I got stoned and thought of a God experiment...

[sophiastarchild]

I don't know what religion I am if any. Anyway, I was stoned watching Mythbusters on the Discovery Channel where they were trying to figure out if talking to plants helped them grow. It was determined that any kind of speech or music helped, probably due to sonic vibrations or something.

But what would happen if you prayed for them? Like, if you asked a Higher Power to make them grow. Then, your other batch of plants you could ignore. And then maybe the other batch you could sacrifice to the devil...lol..then see which plants were the healthiest and biggest. Prove the power of prayer. Because sometimes, when I "pray," I basically feel like a person talking to themselves in an empty room. I want to know if anyone is listening.

If I end up doing this experiment, I can take pics in case anyone cares. If you do care and want to find out the results or do your own experiment on proving God and tell me what happens, email me at [email protected]

[Nylo]

^

Well said :)

[Captain Hanks]

funny i was just watching mythbusters at my friends like 30 min ago
pretty gnarly show

[notrightquite]

If you don't pray with faith, then no one will listen.

There is no need to prove God's existance.

A scientist is a scientist. It's difficult to resist proving and disproving things ... just for. But, as stoners and as anything else we all may be ... let people be, and let them do. That's all. :)

[mrdevious]

This is what you should believe
We won't tell you why you should believe it
but if you don't ask any questions and believe it anyway, we promise a super-duper reward...


This is essentially the essence of "faith" that bothers me. If I used such logic to make any other claim people would say to me "what, do you think I'm stupid?", but call it "faith" and you can't touch it. The whole concept is a means of making sure people don't ask questions, and I would think any true claim could stand up against any and all questions.

[Shelbay]

This is what you should believe
We won't tell you why you should believe it
but if you don't ask any questions and believe it anyway, we promise a super-duper reward...


This is essentially the essence of "faith" that bothers me. If I used such logic to make any other claim people would say to me "what, do you think I'm stupid?", but call it "faith" and you can't touch it. The whole concept is a means of making sure people don't ask questions, and I would think any true claim could stand up against any and all questions.
Most people can't even tell someone exactly what the bible is..the Bible is very unique.

[beachguy in thongs]

You and your stoned ideas, sophia. :stoned:

In the book "The Celestine Prophecy", they give the plants their energy to help them grow, sort of like praying. Or meditating.

[mrdevious]

Most people can't even tell someone exactly what the bible is..the Bible is very unique.

I wasn't actually referring to the bible in particular, just blind faith in general.

Regarding the original post, I've also heard proponents of Reiki claim that prayer helps people get better because they're collective mental possitive energy, with the intent to heal, aids in the victim's recovery (rather than god). It's all open to speculation really.

[stoner spirit]

I wasn't actually referring to the bible in particular, just blind faith in general.

Regarding the original post, I've also heard proponents of Reiki claim that prayer helps people get better because they're collective mental possitive energy, with the intent to heal, aids in the victim's recovery (rather than god). It's all open to speculation really.
Maybe the more people you have, the more energy is going to be used for a specific purpose. The more people that are involved with these kind of things, the more powerful the healing or the curse will be.
Energy flows where attention goes!:stoned:

[Hempstone]

God answers and honors prayer but there are formulas for succesful prayer. One, the person praying must submit their lives to the will of God. The person must pray in accordance with God's will and for God's purposes. Also, prayer must be accompanied with faithful action.

For example, see two hungry men. Feed one and pray for the other and see which one's belly fills up faster. God loves prayer but God requires loving action on our part, in all situations.

God has a plan and a purpose for our lives. God will provide for us everything we need and if we have an active prayer life then God will pour out His heavenly blessing upon us, but, He will not necessarily help one batch of plants grow more than the next just to prove to you that your prayer works. Instead, pray to God for success in all areas of your life and then take all the required steps to reach success and God will bless your actions and deeds and you will prosper. You will prosper with true wealth - the peace of the spirit.

Prayer is powerful. God is the most powerful force in the universe. When you tap into the power of God then God's power will flow through YOU! For what purpose does this serve? The purpose is for the glory of the Living God of the Infinite Universe. We are alive to serve, honor and glorify God and one of the best ways to serve God is to serve others.

