So, what is Primary Perception?
Cleve Backster coined the term in a letter written to J. B. Rhine, of parapsychology fame, over three and a half decades ago. Rhine had jumped on Cleve's demonstrations of plant reactions with a Galvanic Skin Response, but when Cleve refused to be taken under his wing, Rhine became rather contentious, calling Cleve's discoveries some form of ESP. Cleve wrote to him saying, "You know, it seems that as a result of our experiments to date, that this is not extra-sensory. This is a primary perception that is before the specialized senses, so calling it ESP seems like a misnomer."
There just may be an invisible web that links all of creation, that shows up in the lab as impulses on a GSR, the EKG or the EEG. Come into the world of Biocommunication and see for your self.
"This is the breakthrough book in the field of biocommunication. Rigorous science and intrepid investigation reveal that the world is sentient in all its parts. Cleve Backster's work is essential reading for all who would delve more deeply into the nature of reality. He thoroughly demonstrates what children and mystics have known all along: consciousness pervades everything and thus all living things can respond to each other. The implications of this work are enormous for science, society and ecology."" -- Jean Houston, Ph.D. author of Jump Time and A Passion for the Possible
It started with plants, then went on to anything that could be electroded such as fruit, yogurt, meat, bacteria, then human cells.
"Cleve Backster's research has profound implications for humanity and its future evolution. Wisdom traditions have claimed there is only one ultimate reality that differentiates into all forms and phenomena. This ultimate reality is the root and ground of Being, the source that all that exists in the universe, a realm of existence, where we are not only connected to each other but where we are inseparably one.
The Advent Of Primary Perception Acknowledgments How It All Started
Chapter Two: Early Observations Need for Clear Intention
Chapter Three: The First Published Experiment Attempts to Replicate An Interesting Visit to Yale University
Chapter Five: Observing Eggs Electroding the Egg
Chapter Six: Tuning In to Live Bacteria Electroding the Yogurt
Chapter Seven: From Animal Cells to Human Cells Early Research with Human Cells
Chapter Eight: Biocommunication Research & Current Scientific Attitudes Need for Paradigm Change
Chapter Nine: Future Biocommunication Research Long Range Communication
Appendix
"It was early in the morning and no other person was in the laboratory. My thought and intent was: 'I'm going to burn that leaf!'
The very moment the imagery of burning that leaf entered my mind, the polygraph recording pen moved rapidly to the top of the chart! I then thought, 'Gee, it's as though this plant read my mind!'
I must state that, on February 2, 1966, at 13 minutes, 55 seconds into the chart recording, my whole consciousness changed."
Cleve Backster's discoveries have created the new scientific paradigm. The understanding of the paradigm is crucial if we are to heal ourselves and our planet. I'm personally grateful and indebted to Cleve for leading the way. Someday all of humanity will acknowledge their gratitude to this great pioneer."" -- Deepak Chopra, author of How to Know God
Franci Prowse, "Editor of Primary Perception"
Common sense says that in order for something to exist in our world, it must have a name, which means someone was able to become conscious of its presence and identify it. Often a discovery is revealed, then researchers find correlations from written history to verify that it has been there all along. Then it can enter the mainstream of human consciousness. That is what has happened with Cleve Backster and "primary perception."
Many people have heard the story made famous in The Secret Life of Plants of Cleve's initial experience of attaching a plant to a polygraph, and getting a clear reading on the Galvanic Skin Response chart. Cleve thought of various ways to threaten the plant's well-being, similar to key questions in a polygraph test. As he has written: At that moment, the plant was about fifteen feet away and the polygraph equipment was about five feet away from where I was standing. The only new thing that occurred was this thought. It was early in the morning and no other person was in the laboratory. My thought and intent was: "I'm gonna burn that leaf!" just to see what the plant would do. The second the imagery of burning that leaf entered my mind, the recording pen jumped to the top of the chart! No words were spoken, no touching the plant, no lighting of matches, just the clear intention to burn the leaf. The plant recording showed wild excitation. This was a powerful, high-quality observation.
