ ilk r 1· ••• noth.:r occ:~sion I was. about to eat a t.:up of yogurt here in the Lrh ) . '~t know how the jam is down at the bottom of the container. \\ .: 1 This page from a declassified CIA document contains an illustration of a plant, identified as a thistle, with detailed botanical features. To the right of the illustration, it features a transcribed dialogue between "Fletcher" and "Backster" discussing experiments with plants and polygraph equipment. A chart representing polygraph tracings is visible at the top of the page, adjacent to the illustration. Handwritten marginalia includes a signature "LUBELL" and the number "18" at the bottom left, along with "CATALYST" at the bottom right likely indicating a publication or source. No official stamps or redacted content are visible on this specific page. rcat.:tcd to the death of st,me form of hum~n cell .l:· ;·~ -~{j{ ilk r 1· ••• noth.:r occ:~sion I was. about to eat a t.:up of yogurt here in the Lrh ) . '~t know how the jam is down at the bottom of the container. \\ .: 1 • :li\l as I stirred the jam into the yogurt. a strong plant' reaction ·l•··"..:t.l on the polygraph t.:hart. This puzzled us until we realized that ,~;,.,,. was a chemical preservative in the jam and this was terminating the yogurt ceUs. What \\e w~~•c getting from the plant appeared to be another reaction-to-death chart reading . .-\l~o. 111 our original experiment, live brine shrimps were dropped into boiling water and at rhc moment this occurred the monitored plant at t11e other end of the laboratory reg ht..:reJ a reaction on the polygraph chart. F'ktcher: So the shrimps or the yogurt cells or the tissue cells in your finger- whatever is dymg ·- must send out a message of some sort which the plant picks up and records. Ha;:kster: Slight correction. I would say whatever is abruptly killed must send out a message. A more orderly dying involves some preparation for death, and we've found that where this ~·~:~~ ~; -~~ oct.:urs there is little if any plant reaction. Fletcher: That seems a strange distinction. Backster: Maybe not. It may be that what the plant is reacting to is sudden disorientation - disor~anil'ation from a natural state of being. flet~·her: That could have ecological implications, of course. And I want to get into this. But first, what got you started on this strange adventure with plants? What made you think they might know things nobody guessed? Backster: Well, it goes back to 1966. February 2nd, to be exact. I remember the date well because from then on a great deal about my life chan~ed. Before that my full-time activity had been use of the polygraph in testing people. I had he en an interrogation ~~~ sped:Jii~t with the U.S. Army Counter-intelligent.:e Corp., a polygraph spcdalist with the Central Intelligence Agency, and I had ·lounded the Bat.:kster School which C\onduds polygraph 1·1 examiner tranung courses. \ Fleh:lu:r: That's lie detection. you said. Would you explain how the polygraph ru works -·· with people and with plants? Backster: Bricny, when testing people most polygraphs record three types of changes- the breathing pattern. the The document is a typed page of text, likely part of a report or transcript, with a small drawing on the right side of the page. The drawing appears to be a botanical illustration of a succulent plant with multiple star-shaped flower heads. There are no handwritten annotations, signatures, stamps, or forms visible. There are no photographs of people, locations, equipment, or subjects, nor are there any diagrams, schematics, organizational charts, structured data, or redactions. I had ·lounded the Bat.:kster School which C\onduds polygraph 1·1 examiner tranung courses. \ Fleh:lu:r: That's lie detection. you said. Would you explain how the polygraph ru works -·· with people and with plants? Backster: Bricny, when testing people most polygraphs record three types of changes- the breathing pattern. the heart activity, and changes in the electrical pro perties of the skin, which is called galvanic skin response or psychogalvanic reflex. It is this last portion of the polygraph that we have been using on plants. ~~--·~ When testing humans. electrodes are attached to each of two fingers. With plants, the elet.:trodes are attached to each side of a leaf. Basically. when testing people we E!Vi. il rely un reactions accompanying threat-to-weB-being. This occurs when a person faces ~~ discovery when allempting deception to a question abou.t a crime. II ~n ~··l ?