Jesus told us that the Kingdom of God is within us. Our main goal of LIFE is to realize God's Kingdom within us and to further the Kingdom of Heaven on earth. That is to say, we spread the realization of God's Kingdom in the hearts of as many people here on this earth as possible.

So what is prayer for if it is not to put food in the strangers belly or to make the plants grow? The purpose of prayer is to enter into a voluntary communion with the Living God, the Great Creator of all things, an ecstatic union with El Shaddai -the God of abundance, of more than enough. The God of Wisdom and Might, of Love and Peace. The Great God in all of His attributes. Prayer is not sternly commanded by God as some kind of a threat, it is an invitation, made out of Love, to enter into something so profound you could never fully comprehend the mystery but just be blessed beyond measure. This is what pleases God, when he gets to reveal His glory to one who has sought Him out with true intent, a sincere heart and child-like faith.

We are to seek out God with all of our heart, all of our strength and all of our minds. That is really what prayer is for. You can pray for your plants and I strongly encourage you to do so. In fact I encourage you to pray about every aspect of your life. Pray dilligently for your life, seek out the Kingdom of Heaven within yourself and God will reveal it to you. Pray this the entire lifecycle of your plants and one thing I will guarantee is whether or not you have noticed any difference in your plants, you yourself will have grown, and much more dramatically than your plants, I don't care if they get 9 ft. tall!

Jesus said that if we have faith just the size of a mustard seed then we can literally move mountains. Now, you might be saying now come on, how could I move mountains by just faith? Remember, faith requires action, not just any action but true and right action. Mountains can be moved, we all know that.

So there are mountains made of rock that we could actually move if we had the proper equiptment and made the required effort. But I don't think Jesus meant just moving actual physical mountains but that we could overcome all mountains or obstacles in our lives if through faith and the power of God if we apply right thought and action toward our goals and that our goals are in accordance with His will and for His purposes and that those goals in some way bring glory and honor to God and advance His Kingdom. (Again, where is the Kingdom?)

Jesus says "Seek first the Kingdom of God and all things will be added to you." The mustard seed of faith that Jesus talked about is a metaphor. The mustard seed is very, very small but the mustard plant grows very tall, a small tree that shelter birds in it's branches. I can tell that you have faith that is larger than a mustard seed - perhaps as large as a Sequoia tree? Water that seed and nourish it, pray for that seed to grow, then report back on how large THAT plant grows!

[willystylle]

These questions are always hard to understand, let alone explain.

Lets assume that because we as humans use only 15% of our brain capacity, we have abilities or the potential for abilities that we don't know of, or don't understand. Lets also assume that these abilities include telepathy, or the ability to communicate with one's mind alone.

Then, we can assume that as the mind's blind faith in a particular subject (in this case God) is enough to activate some of these abilities without us knowing. It would then be easier to explain how fervent prayer might help (in this case) plants grow.



Or we can look at it another way. We know that the human brain produces and emits tiny electrical currents. Lets assume that (in this case) plant cells are sensitive to electro-magnetic current. Our brain could then emit electro-magnetic current at a certain frequency during prayer, which could be useful to the plant cells, and thus the plants grow better.

Any other theories dudes?

[PieEyedPiper]

Pray in the day time as you exhale carbon dioxide and fauna gathers it up in the day time and expels it at night.I think It's called OSMOSIS

[mrdevious]

Lets assume that because we as humans use only 15% of our brain capacity, we have abilities or the potential for abilities that we don't know of, or don't understand. Lets also assume that these abilities include telepathy, or the ability to communicate with one's mind alone.

Then, we can assume that as the mind's blind faith in a particular subject (in this case God) is enough to activate some of these abilities without us knowing. It would then be easier to explain how fervent prayer might help (in this case) plants grow.

*sigh* we don't use 15% of our brains, we use all of it, though not all at the same time. The 10% or 15% claim was started in the 1930's by psychics who wanted to claim that they had "tapped in to the other 90%", but it has been 100% disproven. I don't blame you for making the claim though, most people actually believe that, simply because if you say something enough time as fact, it becomes fact and nobody questions it anymore.



