I love this time of year when we are immerse in the active, expanding and growing energy of the natural world around us. It always reminds me of an article I shared a few years ago about the amazing sustainable community called Damanhur and the work they are doing there that moves the entire human family forward into a deeper awareness of how consciousness is intrinsic to everything. Enjoy!
I have always loved gardens – creating them, working in them and watching things grow. Wherever our family has lived, I have always planted roses. They are one of my favorite flowers.
I have also always believed in the intrinsic consciousness that flows through all of matter – including the plants and flowers in my garden.
Last year, a friend gave me a book called The Secret Life of Plants by Peter Tompkins and Christopher Bird. The book is filled with scientific research and evidence of the consciousness of plants. Did you know that plants, especially yours, can tell what you are thinking? And there is decades of evidence and a few national television news shows where it was demonstrated live on the air.
This is one of my favorite indoor plants. I call her Grandmother Cactus. This Christmas Cactus was given to me by a friend when she had to move. There is a part of Grandmother Cactus that is over 100 years old. My friend said this cactus started life as a cutting from her great-grandmother’s cactus plant. To me, she has the most beautiful, wise and gentle energy.
For the past couple of decades, people who live in the Federation of Damanhur in Italy have been researching how plants communicate and have created a device that measures the electrical signals coming from a plant and turning them into music with the help of a synthesizer.
First, though, a bit about Damanhur from their website:
Damanhur, is an eco-society based on ethical and spiritual values, awarded by an agency of the United Nations as a model for a sustainable future.
“Founded in 1975, the Federation of Damanhur is an eco-society: a federation of communities and eco-villages with their own social and political structure in continual evolution.
The Federation of Damanhur is a centre for spiritual, artistic and social research known throughout the whole world. Its philosphy is based on action, optimism and upon the idea that every human being lives to leave something of themselves to the others and to contribute towards the growth and evolution of the whole of humanity.”
The first video below is Part 7 from a series introducing the Damanhur community to the public. In Part 7, Damanhur’s plant expert, Lizard Pepper, describes different ways she communicates with plants.
I encourage you to listen to the whole 10 minute video. In the last half you will hear the most incredible music created by an avocado plant. Gorgeous!!
What really blew me away is how she describes how the plants begin by creating single tones and then LEARN – yes – LEARN – how to create music by adjusting the electrical signals they send to the synthesizer. Amazing!!!
The video below is a short 1 minute segment of the plant music. For the ‘techies’ who read this blog, here is the description of the setup Damanhur used to record the plant music:
“The plant sends impulses to the midi-instruments. The midi-signal goes to a midi-thru-box and from there to the software (reaktor), to a yamaha cs1x and a rozzbox synthesizer. The audio-signal from rozzbox is routed and modified by a korg es-1.”
Here is another video showing some heavenly music created by more of the plants at Damanhur. Plants are conscious, intelligent beings who interact with and respond sensitively to humans. Plants love music and love to make their own music. Damanhur human residents regularly perform with a variety of plants in concerts in the woods! Awesome!!
If you want to find out more about this amazing community and how they are creating new hope for humanity, check out their website: http://www.damanhur.org