~ f(i -~ r~~~ VW. U No.I 11 ~~~~~-=7:··: .• ;'{~}l'~:S7~d~L,~ .iS / ·~~~~~i~~ :+l'~~!J :·::.~:· ~~~ (~ ·:. ~ ~ :~~ :·:f~~ Fletcher: So on this day in February. 146o Backster: I had stopped work to water a plant - that dracena over there an• the thought popped into my mind to hook it up to a polygraph ne;,1by Flckh~r: Why Backster: I wanted to see if I could find out how long it took moisture to get rrun the roots of the plant to the leaf area. So I placed electrodes on both sides of • le:~ and then watched the polygraph chart - not really expecting there would ~ an: tracing changes a< all Fletcher: But there were Backster: There not only were but the pattern was not unlike human tradng5 That was surprise number one. After watching the chart tracings for a few minutes. said to myself, I'll try to cause it to react by somehow threatening its well-bt>ing. decided to burn the leaf that had the electrodes on it. Well, that was the moment! Btfor• I could reach for a match - at the split second that I had the image of fire in my mind the recording pen bounded right off the top of the ;:hart Fletcher: You mean the plant read your mind') Backster: That's exactly what seemed to happen. I'm not one to jump to condusions but what I observed really shook me up. Being a scientist, the first thing I had to dl was to make sure 1 had This page contains typed text and a line drawing of a potted plant. The text is a transcript of a conversation between Fletcher and Backster, discussing plants and their potential for perception. There are no photographs, handwritten annotations, stamps, forms, diagrams, tables, or redactions visible on this page. The line drawing of the plant is the sole visual element besides the text. top of the ;:hart Fletcher: You mean the plant read your mind') Backster: That's exactly what seemed to happen. I'm not one to jump to condusions but what I observed really shook me up. Being a scientist, the first thing I had to dl was to make sure 1 had not overlooked a logical explanation of the occurren. .· c. So ~~ started checking things out. Maybe this particular plant was somehow extraon.limuy Maybe there was something peculiar about me. Or was there something unusua ,,_-1; 'j about the polygraph instrument. the room, the location? No. Other people ~-l using other plants in other plates, were able to make similar observations. Plant: Zf~;-~ not only seemed aware of people and reacted to them: plants could apparent!) sense intent! Moreover-and this not only confounded me, but also S~:umtist: from many disciplines whom I invited to .come and observe the phenom~non - physicists found they could not block out the apparent traniDussion ::.;1 Fletcher: What do you mean by .. block out"~ Backster: This was an attempt to isolate that po~tiun o! the electro-magnetic spectrum involved in ~um<:: form of transmission between a human and rh\· plant All types of shielding were used. hur none ~}7-:1 successfully interrupted the tran-.Jlll~um Fletcher: You said you condu..:teu l~j experiments on other plants and in t•th<·r places. Would you be more ~pecifk .' Backster: I tested plants in dtfter.:nt parts of the United Sto~lr~ ;,nd :}Of'" j ov~rseas in Lebanon whrn I ~~ s\ded to conduct tests or to attend .... ,.·:mg.