Chapter II
The Bions as Preliminary Life Forms
The vegetative streamings that I observed during my character-analytic work and the bioelectrical experiments induced me to investigate them further in protozoa under the microscope. The Botanical Institute of Oslo placed a protozoon sample at my disposal. I intended to prepare such samples myself and, therefore, inquired about the technique for culturing such preparations; I did not want to rely on information that I had acquired two decades ago in my biology laboratory courses and subsequently forgotten. Although I was familiar with the Leeuwenhoek infusions, I was surprised to learn that nothing else was needed except hay, i.e., half-dried grass, infused in water. I also learned that amebae are often found on leaves that have been lying in stagnant water for a long period of time. I was ashamed of the gaps in my knowledge of biology when I asked naively how these organisms got into such an infusion and was told that there were "life germs" everywhere, from which protozoa developed. It was obvious that I had deliberately, though unconsciously, "forgotten" the "germ theory." I specifically wanted to study ameba cultures in order to become familiar with the plasmatic streamings described by Hartmann and Rhumbler, which played such a crucial role in my theory of vegetative functions. However, there were only a few scattered amebae in the infusion I had received. It became apparent that it was not that easy to prepare new cultures made of amebae. In [response to] my distress, the assistant at the institute suggested that I prepare my own hay infusions and examine them "after approximately 10 to 14 days." I would then have no difficulty in finding amebae.
My knowledge of protozoology was limited. Nonetheless, I felt I could attempt to enter this field that was so completely new to me because of my thorough theoretical knowledge of biology and my background of clinical and research experience in orgasm function gathered over the past years. For the time being, I deliberately refrained from reviewing the biological literature so that I could be unbiased in my observations. I had an assistant compile the information found in the literature.
1. Vesicular Formation in Swelling Grass Blades
In the preparation, one could easily observe paramencia, various kinds of amebae, and, also, among other things, vermiform, undulating organisms. Vegetative plasmatic streaming was immediately apparent. The leisurely, undulating, slow-motion movements and plasmatic streamings were easily recognizable as those processes of tension: charge I was looking for. As a test, I passed a current of 0.5 mA through the preparation, and observed the same effect as had been described by Rhumbler and Hartmann, namely, that plasmatic streaming occurs at a faster rate when low currents are sent through. The amebae moved faster; granular movement inside the cell, as observed at a magnification of approximately 1500x, became extremely vigorous. The paramecia, on the other hand, seemed to become chaotic; their rapid, steady locomotion ceased; they began to rotate; it looked as if each current had a shocking, "traumatic" effect. When current was sent through for a longer period of time, approximately three minutes, the entire field became motionless except for the amebae. I increased the current to about 1.5 mA; now, the amebae took on a spherical shape, and even they ceased moving.
These observations seemed to be important, but I could not yet correlate hypothetically the current that was passed through and the resulting change in plasmatic streaming. However, there was another angle from which to examine the tension-charge formula.
It was obvious that living tissues absorbed fluid so that the membranes stretched mechanically in the process of swelling. Basically, the so-called tissue "turgor," excess accumulation of blood in the blood vessels, hyperemia, is really nothing other than an increased absorption of fluid (blood, lymph, water). I therefore concentrated on observing the changes that were taking place along the margins of the plant fibers.
During the course of about two days, the bright green fibers became blanched. In the solution there were many green chloroplasts. But there were strange changes taking place where the plant fibers were blanching and disintegrating. The previously striated and cellular tissue was transformed into vesicular structure. At the same time, the margins protruded in several places, mostly in the form of hemispheres, but also in jagged lines.
Obviously, the tissue fibers had previously absorbed water; they had undergone swelling; the chloroplasts had become detached; and a vesicular disintegration had taken place within the cellular structure of the tissue. In the previously clear solution there were heaps of vesicles everywhere, without membrane, motionless. They had the exact same appearance as the margins along the plant fibers that had undergone vesicular disintegration. The vesicular structure differed from one place to another. Here it was irregular, without a clearly defined membrane; there it was completely regular with a surrounding membrane that would luminate brightly when I turned the micrometer screw. Wherever there were distinct membranes, it was as if the unit had been "molded"; the more extensively the membrane had formed, the more taut the structure appeared. Gradually, the vesicles detached themselves from the fibers and floated around in solution. At that point, the plant fibers looked like branches that had shed their leaves (Figures 12, 13, 14).