Or we can look at it another way. We know that the human brain produces and emits tiny electrical currents. Lets assume that (in this case) plant cells are sensitive to electro-magnetic current. Our brain could then emit electro-magnetic current at a certain frequency during prayer, which could be useful to the plant cells, and thus the plants grow better.

Our brains emit electrical currents to send impulses through neurons on a microscopic level, but nothing even remotely close to powerfull enough to actually leave the skull and reach a distance of a few feet to the plant. However, the human nervous system does emite an electro-magnetic current around our bodies. It has no influence on our health (as many "magnet healers" would tell you), it is only a bi-product of our physical condition. But who knows, it may affect plants in some possitive way, and that field may be somewhat influence by our mindstate, which would affect the workings of our nervous system. I know it's powerfull enough to be a relatively influencial energetic force, since my brother has such a strong electromagnetic force that if he puts his hand near a radio it will go all static.

[BlazedMonk3y]

check out this page i found i started reading the 1st letter a while back and forgot about it but reading this post remimded me alot of what it said you all should check them out so will I

http://christsway.co.za/index.htm

[beachguy in thongs]

That's a cool site. But, I don't think Jesus Christ's medium is in business, any longer. :smokin:

[willystylle]

*sigh* we don't use 15% of our brains, we use all of it, though not all at the same time. The 10% or 15% claim was started in the 1930's by psychics who wanted to claim that they had "tapped in to the other 90%", but it has been 100% disproven. I don't blame you for making the claim though, most people actually believe that, simply because if you say something enough time as fact, it becomes fact and nobody questions it anymore.

Now its my turn to *sigh*. Please read this link:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_brain

and you will see that I am correct (out by 5%), as I never said that we use 15% of our brains, I said we use 15% of our brain CAPACITY. Researchers discovered that only about 10% of the neurons in the brain are firing at any given time, therefore, we only use 10% of our brain's CAPACITY




Our brains emit electrical currents to send impulses through neurons on a microscopic level, but nothing even remotely close to powerfull enough to actually leave the skull and reach a distance of a few feet to the plant. However, the human nervous system does emite an electro-magnetic current around our bodies. It has no influence on our health (as many "magnet healers" would tell you), it is only a bi-product of our physical condition. But who knows, it may affect plants in some possitive way, and that field may be somewhat influence by our mindstate, which would affect the workings of our nervous system. I know it's powerfull enough to be a relatively influencial energetic force, since my brother has such a strong electromagnetic force that if he puts his hand near a radio it will go all static.

And with this I please direct you to this link:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electromagnetism#Electric_and_magnetic_fields

where you will be able to read for yourself that an electromagnetic field is emitted by ALL PARTICLES WHICH HAVE AN ELECTRIC CHARGE, which on a quantum level will mean that every single atom that has an electron will emit an electromagnetic field. Trillions of atoms will emit trillions of electromagnetic fields, yes? And with that statement I ask you to join me here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shark#Shark_senses

where you can read how one particular creature on this earth uses electromagnetic fields, emitted by fish, to catch its prey. This particular creature is extremely sensitive to electromagnetic fields of small fish.

And so in conclusion it is feasible to say that it IS possible to have an electromagnetic influence on plants from the human body.

Thanks and have a nice day.

[Inferius]

Bravo Willy :)
To go along with this.. If you beleive in god do you really beleive humanity is the ultimate species?
Just wondering.
Think about it. If a giraffe became self-aware and gained intelligence in the way we perceive it, it's god would think like a giraffe, and be a giraffe, granting giraffe wishes and instinctual needs.
If there is a god, or a higher consciousness, I don't beleive, in this life time, that i'll ever tap into the understanding (at least, on a current conscious level) of what it's like. It could be as simple as nature, or more complex than the human brain can comprehend.
They didn't just know about atoms, or blood cells. These things existed right under our noses, technically, ARE our noses, and we had no clue. Maybe some day humanity will acheive a higher understanding, something concrete, even if it's the knoledge that nothing is concrete.
But to assume that because I am human, becuase I have more power over this planet than any other of it's natural life, the higher power is going to have the same mentality and understanding of reality as I do.... it just baffles me how some people can allow themselves to beleive this.
I consider this planet's stage of life, relatively nothing. I don't beleive we've even touched the surface on what life, time, fate, alternate dimensions, god, love, or truth, really is. But that's just me. I know, deep inside, that I would be happier if I allowed myself to be consumed by a religion. To become a zealot of faith, to cover up all my wounds (fears) with bandages and make-up, so that I didn't have to wonder if this is all pointless.
But throughout history, religion has caused more evil than good, in MY opinion. In my heart, what I perceive as love and selflessness, positivity and happyness, are things that can flow from any idea, to the darkest things in existance. With time, comes fluctuation. Nothing is permanent. And if nothing is permanent, nothing is concrete. Anything is possible, but even that isn't true.
Fun, isn't it? :dance:

