A Matter Of Energy
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As I did so, I played with the focus of my eyes. At one point I tried to focus on the space six inches to one side of each physical part of the plant. Gradually I began to pick up glimpses of light, then with a single adjustment of my focus, I could see a bubble of white light encircling the plant. I m seeing something now, I said. Look around some, Sarah said. I stepped back in shock. Around each plant within my vision was a field of whitish light, visible, yet totally transparent, so that none of the plant s color or form was obscured. I realized that what I was seeing was an extension of each plant s unique beauty. It was as though first I had seen the plants, then I had seen their uniqueness and presence, and then something had amplified in the pure beauty of their physical expression, at which time I had seen the energy fields. See if you can see this, Sarah said. She sat down in front of me and faced the philodendron. A plume of the whitish light encircling her body erupted outward and engulfed the philodendron. The diameter of the plant s energy field, in turn, broadened by several feet. Damn! I exclaimed, which provoked laughter between the two friends. Soon I was laughing myself, conscious of the peculiarity of what was happening, but feeling absolutely no uneasiness at seeing, quite readily, phenomena I had totally doubted minutes earlier. I realized that the perception of the fields, rather than evoking a surrealistic sensation, actually made the things about me seem more solid and real than before. Yet at the same time, everything around me seemed different. The only reference I had for the experience was perhaps a movie which enhanced the color of a forest in order to make it seem mystical and enchanted. The plants, the leaves, the sky now all stood out with a presence and a slight shimmer that suggested life there, and perhaps consciousness, beyond our ordinary assumption. After seeing this, there would be no way to take a forest for granted again. I looked at Phil. Sit down and put your energy on the philodendron, I said. I d like to compare. Phil appeared perplexed. I can t do it, he said. I don t know why. I looked at Sarah. Some people can and some can t, she said. We haven t figured it out. Marjorie has to screen her graduate students to see who can do it. A couple of psychologists are trying to correlate this ability with personality characteristics but so far no one knows. Let me try it, I said. Okay, go ahead, Sarah replied. I sat down again and faced the plant. Sarah and Phil stood at right angles to me. Okay, how do I begin? Just focus your attention on the plant, as though to inflate it with your energy, Sarah said. I looked at the plant and imagined energy swelling up inside it, then after a few minutes I looked over at the two. Sorry, Sarah said wryly, you re obviously not one of the chosen few.I shot a mock frown at Phil. Angry voices from the path below interrupted our conversation. Through the trees we could see a group of men passing, talking harshly among themselves. Who are those people? Phil asked, looking at Sarah. I don t know, she said. More folks upset with what we re doing, I guess. I looked back at the forest around us. Everything appeared ordinary again.