I now followed the changes that were taking place not only in the vesicular structure but also in the membrane formation of one of these unite over a four-hour time period. At the margin of a piece of plant tissue there was an irregularly organized, membraneless, vesicular structure. It gradually swelled up, became larger, and detached itself from the plant tissue. Along the edged, fragmented double membranes appeared in increasingly extensive and distinct formation. The vesicular structure became more regular, more homogenous; the vesicles refracted the light with greater contrast. In its organization, the structure could hardly be distinguished any longer from a passing ameba. It assumed an oval shape and became more taut the more complete and distinct the membrane became. Inside, the vesicles were motionless, but the whole mass had assumed "shape." The structure disappeared when I tried to add more water to the preparation.
F
Figure 12. Grass blades showing vesicular disintegration. Film prep. 8,700x.
Figure 13. Vesicles within a grass blade, 1500x.
Figure 14. Plant fibers after detachment of vesicles.
Film prep. 8, 700x.
Detail of Figure 14
An ameba that was slowly moving along came close to the edge of the cover slip, dried up, and assumed a spherical shape. Now it could no longer be distinguished from the many heaps of vesicles that were scattered around.
Another observation pointed in the same direction: One can observe entities that exhibit the described vesicular structure, including a distinct membrane, that are attached to the fiber by a stalk. Occasionally, one can see such a structure struggling to tear itself away. It bounces away from the attachment, but is pulled back again by the threadlike stalk. Most importantly, it is distinguished from the lifeless structures only by its motility, while shape and content appear to be identical. Similarly, the many vesicularly-organized structures that move rapidly through the field, as if they were floating, appeared to be of the same type.
Let us summarize our observations:
1. Swelling plant fibers undergo vesicular disintegration.
2. Dried up amebae have a vesicular organization identical to the heaps of
vesicles.
3. Membrane-enclosed vesicular structures actively break away from the
disintegrated plant tissue.
4. The distinct membrane that is developing gives the heap a definite shape and tautness.
5. Many rapidly moving cells show a distinct membrane and a regular, vesicular structure.
Inevitably, this led to the surprising postulate that the vesicular ("honeycombed") living protoplasm of the ameba was very closely related to the vesicular heaps of vesicles resulting from the disintegrating plant tissue. Could it be possible that an ameba or other vesicularly structured Protista were nothing else but heaps of vesicles held together and shaped by a membrane?
Further observations and experiments speak best for themselves.
2. The Formation of Organisms Resulting from the Transformation of Grass and Moss Tissues into Life-like Structures
With the use of a certain species of grass for the infusion, the kind of Protista described is produced from disintegrating plant fibers through a series of preliminary stages. Immediately after the infusion is prepared, the grass blade shows a distinct margin with several claw-shaped spikes (Figure 15). During the course of approximately 24 to 28 hours, this margin undergoes vesicular disintegration as described (Figure 16). On a out the third day, I was able to see vesicular structures along the edge of the blade at irregular intervals, ranging in shape from round spheres to ovoid configurations, containing granules and vesicles of different sizes (Figures 17, 18, 19). The vesicles within the large membrane-enclosed vesicular structure cannot be distinguished from the vesicular configurations along the margin of the grass blade. The large, round structures are attached to the margin by a pedicle. Some of them do not change their form, but others display a strange behavior. The spherical heap which points away from the plant margin gradually elongates; this results in an opening at the anterior end, which is surrounded by very delicate threadlike fibers. The structure remains in this elongated position for about one to three seconds, until it contracts and suddenly resumes a spherical shape. These structures remind one of round apples or elliptical olives hanging from a branch. At the same time, or perhaps a little later, one sees them moving around in the solution, partly free and partly still connected by a pedicle to fragments of plant tissues that have become detached. The movement described is the same. One can observe the elongation followed by contraction to the spherical shape over many hours. Occasionally, one can see such a structure move away from the plant tissue as the coiled stalk is elongated. During contraction, many of them tend to bounce back against the plant tissue to which they are attached.