[Binzhoubum]

religion wouldn't be needed if people could all just get along and behave themselves naturally, but human beings need guidelines in order for society to function properly.

[Binzhoubum]

I believe in something greater than the power of one. Something ineffable, indescribable. But I dont think it is anything close to what is describe in any faith following the Judeo-Christian ethic. Prayer is more a tool for the individual than for God.

[OnionsOfLove]

dear willie, a quick rebuttal:
originally you stated that the human brain runs at 15% capacity. then you said that humans MAY have "unlocked potential" that comes when higher capacities are realized. later, you specified that the brain runs at 10% capacity, meaning that only 10% of the brain is being used at any given time. Thus you are implying that at 100% capacity, the brain is not only completely working (firing every synapse), but is also running at the same (or more) level of efficiency. could it not be true that running the human brain at higher than 10% capacity causes it to function at a lesser level than a human brain using only 10% capacity? You have to remember, there is not a single human being that completely understands the workings of the human brain. Personally I dont think there ever will be; it's like a dog who chases his own tail.

on topic:
i dont know if everyone's seen "what the bleep do we know" or not, but there is a scene in it that's about humans thoughts and ice crystallization. the basis of it is that when someone thinks negative thoughts toward a glass of water, the ice crystals (when frozen..) turn out ugly and imperfect. Thinking positive thoughts produces nice symmetrical crystals. If this were actually true (sadly i dont have a powerful microscope), it could be possible that the water and such in plants is effected by positive human thoughts. a really good experiment would be growing two plants and telling one its a worthless piece of shit and the other that you love it.

[mrdevious]

dear willie, a quick rebuttal:
originally you stated that the human brain runs at 15% capacity. then you said that humans MAY have "unlocked potential" that comes when higher capacities are realized. later, you specified that the brain runs at 10% capacity, meaning that only 10% of the brain is being used at any given time. Thus you are implying that at 100% capacity, the brain is not only completely working (firing every synapse), but is also running at the same (or more) level of efficiency. could it not be true that running the human brain at higher than 10% capacity causes it to function at a lesser level than a human brain using only 10% capacity? You have to remember, there is not a single human being that completely understands the workings of the human brain. Personally I dont think there ever will be; it's like a dog who chases his own tail.



lol, I gotta not wait forever to reply to posts. but that's essentially what I was going to say, and it was probably delivered better than I was going to say it, so thank you :) .

BTW Willie, I couldn't tell if your second part was meant to argue with or inform me? Anyway I never was arguing against that part, I agree.

[willystylle]

lol sorry mrdevious if my post sounded a bit forward. No argument on my side either.

OnionsOfLove, your post actually confused me, but I can add this. According to researchers, a person with a higher intelligence fires less neurons than someone who has less intelligence. I'm not sure what they mean by 'intelligence', so I assume they're talking about IQ. So you are quite right in saying that the human brain is an enigma.

There was a documentary a while back about geniuses. There was this kid who was said to have one of the highest IQ's in the world. When they scanned his brain they found that his neruons were firing at the same rate as a normal teenager (neural pathways are made during childhood, the more connections made, the faster the brain is said to process information.) And yet his pathways were no more than anyone elses? So neural pathways are not the answer to intelligence.

