Plants like to hear and play music…did you know?
We are so disconnected from Nature…can we afford this?
Plants, animals, landscapes, and all those things which are not human or made by humans constitute the definition of nature. And nature is far beyond any comparison with human creation. We all know this and we also believe that we need to be more closely associated with nature, but why are we not taking that extra step? Why and where are we so busy that we are slowly drifting away from the basic source of our being? And the worse is that our next generation will go even further away from nature if we do not wake up and understand and appreciate that by going away from nature, we are not only going away from the wonders of this planet but also creating a life full of ill-health and depression.
Coming back to the topic of this story…yes! Did you know that plants play music. And the intensity and music varies from plant to plant. I mean the music of mint plant would be different from that of mushrooms. And…music from a healthy plant would be different from the same plant when it’s not healthy. And you got it right…there’s no music coming out from dead plants.
And yes! Other truth is plants love to listen to music too. Plants actually thrive when they listen to music in the range of 115Hz and 250Hz. And normally 2 hours per day of music is good enough for them…more then that might harm them. Also classical music and Jazz seem to be their favourite 😁.
Mr Joe Patitucci and Mr Alex Tyson are the founders of PlantWave which can record music played by these plants. There is a science behind this and I am not the right person to talk about it so just leaving it here with a note of gratitude towards them to have created such a wonderful instrument which when connected to leaves, we can actually hear the music played by these plants.
The reason why I wrote about the above is so that I can drill home my point that we need to be more aware of our surroundings. There is so much serene beauty, calming music, silent love, and unexpressed affection to be explored. Let me tell you the story of an elephant whisperer — not the Indian documentary which received the Oscar award this year, but another Elephant Whisperer. His name was Lawrence Anthony and you must have heard this story. I am writing in brief and may not contain 100% details but the essence of the story is important and so is the purpose.
Lawrence used to take care of elephants in some part of Africa. Some of the elephants, specially the matriarch of the group, became rowdy and started attacking village people living around them. Authorities were alerted and a joint decision was taken to eliminate them and thus protect the villagers. Lawrence was shocked and decided to do something about this. He ensured the authorities that he takes full responsibility of these beautiful animals and that he should be given this opportunity. An huge area was dedicated to these elephants and was surrounded by barbed wires. It was decided and mutually agreed that if these animals crossed this fence, the authorities could shoot and kill them. Daily these elephants tried to break the fence and come out but Lawrence would talk to the elephants, specially the matriarch and speak with her telling her the dangers of crossing the fence. He knew very well that they cannot understand the language but he persisted. Slowly the elephant started responding and within days they stopped trying to break the fence and alternatively started exploring the dedicated huge area dedicated to them. All was well and their death was prevented.
Some time later, Lawrence passed. His home was very far from the elephant’s area. Somehow these animals came to sense the loss and they travelled days to reach his home (which they had never earlier visited). They stayed outside the home for 3 days and mourned the passing of Lawrence — the man who had earlier saved their lives. It is believed that elephants mourn the death of their family member this way. These loving animals had accepted Lawrence Anthony as their family member and had come all the way to mourn this loss. This is what I call Silent Love.
If we remain in touch with Nature, we get everything, including good health. How many examples can be cited of the medicinal effect of forests, rivers, landscapes, beaches, plants and animals on us. It’s fine to get carried away in the modern day luxuries and amenities but the trick is to remain in touch with nature. Take a break from the concrete jungles and go visit nature parks, sanctuaries, zoos, parks, etc. Make a visit to forests, rivers, mountains, and beaches a part of your vacation itinerary. Experience nature closely by embarking on trekking expeditions or nature walks. If possible, indulge by taking small steps like creating your kitchen garden, or terrace garden and doing it all on your own. Feel the earth, smell the fragrance, listen to the music, experience the silent love of plants and animals and feel connected to the source.
In all this I have not yet touched upon what we can do in return for mother nature. That is a totally different area and too much has been written and spoken about it. So am skipping that part.
My contribution to myself
I have done my bit. Have purchased a farmland and am involved in farming, and taking care of plants and buffaloes there. This experience, trust me, is completely worth it. Do your bit…spread the word…take care of mother nature and experience what it has to give you in return. Heaven is not a place after you pass, it is right here…experience heaven on earth!
