Singing trees? Device captures their notes

Experimenting with an electronic device, conservationist Vijay Nishanth says plants and trees are capable of communication with humans

Ever thought about how plants and trees around you feel? Bengaluru’s own ‘tree doctor’ Vijay Nishanth says trees try to communicate with humans around, and these signals can be translated into musical notes.

Vijay has been closely reading the works of Cleve Backster, who studied biocommunication, for four years. Backster experimented with plants using a polygraph instrument in the 1960s, which led to his theory of ‘primary perception.’ He concluded plants feel pain and experience advanced extrasensory perception.

“These thoughts stayed in my head. I always wanted to explore how plants try to communicate with us. Jagadish Chandra Bose’s contribution to plant science was also inspiring. I loved plants like the touch-me-not,” he says.

This is when he zeroed in on MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface), which translates signals to sounds and music.

“Despite our culture where trees are an intrinsic part of our art and yoga, the attention has shifted to more and more commercialisation and urbanisation,” he says.

He points out that when a plant or tree is analysed in a calm atmosphere, the intensity of the electromagnetic waves is higher, but when the area is crowded, the intensity is lower. “We have observed this with potted plants and trees,” he says.

Vijay believes trees can act as weathermen. “Once we understand sounds recorded from trees, we will be able to understand weather, soil conditions and more,” he says.

What lies ahead?

The possibilities are wide, from signals being translated into clear sounds to notes being used to understand distress. Project Vruksha aims to record sounds from about 100 trees across the city, with volunteers from colleges and citizen groups. The sounds will be uploaded on the website vruksha.com. The foundation is looking for funding and collaborations for long-term research, says Nishanth, who may be contacted at [e-mail].

Mysuru royal impressed

At a recent event, Project Vruksha Foundation showed how plants communicate.

Pramoda Devi Wadiyar, Mysuru ‘maharani’, was impressed by the demonstration. The event witnessed the recording of impulses from three plants. “We brought an instrument that gives voice to plant perception. It is able to perceive electromagnetic variations from the leaves and the roots and translate them into sound,” says ‘tree doctor’ Vijay Nishanth. Science increasingly supports the idea that plants operate with innate intelligence and a logic different from our own. Research into plant intelligence is important to decipher and understand their interactions, he says.

Ask away

The foundation aims to create music out of impulses sent out by trees. It is also planning an event and an open house to explain the concept.

Perception: Find a new language for a deeper view of the plant world.

Mastery: Recognise interactions between humans and nature.

Healing: Experience therapeutic benefits of ‘plant music.’

Awareness: Reach new level of understanding about nature.