Information Transfer Between Biological Organisms

 by Aroutioun Agadjanian

[Ed Note: Keep in mind that the research is from a body-id perspectives!]

From Reader: “Even though this is "New Age" info, it's interesting to see the biofield reactions and interconnections between living and perishing organisms. Somehow it's resonant with the cover art of MVG; the description of it and the "Gestalt" of each trait (stream) associated to the Higher Self. The EM relationship between the survived and perishing species is worth a thought.”

Experimental Studies of Information Transmission Between the Killed and Survivor Individuals of the Same Population on Several Species as Representation of the Role of Consciousness of Biological Species During Evolution

Introduction

In order to understand how experimentally it would be possible to study the role of consciousness in the process of evolution we would like first to propose a hypothesis about the consciousness of the population of living organisms. According to the hypothesis of F. Crick human consciousness arises as biological function from interaction between the neurons of the brain (Crick, 1994). According to hypothesis by V. Norris consciousness is organizing force, which is involved in the process of transmitting, receiving and condensing organization to a common pattern; it is created by information and would act to create information. (Norris, 1996). 

We propose a hypothesis stating that any amount of similar units of living matter, which coexist together in relatively close physical proximity and interact to each other exchanging matter and information comprise a bio-informational network. Consciousness arises as a result of constant information interaction between all units of such bio-information network and serves as organizing force for it's units to co-exist and function together as a single formation for more or less long period of time. (Agadjanian, 1999). This information exchange includes all known communication channels, like exchange of matter, chemical signals, physical signals of different nature, as well as it might involve unknown form of physical communication (Norris, 1998) defined also as novel non-chemical form of signaling (Matsuhashi et al., 1995) or superweak electromagnetic radiations (Kaznacheev et al., 1981). 

Thus, any population of living organisms of the same species from bacteria to human beings which co-exists together in relatively close physical proximity and function together as a single formation interacting with environment and surviving for more or less long period of time has consciousness. This consciousness by analogy has to have similar characteristics to the phenomenon we rationally aware of as human consciousness. Consciousness of the population of bacteria obviously would be much less sophisticated formation than human consciousness, and consciousness of any number of human beings accordingly would be much more sophisticated formation than human consciousness. 

All these different levels of consciousness including human consciousness can be examined as different spectrum or separate closely interconnected components of single global formation - the Global Consciousness of all living matter on Earth, which can also be defined as Global Energy-Information Network (Agadjanian, 1999). Such hypothesis would broaden the hypothesis of spectrum of consciousness of K. Wilber (Wilber, 1977) beyond the boundaries of human perception within the system of knowledge of psychology, psychotherapy and religion and would give a new understanding to the hypothesis of Vernadsky (Vernadsky, 1926) and Teilhard de Chardin (Teilhard de Chardin, 1966) about noosphere. In case of some so-called social biological species like, for example, ants we can rationally observe some functioning patterns of the consciousness of local populations. In case of many other biological species the existence and functioning of consciousness of local population is not so obvious. However there should be fundamental similar characteristics of consciousness of all populations of living creatures. If we can point to the fundamental similarities between the human consciousness and consciousness of the local populations of all biological species we might be able to establish a new paradigm for studying consciousness experimentally. 

We can propose a hypothesis that the most important function of human consciousness, the only consciousness we are rationally aware of, is to defend the human being from dangerous factors in the environment and to provide conditions for surviving the common length of 70-80 years of human life. If one accidentally puts one's hand on hot stove, one receives complex of information signals, analyzing which will make one: first, unconsciously pull one's hand back; and second, consciously avoid the hot stove in the future, i.e. to protect oneself from this particular dangerous factor by employing nonspecific and specific defending mechanisms. 

The species has proven ability to survive almost without any change for periods of millions of years. Therefore we can assume that the most common pattern of both these complex bio-informational systems - the single human being and single biological species, is ability to sustain its existence for long time by interacting with the environment and making necessary adjustments according to the received and analyzed information. By analogy with the 'hot stove' we can assume that the main function of consciousness of local population of any biological species is ability to employ nonspecific and specific defending mechanisms in case of emergence of new deadly factor in the environment to survive during more or less long time of evolution. We would like to show that it is possible experimentally to establish existence of similar to human's nonspecific and specific defense mechanisms, which consciousness of species use to survive new deadly factor.

Experimental study of consciousness of a local population employing nonspecific and specific defending mechanisms to defend its numbers in case of emergence of deadly factor in environment.