Since that day, February 2, 1966, the belief that plants can sense your thoughts has become widely accepted. Experiments involving plants with prayer, with music, with treated water, with cursing, with colored lights, etc. have revealed just how sensitive they are. In an automated experiment, plants were shown to react to the death of tiny brine shrimp. Yet Cleve's work in the field of "biocommunication" has branched out since that time. A plant electroded to a tone generator made a loud sound when Cleve poured boiling water down the sink, killing the bacteria that grew in the drain. This ignited the idea that the death of live bacteria was a significant event in the plant world. An electroded plant also reacted numerous times to urine hitting a chemicalized urinal which meant the death of human cells excreted was no small deal. This would lead to far more fascinating experimentation later on.
Many of Cleve's observations occurred spontaneously: An orange, when threatened with a falling knife showed a response on an oscilloscope. A plant hooked up to a GSR meter reacted to the cracking of an egg, which led to a large area of discovery about the pulses of life in eggs. When a plant caused the tone generator to go crazy at the mixing of jam in a carton of yogurt, another area of research appeared regarding the sensitivity of yogurt and other live bacteria.
The study of plants, eggs, bacteria, yogurt, and other living foods led eventually to the study of human cells in a test tube responding to the stress of the donor even when miles away. Each chapter of Cleve's exploration is packed with stories that still amaze me while I assist Cleve in polishing up his nine chapters.
Table Of Contents
Author's Introduction
Chapter One: The Famous Dracaena Plant
The Next Step
Plant Territoriality
Plant - Caretaker Attunement
Plant Attuned to Human Travel
Attunement to Non-human Life Forms
Termination - the Ultimate Threat
A Visit to the C. H. Stoelting Company
My Attempt to Follow Scientific Methodology
Visitations
Additional Plant Observations
Attempts to Screen
The Power of Observation
Important Details
Chapter Four: Initial Reactions from the Scientists and the Public
A Lab Invasion by Curious Minds
Television Appearances
Catalyst for Discussions
Soviet Scientists Respond
Christian Science Monitor
Music, Plants and Marcel Vogel
Dr. Granger's Provocative Remarks
The U.S. Congress Asks the Question
American Association for the Advancement of Science
Science News Article
Three Trips to Brazil
Strange Cyclic Activity
Tapping into the Etheric Field
From GSR to EKG and EEG
Egg Response to Environmental Stimuli
African Violet Responding to Egg
Friendly Bacteria vs. Unfriendly Bacteria
Friendly Bacteria vs. Vodka and Tonic
Evidence of Prioritizing
Steve White Joins the Research
Kombucha Tea
Yogurt Reacts to Antibiotic
A Door Opens
The Power of a Picture
An Intelligence Agency's Replication
Examples from the Published Report
Continuation of Human Cell Research
Reflections
Col. John Alexander and the National Research Council
Back to the University of Missouri
Brian O'Leary Explores Inner Space
The Secret Life of Your Cells
Fetzer Foundation Grant
Dorothy Retallack Research
The Institute of HeartMath
Soviet Scientists Verify Biocommunication
Sri Lanka Visit
APA and the Leonarde Keeler Award
The Sun Magazine
American Society of Dowsers
Introduction to the University of Science and Philosophy
Enhancement of Human Functioning
The Issue of Repeatability
Norman Friedman on Consciousness
Biocommunication Presentation at Biofeedback Society
Presentation at Remote Viewing Conference
Unified Science Conference
University of Alabama - Birmingham
Spiritual Aspects
Holistic Health
Other Ideas for Continuing Research
Future Instrumentation Availability
About The Author
Cleve Backster is a polygraph expert who for 54 years has maintained his status in the field of "Psychophysiology" [polygraph] and runs the Backster School of Lie Detection in San Diego, California.
For 36 years he has followed his curiosity to make numerous discoveries in "Biocommunication."
This is the only book about his work by Cleve Backster himself.
As Cleve says: "A scientist is supposed to be a keen observer with an insatiable curiosity and a desire to explain ordinarily unexplainable phenomena. I believe my research reflects this principle."
Cleve Backster has maintained a working Biocommunication laboratory for thirty-six years. His original methods are now being adapted for use in other labs that are involved in observing primary perception in plant cells, bacteria, or human cells. Some have observed the responses of human DNA to thoughts and moods. Sounds like sci-fi? Perhaps so. Yet even as you read these words, devices are being designed that may allow you to personally run your own experiments, and to see for yourself. We will keep you informed.
Softbound, 7 x 9, 168 pages