Posts Tagged ‘encouragement’

In 1967, polygrapher Cleve Backster connected electrodes to a house plant to measure psychogalvanic reflex (PGR)—how quickly moisture increased in the plant after it was watered. During the experiment, he became curious about what else the equipment might measure. For instance, could it detect the plant’s stress levels?

He dunked a leaf in a cup of hot coffee. Nothing. He pondered what to try next. Aha! he thought. I’ll burn the leaf. The instant the thought leapt into his mind, the needle on the machine jumped—just as it would for a human experiencing sudden stress. The plant seemed to sense Backster’s diabolical plan … and it was afraid.

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