Experimental project 'Feedback' (Agadjanian, 1983 and Agadjanian et al., 1990) was conducted from 1976 to 1989 in the former Soviet Union using as objects several biological species. 

General design of experiments was following: two identical groups of individuals of the same species, control and experimental, were kept physically separated. Individuals in both of these groups were living together for some time to allow consciousness of the local population to be established. Specific number of individuals was removed from the control group alive and removed from further experiments. Simultaneously the same number of individuals with the same sex-ratio in the experimental group was killed by the specific killing agent (for example, in case of fish by physical destruction and in case of pest insects by one of commonly used against this species pesticides), left in the groups for a period of time and then removed too. This was accomplished in the way that would completely eliminate any direct exposure of the survivors to the killing agent. These manipulations were repeated periodically during some period of time. The reproduction rates were observed in both of these groups. 

The results of experiments on all studied species showed that after some time and number of above described manipulations the reproduction rate in the experimental group became considerably higher than in control groups with increase varying in different experiments from 20% to 250%. First group included experiments accomplished on following species using physical killing: 1.On mice in 1976-78 at Novosibirsk Research Institute of RSFSR Ministry of Public Health. 2. On Drosophilae in 1978 at Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Department of USSR Academy of Science. 3. On silkworm in 1981-82 at Institute of Zoology, Armenian Academy of Science. 4. On viviparous aquarium fish (Guppy) in 1984 at Central Research Laboratory of State Committee of Fish Economy of Armenia. Second group included experiments accomplished on following species using following pesticides as killing factors: 5. On rats in 1989 at the department of Epidemics and Medical Parasitology of Yerevan Medical Institute (Zinc Phosphid, Zookumarin). 6. On common dart moth, Agrotis segetum and Black Cutworm (Agrotis ypsilon), Mediterranean Vine Moth (Lobesia botrana) (Nurell-D, Phosalon, Cimbush, Metafos) in 1989 at Armenian Plant Protection Research Institute. 7. On Predatory Mite, Amblyseius fallacis (Garman) in 1989 in Armenian Institute of Zoology, Armenian Academy of Science (Phosalon, Plinctran).

In one group of above experiments on Predatory Mite, Amblyseius fallacis (Garman) (using pesticides Phosalon and Plinctran as killing agent) the killing by pesticides was accomplished in hermetically closed test tubes (made from quarts glass) physically located inside the experimental groups of insects, which would completely exclude the information transmission by chemical signals. Besides observing the changes in the reproduction rate in experimental group of the individuals in this case the individuals from experimental groups periodically were checked to compare their resistance to the used pesticide to the resistance of the individuals from control group. The results of these experiments established that resistance to the pesticide used as a killing factor in individuals in the experimental groups gradually increased, whereas resistance in individuals of control groups to this pesticide did not change.

8. In the separate part of the 'Feedback' project the demographical study was accomplished. In 1989 in the Institute of Economics, Armenian Academy of Science the study based on official statistical data concluded that in the eighties in the several Soviet Republics of Middle Asia neighboring the Afghanistan after period of birth-rate drop there was sudden birth-rate increase coincided with the military actions causing violent death of many thousands of people in Afghanistan started after Soviet invasion. 

Interpretation:

The interpretation of above experimental results is following. The violently killed individuals transmitted by physical or chemical signals the information about the fact of their violent death and specific information about nature of the deadly factor to the survivors of the same group. Based on this received information the consciousness of this population employed both nonspecific and specific defense mechanisms in order to survive the deadly factor. First, as a nonspecific defense the consciousness of the population increased the speed of reproduction, which was observed in all above experiments. Second, as a specific defense, using the received specific information about the deadly agent, the consciousness of the population activated the specific resistance to this killing factor, which was observed in the last group of experiments. In the last case taking into consideration that the pesticides Phosalon and Plinctran used in experiments on Predatory Mite, Amblyseius fallacis (Garman) as a killing factor were widely used against those species long before the time of the conducting of the experiments, it would be logical to conclude that the insects had already acquired genetic resistance to these specific pesticides and during the experiments consciousness of the population just activated it. But based on above logic we can assume that using any species of insects and completely new never used against them pesticide, it could be possible to establish the fact that mutations necessary to survive this new deadly factor would originate because consciousness of population will receive specific information about this new deadly factor from the killed individuals and would direct a mutations in the next generations towards adaptation to it. But experiments proving this statement could take several years to conduct, that is amount of time comparable to the time usually needed for species to adapt to a new insecticides in the real life. 

