A:Tompkins and Bird present this thesis by
means of a number of case studies of thinkers
at the vanguard of botanical thought. Among
these persons in this new study of plant life
are Cleve Backster, who showed that plants
can sense the emotions of humans; Luther
Burbank, who demonstrated that plants will
grow to please members of our race; and
various researchers who proved that plants
will respond to music, growing toward the
music of Bach and fleeing that of Led
Zeppelin. These experiments prove
conclusively that the standard definition of
plants as insensible is inaccurate.
http://www.amazon.com/Secret-Life-Plants-Peter-Tompkins/dp/0060911123
Many years ago the Indian botanist, Sir
Jagadish Chandra Bose, published several
books (e. g. "Plant Autographs and their
Revelations"), and many papers in which he
was purportedly searching for the heart and
nervous systems of plants. His techniques
were excellent and descriptions of his
experiments showed that he understood the
necessity for adequate controls. Perhaps some
of his conclusions went beyond the evidence,
yet satisfactory alternate explanations for
many of his observations have yet to be
proposed. Bose was a classically-trained
botanist, and undoubtedly was thoroughly
familiar with what was then known about plant
anatomy and physiology.
His experiments showed that plants grow
faster in pleasant music and its growth
retards in noise or harsh sound.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jagdish_Chandra_Bose
Cleve Backster published his research in the
International Journal of Parapsychology
("Evidence of a Primary Perception in Plant
Life," vol. 10, no. 4, Winter 1968, pp.
329-348). He tested his plants on a polygraph
machine and found that plants react to
thoughts and threats.
http://skepdic.com/plants.html
http://www.simplytheweb.com/wordpress/wordpress/?p=12%22%20gping=%22/GLinkPing.aspx?/_1_9SE/1?&&DI=293&IG=aa4dd217d7164cf683180ac9c628ed0a&POS=1&CM=WPU&CE=1&CS=AWP&SR=1&sample=0
Within each plant there is ceaseless activity
as purposive as that in an animal. Many of
them share hormones that are remarkably
similar to our own. Their senses are
sophisticated: some can detect the lightest
touch (better than the sensitivity of the
human fingertips), and they all have a sense
of vision.
http://www.brianjford.com/soulsa.htm