Figure 15. (left) Distinct grass margin. Microfilm prep. 8. Half dark field, 300 x.
Figure 16. Grass showing vesicular disintegration. Dark field, 1000x.
Figure 17. Vesicular formation along margin. Film, prep. 8, 1200x.
Figure 18. (left) Structured, membrane-enclosed configuration. Film prep. 8, 700x.
Figure 19. Oval, organized heap of vesicles, motionless. Film prep. 8, 1500x.
Now, can this already be called an "animal" or is it still a "piece of plant tissue"? how incorrectly the question is phrased. It is a transitional form, for, two days later, the same preparation showed the same organisms, without the plant margin, free in solution; however, at this time, they already had somewhat changed characteristics and could be seen in all different stages of development. There were still vesicular, spherical structures that were connected to plant fibers and that were expanding and contracting. Others carried out identical movements while already detached from the plant tissue. A third group was extremely unusual. The individual structures no longer resumed a spherical shape upon contracting, but retained their elongated form. In doing so, the 'mouth" was wide open, and they resembled paramecia. They moved like the latter, rapidly swimming around in the preparation in all directions; inside one could see a pulsating vacuole at the anterior end and vesicles in a circulatory movement. Those structures that repeatedly resumed a spherical shape showed the process of ingestion with special clarity during elongation. When the structure was completely elongated and the orifice was wide open, one could see the individual vesicles in the solution stream toward the orifice and then through it to the interior.
After two or three seconds, the orifice closed, the creature contracted, resuming a spherical shape, and now the vesicles began to move actively within; however, I could not yet pinpoint their movement in detail. Thus, it was not that the elongated structure moved toward the vesicles in solution and ingested them; rather the creature remained stationary and the individual vesicles streamed into its "mouth." It appears to be an electrical phenomenon. The creatures proved to be negatively charged, just like the vesicles. The accompanying photographs show various stages of development of these perhaps familiar creatures. We can see structures in spherical and elongated form; we can further see identical structures attached to plant fibers by pedicles. Some of these plant fibers clearly show a granular appearance and vesicular disintegration (Figures 17-25).
Figure 20. Org-protozoa on a blade of grass.
Figure 21. Org-protozoa on a blade of grass. (Figure 20 and 21 show two stages of development).
Figure 22. Org-protozoa on the grass margin. Vesicular structure of the plasma. 3000x
Figure 23. Completely structured heap of vesicles on grass blade. Film prep.8.
Figure 24. (left) Org-protozoon, egg-shaped, 1500x.
Figure 25. Same creature elongating.
The rhythmic alternation between spherical and elongated form seems especially important. Indeed, we may regard elongation as a result of the swelling process, during which the surface area becomes charged. It denotes the direction "away from the self, toward the world." The intake of solution and vesicles through the open "mouth" possibly signals a process leading to assumption of a spherical shape following contraction. We may regard contraction as a process of discharge, just as muscle spasms follow from electrical stimulation. When weak currents are sent through the preparation, contraction occurs prematurely, before the structure has completely elongated. The detailed relationships are still to be clarified. To progress in this work, it was necessary to postulate that here the tension-charge-discharge-relaxation process is directly visible. Of course, there are vital questions that remain unanswered, such as what enables this creature to retain its elongated shape and how does it lose this property to return to a spherical form? These observations have produced evidence that at least this type of protozoon develops from the transformation of plant tissue through a series of developmental stages. It would be meaningless to categorize or classify them at this time. The observed preparation was recorded on film. (Prep. 8). The contractile structures were named "Org-protozoa" (after "orgastic" convulsion).
© 2008 The American College of Orgonomy. All rights reserved.