Discussion

Experimental studies of the information transmission between physically separated groups of living organisms of the same biological species were conducted before and after the experimental project 'Feedback'. Several authors reported observing this phenomenon in their studies and gave it different interpretations (Kaznacheev et al., 1981), (Matsuhashi et al., 1995), (Heal et al., 2002). Hypothesis about the consciousness of the local population of the biological species might add new insight to the understanding of the results of these experimental studies. For example, it could allow explaining the last studies by Heal and Parsons from consciousness point of view. In these experiments the Petri dish was divided into two compartments, connected by a five-millimeter air gap between the top of the wall and the lid. In one compartment drops of the bacterium E.coli were placed, together with various antibiotics. When the other compartment was empty, the bacteria died - killed by the antibiotics.

However, if thriving colonies of E.coli were placed in the other compartment, the first group of bacteria survived. If the gap between the compartments was sealed, the bacteria in the first compartment died. Heal and Parsons concluded that the bacteria in the second compartment must have sent some kind of airborne "survival" signals to the dying from antibiotics first group of bacteria, which helped them to survive. But form the point of evolution such explanation makes only partial sense - it attempts to explain what happened but not why it happened. From the hypothesis of consciousness of the biological species however the results can be understood completely logically. 

The consciousness of one colony of E.Coly with huge dose of antibiotic was not able to “think” what to do to survive. When another healthy colony was put near this dying colony they would together comprise the viable “living” network with common consciousness, which had enough information and resources to be able to “figure out” how exactly to react to the threat factor. When the air gap was closed these colonies again become two separate colonies with separate consciousness and resources resulting in the death of the colony exposed to antibiotic. Quite possibly by blocking this air gap not chemical information transmission was blocked but some unknown weak electromagnetic information transmission, for which that barrier is impermeable. 

The hypothesis about the consciousness of the population of biological species employing non-specific and specific defending mechanisms in case of the emergence of new threat factor in the environment might prove to be invaluable in establishing new paradigm for further similar studies of consciousness of the biological species and information transmission between the physically separated living organisms. These three experimental studies as well as different experimental studies of human phenomenon of unknown extrasensory information transmission show that it is difficult to design reliable and easily repeatable experiments studying the information transmission between the units of living bio-information network of the local population if we do not now the fundamental mechanisms of the functioning of this network. 

Figuratively speaking, in order to reliably “catch” these information transmissions we have to know when the transmissions occur with the maximum strength, which individuals exactly transmit and which ones receive the transmissions and by which ready observable effects the fact of receiving such information transmission should by judged. From this point of view the design of the experiments of the project 'Feedback' might be considered the most effective in further experimental studies of consciousness. This design actually shows that in experiments the local population under the stress might show unique and reliably detectable patterns of the information transmission. The information transmission from the killed violently individuals to the survivors of the same species might be the fundamental mechanism using which life acts as a system with ability to constantly increase the entropy (Shrodinger, 1944). 

Indeed, if we consider that living organisms with sexual reproduction mechanism live and gather information long after giving birth to the last progeny up until the very moment of death, then it is unclear how all this information can be kept by the consciousness of the species and used to adapt to the environment. It is just a matter of logic to conclude that there should be a mechanism by which a consciousness of the biological species as an effective and stable bio-informational network keeps and increases the common pool of information by receiving all the gathered information from the all its living units during the moment of their death and distributing it to its new units - the newly born living organisms of the species. 

Conclusions

The theory of the consciousness of the biological species using specific and nonspecific mechanisms to maintain its existence in the changing conditions of the environment and the results of the further experiments with the similar to discussed above experiments of the project 'Feedback' could be become the starting point to allow the consciousness of living matter to be studied thoroughly through reliable and repeatable laboratory experiments. If we can examine from the consciousness point of view several global current ecological problems we might be able to predict the possible effective solutions of them. If we can understand that by trying to eliminate pests with pesticides or bacteria with antibiotics we are dealing with intelligent force - the consciousness of those species, which “intelligently” uses the specific information about our killing methods to successfully defend itself, we might come to fundamentally different methods of controlling harm from these species with much higher efficiency, like, for example, completely eliminating the key point of “enemy” defense - the killing. Organic farming, for example, already proved that products can be successfully grown without use of pesticides and above theory together with results of the new experiments might make a point for eliminating the use of pesticides in the world entirely. With the pathogen bacteria and antibiotics the solution might not be so obvious, but again realizing that we are dealing with “intelligent” defense of the consciousness of the species of bacteria based on the information from the dying bacteria, we might be able to come to fundamentally different methods of controlling the bacteria with higher efficiency.