~ of polygraph experts. The ch<u' · •- •ngs obtained were alwa\' Jl"'o~l.u. Fletcher: You use the sam~ p-'-yrr:~ph equipment that's used for hulll,.t•• Jlld you clamp the electrodes on cad. '"I~ of a plant leaf. Doesn't that limit '•lU to plants whose leaves are fairly tht.:k'? e _. ... ">;_· ·:'::.:::J;.· ... : ~= .- ·· .-;;;~;..;;~ ~~~~~:~iJ:ts.L~-~-~:.'i~~{}iL:t~h~.~_;~:~~'~.::i-~_:_ _.. _::_:_.:<->·~~,."_._.._._.~~-"- ___ ,.:._. ... ~~r~;~:~~ ,;~~.~::~;.~:~~~·:!.;:~:=~~~: ~::~~.a~::;::,:. t:,::~!:~;::~: ~:";. th· ·; t~'~ .{~ les don't prr~s through the leaf and short out, most any conditioning thre'at-to-well-being. Because of the crudeness of · ~1 \:¥Jt~·~r::::;~::::.::;~:t:~~~~~~~ ~¥fi7.2.~£;s;~i~f~~1~J~~~£ ··.~·!·'."_~.".~.~.-.·,·.·,•.·.· ~:£:.~~~~~~!~~· :~::'~~ p~:: ::~ ;;.?:;:;~: ;;:~ :~~~;~::£:~~::~:~:::~~!~ 1.: •. .. o. · 11 ster: We have made some interesting observations that life that she won't eat meat or f1Sh. When she learns this about ~~-";J:il !~~~~s~n ~!re:t~~:~~;h::~o~~~s~ov~;i~~~ ~~:~~n~~:ato~~;;n;:~~~~i;;ta~~:;it~~:u :ha; e::r;:: probably feel she he was present the plants The image contains a newspaper-like page with text and a graph. A handwritten number "160" appears in the top right corner. The graph displays a squiggly line with points and labeled sections like "Normal tracing," "Considered ways to induce reaction," "First thought about burning leaf," and "Burned leaf briefly." There are small dot markings along the sides of the graph, suggesting a recording instrument. The bottom of the page includes official publication information. The page contains handwritten notes in cursive, with some text appearing in block printing. There are two numbered annotations in circles, "161" at the top right and another "161" at the bottom right. The document appears to be a research note or report discussing sensors and techniques for plants to sense energy. There is no photographic, diagrammatic, or other visual illustration of people, locations, equipment, experimental procedures, or facilities. Some content is obscured due to the page's condition, but the nature of the obscured content is not discernible. ~¥fi7.2.~£;s;~i~f~~1~J~~~£ ··.~·!·'."_~.".~.~.-.·,·.·,•.·.· ~:£:.~~~~~~!~~· :~::'~~ p~:: ::~ ;;.?:;:;~: ;;:~ :~~~;~::£:~~::~:~:::~~!~ 1.: •. .. o. · 11 ster: We have made some interesting observations that life that she won't eat meat or f1Sh. When she learns this about ~~-";J:il !~~~~s~n ~!re:t~~:~~;h::~o~~~s~ov~;i~~~ ~~:~~n~~:ato~~;;n;:~~~~i;;ta~~:;it~~:u :ha; e::r;:: probably feel she he was present the plants did something similar to Backster: I don't see that our uncoveries are any threat to vegetarians. It may be that a vegetable appreciates becoming her: Fainting? part of a higher form of life rather than rotting on the ground. srer: What we'd call fainting in a human. The plants Fletcher: Do you think a plant feels Man is a higher form? ·n reacting quite typically before she arrived - re- Backster: [ don't know about that, but it's very interesting tluctuating patterns - but while she was in the room that plants wiU adapt to death of all kinds of living cells we've ere able to obtain was a straight line. It was downright tested except one. They do not adapt, in our experience, to ,~:~, ;sing. She'd made the visit to our lab to see for herself recurring death of human cells. tF: t reactions she'd read about. One at a time, I hooked Fletcher: Could you do some experiments to find out the >";·:;· __. ' "~~ different plants and couldn't get anything but a reaction of, say, a lettuce leaf to being eaten? The attached ii S~t ,:! !ine out of any of them. Finally the sixth plant did electrodes wouldn't seem to be a problem because if the leaf ::,:;:. . ·~ ;:.,•:,~-i;~w~:;:~:~:~:=i~ ~~~~:~!; t~Z~~~;';,~~~dithe wouldn ·t "'" to reoily '" '" h• .::,;; . ,.~ ·nts? Do you hurt them in any way?" And she said, ''I &ckster: Ah, but there we get into something else that's 1 in an oven and roast them in order to get th~ir dry very interesting. We've seen this repeatedly in our experiments.