But if a human brain were to operate at let say 25% capacity instead of 10%. By that I mean that the brain were to operate on 25% of the neural pathways available instead of 10% - it would not necessarily make you more intelligent, but perhaps the increased activity could realize some sort of telepathic ability (under the assumption of course that telepathy is a medical fact and not a paranormal one).

Would it then be possible to communicate with plants, animals and possibly other humans? Or would the extra neurons just cause a headache?

[beachguy in thongs]

It is a fact, that we have unused portions of our brain. When part of my brain was injured, inactive parts became active to keep me alive. Then, while my injured part re-evolved, the newly-activated parts gave me qualities that I didn't have before, or weren't as thorougly evolved.

[mrdevious]

lol sorry mrdevious if my post sounded a bit forward. No argument on my side either.

OnionsOfLove, your post actually confused me, but I can add this. According to researchers, a person with a higher intelligence fires less neurons than someone who has less intelligence. I'm not sure what they mean by 'intelligence', so I assume they're talking about IQ. So you are quite right in saying that the human brain is an enigma.

There was a documentary a while back about geniuses. There was this kid who was said to have one of the highest IQ's in the world. When they scanned his brain they found that his neruons were firing at the same rate as a normal teenager (neural pathways are made during childhood, the more connections made, the faster the brain is said to process information.) And yet his pathways were no more than anyone elses? So neural pathways are not the answer to intelligence.

But if a human brain were to operate at let say 25% capacity instead of 10%. By that I mean that the brain were to operate on 25% of the neural pathways available instead of 10% - it would not necessarily make you more intelligent, but perhaps the increased activity could realize some sort of telepathic ability (under the assumption of course that telepathy is a medical fact and not a paranormal one).

Would it then be possible to communicate with plants, animals and possibly other humans? Or would the extra neurons just cause a headache?

Maybe less neurons firing means more efficiency in information transfere? meh, maybe I should just not play neurosurgeon and let it be, but that's my best theory.

[OnionsOfLove]

ah willy i didnt understand that your hypothesis was hypothetical :)

cheers <3

[willystylle]

I think the reason that smarter people have less connections in the brain is because the connections are shorter, and thus allowing them to deliver the electrical signals faster. Being smarter doesn't necessarily mean knowing more - its about how and how fast you can process information.

Anyways in relation to the thread I think its safe to say that if humans did have some sort of telepathic powers then it would take years to master it, even if we knew how.

[bulletz144]

your prayers wont be heard if u dont believe.

[PureEvil760]

Anyways in relation to the thread I think its safe to say that if humans did have some sort of telepathic powers then it would take years to master it, even if we knew how.
Try moments.

[OnionsOfLove]

i didnt mean to post this.

please delete.

[FunkyMonkey]

This thread has been open for a bit and I just read it today.
I have got to say that is an interesting idea.
I would have to disagree with the comments about not needing 'proof' of 'god' existing.
We all need varying degrees of verification to solidify our faith. We need some signs that we are devoting our lives to something real.
As humans we challenge things. This is how we come to broader understandings of the world around us.
Everyone seeks a sign at some point and sometimes we dont recognise them when they are provided.
I cant see any harm in your experiment since it is a way for you to obtain a piece of your puzzle that could lead to a change in the way you view the world and your life path. I hope you go into it without an ultimatum. Dont tell yourself you will not have faith if it doesnt work out . Dont make it the only source of seeking.
I am willing to bet that the plants you pray to, or give energy to will thrive. I have a few perspectives to offer once you get to that point. One step at a time. :)






I've also heard proponents of Reiki claim that prayer helps people get better because they're collective mental possitive energy, with the intent to heal, aids in the victim's recovery (rather than god). It's all open to speculation really.


Just to clairify something: Reiki is not a prayer nor a direction of energies from within the practicioner. The practicioner is merely a focal point or conduit for the healing energies that surround us. There is no intent from the practicioner other than to be the 'middle man' to access and focus these energies into the body of the person seeking healing.
We feel where the healing is most needed physically but the person seeking the healing is responsible for the energies once within them. A higher level of this person's being directs the energies with no conscious thought needed. There are specific hand placements and a strict order to follow to ensure release of negative stored energies and to return the flow to a normal state. Just had to clear that up. There are many misconceptions out there. Thanks.


peace.