Using the same approach we can conclude the global problem of overfishing arose in the first place from the wrong methods of killing commercially caught fish on the ships out of fish natural environment. The consciousness of different fish species for many millions of years of evolution probably developed methods of defending its numbers from the threat factors, which mostly killed fish in the water. The possible solution obviously might be killing all commercially caught fish in the water. 

But the most stunning conclusions based on this hypothesis and on some of the above experiments might be drawn concerning the human species. Non-specific defending mechanisms of the consciousness of the human species obviously continue to function unconsciously effecting the behavior and reproductive patterns of people despite the intelligent awareness of single human being. That is why during the 20th century as a direct result of two most devastating wars in the history of human civilization and many smaller military conflicts the human population increased dramatically (Agadjanian et al., 1990 and Agadjanian, 1999). Another interesting conclusion based on this theory, which is indirectly confirmed by the results of above described experiments by Heal and Parsons (Heal et al., 2002), is that any chronically ill person in addition to having all the necessary conventional treatments might greatly benefit from spending periodically some amount of time at the public events with gatherings of many thousands of healthy people, like the sport games or concerts (Agadjanian, 1999). 

December, 2002 

References

Agadjanian, A. (1999) The Information God. Toronto: 21st Century Information. 
Agadjanian, I., (1983). Feedback And Plant Protection, J Plant Protection, 5, Moscow, USSR.
Agadjanian, I., Agadjanian, A., & Agadjanian, V., (1990) Interconnection Between Perishing and Survived Creatures Information Leaflet of The Armenian Institute of Scientific and Technical Information.
Crick, F. (1994) The Astonishing Hypothesis. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons. 
Heal, R. D., & Parsons, A. T., Novel (2002) intercellular communication system in Escherichia coli that confers antibiotic resistance between physically separated populations, Journal of Applied Microbiology, 92, 1116-1122.
Kaznacheev, V. P. & Michaylova, L. P., (1981) Superweak radiations in an intercellular interactions. Novosibirsk: Nauka.

Matsuhashi, M., Pankrushina, A.N., Endoh, K., Watanabe, H., Mano, Y., Hyodo, M., Fujita, T., Kunugita, K., Kaneko, T., & Otani, S. (1995) Studies on carbon material requirements for bacterial proliferation and spore germination under stress conditions: a new mechanism involving transmission of physical signals. J Bacteriol 177, pp.688-693.
Norris, V. (1996) Neural processing results from competition between resonance and synaptic activity. Journal of Consciousness Studies, submitted.
Norris, V. (1998). Bacteria as tools for studies of consciousness. In Toward a Science of Consciousness II: The Second Tucson Discussions and Debates. MIT Press, Cambridge, USA. 397-405.).
Shrodinger, Erwin, (1967) What Is Life? New York: Cambridge University Press, (First published in 1944)
Teilhard de Chardin, Pierre. (1966). The Vision of the Past. New York: Harper & Row.
Vernadsky, Vladimir., Langmuir, David., (Translator), & McMenamin, Mark., (1998). The Biosphere, New York: Copernicus Books (First published in 1926) 
Wilber, K. (1977) The spectrum of consciousness, Wheaton, Ill: The Theosophical Publishing House. 

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OTHER RESEARCH IN THIS AREA
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Interconnection Between Perishing And Survived Creatures


by I. A. Agadjanian, A. I. Agadjanian, V.I. Agadjanian
Information Leaflet of 
The Armenian Institute of Scientific and Technical Information, 1990


Translated From Russian


In 1975-76 mathematical model of interconnection between perishing and survived individuals of the same biological species was formed. It allowed the recovery of following phenomenon unknown before.

1. Perishing creatures radiate signals that increase sharply the reproduction of their survived kinsmen. And according to the model this phenomenon should possess sex dimorphism, i.e.
death of males calls for birth of males and death of females calls mainly birth of females. And active fecundity control and sex control among creatures thus became possible.

2. Perishing creatures radiate signals base for survived kinsmen to gain killing factor resistance. And according to the model the killing factor resistance can be general (for instance, general immunological status increase) as well as specific (i.e. the particular killing factor resistance) from the viewpoint of somatic as well as behavior signs. Thus it turned possible to inoculate creatures with particular signs.

Since 1976 great number of experimental investigations have been carried out on schemes suggested by us, indicative of the phenomena above mentioned. First ones were carried out in 1976-78 in Novosibirsk Research Institute of RSFSR Ministry of Public Health on non-line white laboratory mouse (experimenter D-r of Biology Speransky S.V). They maintained the existence of connection between perishing and their survived kinsmen from the viewpoint of reproduction. Later this result was confirmed by experiments:

-on drosophylle (Institute or Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Department of USSR Academy of Science, 1978 , experimenter - C-te of Biology Ivanov Y.N.);
-on silkworm (Institute of Zoology, Armenian Academy of Science, 1981-82, experimenter - D-r of Biology Sarkisian S.M.); 
-on viviparous aquarium fishes (Guppy) (Central Research Laboratory at State Committee of Fish Economy, 1984, experimenter C-te of Biology Parunakian E.A.).

In 1977 at toxicology laboratory of Soviet Research Polymer Institute the possibility of behaviour information report from perishing to non-line white laboratory rats to their survived kinsmen was experimentally maintained (experimenter - D-r of Biology Gyjlarian M.S., C-te of Biology Xechumov S.A and Aghajnian I.A.). The same result was obtained, in 1978 at Novosibirsk Research Institute of RSFSR Ministry of Public Health (experimenters Speransky S.V. and Aghajanian I. A.) and in 1984 at Physiology Department of Yerevan Medical Institute (experimenter - Aghajanian A. I.) on non-line white laboratory mouse.

Test results as well as results of theoretical research on the problem have been published since 1978.

Later a great contribution to the research was made by ARTVGO "Poisk". Following experimental investigations were carried out in 1989 under the financial assistance rendered by ARTVCC "Poisk" and leadership of Aghajanian I.A.:

1.Institute of Experimental Biology, Armenian Academy of Science - experiments on white laboratory mouse stated drop then rise up to control level in the immunological status among survived individuals resulting the signals radiated by perishing kinsmen (experimenters - C-te Medicine Mesropian N.P., C-te of Medicine Tatian M.V. and Aghajanian A. I.). In this context the above mentioned mathematical model mentions the capability of immunological status of survived individuals to top the control level at more prolonged influence of signals supplied by perishing creatures.

2.Institute of Botany, Armenian Academy of science - the existence of the connection considered among plants was proved (experimenters - C-te of Biology Davtian V. A. and Bejanian S.S.).

3.Epidemics and Medical Parasitology of Yerevan Medical Institute - it was proved that: 
-zoocide phosphid of zinc, zoocumarin and rathinazine call reproduction flashes among non-line white laboratory rats (was financed by Echmiadzin RC NTTM);

-penicillin may call specific resistance among bacteria;
-signals supplied by white laboratory rats possess sexual dimorphism; (D-r of Medicine Dexzunian K.M., C-te of Medicine Ambarzumian A.D., Aghajanian A.I, and Aghajanian V.I.).

4.Institute of Zoology, Armenian Academy of Science - At hermetically isolation of experimental individuals from perishing ones by quartz glass:

-insecticides phosalon and plinctran call reproduction flashes among Amblyseiuc fallacies garmans;
-Amblyseius fallacis garmans's survived, kinsmen may gain phosalon and plinctran resistance based on the information reported by perishing incdividuals. 
-These investigations found the signals supplied, by perishing creatures to be of chemical but of physical origin (they pass through the quartz glass) (experimenters - C-te of Biology Arutjunian E.S., C-te of Biology Dilbarian K.P. and Aghajanian V.l.).

5.Armenian Plant Protection Research Institute - (experimenters - C-te of Biology Nalbandian A.V., Karapetian V.I. and Aghajanian V.I.) –

-Insecticides sumicidines and metaphos call reproduction flashes among Agrotis Segetum and Agrotis ypsilon;
-insecticides Nurell D and phosalon call reproduction flashes among Lobesia botrana.

6.Institute of Economics, Armenian Academy of Science - (experimenter - C-te of Economics Tovmasian V.Sh.) – 

-It was proved based on official statistic data that if not the Afghan war there would be a drop instead of birth-rate rise in the eighties in Middle Asia.

Thus, the presence of the connection between perishing and survived creatures of the same biological species predicted by mathematical model was proved by great number of experimental

investigations. This phenomenon is proved as well to be used in different fields of science and practice - biology, rural economy, medicine, environment protection, sociology and etc. As for expecting economic effect it's not accountable. But practical realization of all these needs financial support. Possible partners and sponsors may turn to: 

Apt. 54, 85 Norky Massiv 1,Yerevan - 375056,
Armenia, USSR
Phone: 63-02-48
I.A. Aghajanian, A.I. Aghajanian, V.I. Aghajanian

 

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