5 June 1972
                 Dear
                      Research and pseudo-research results, as exemplified in the attached
                 material, have stimulated considerable curiosity regarding the physical basis
                 of Kirlian photography and its potential applications.  I have attached some
                 background material concerning the process and various fanciful explanations
        2         for the characteristics of the obtained images.  Also included are some photo-
                 graphs of organic material taken with the Y.Lrlian technique.
                      I would be highly appreciative if you or one of your colleagues  would
                 casually examine the material, merely to the extent of separating fact  &ad
                 fancy regardin- plant life.  We have not reached the point of accepting the
                 ectoplasm hypothesis but are i2nterested in@-the techaique as a potential
                 indicator of plant coastituents.  The following Ls a list of general questions
                 provided as an orientation for future discussion and not to be construed as
                 requiring specific answers*
                          (1)  Maps of human acupuncture points do not correspond exactly
                      with the distribution',of the nervous, circulatory, or lymphatic systems.
            2          Do the plant photographs display any systematic relationships to
                      structural or functioaal plant networlm?
                          (2)  Do the various spots and lines correspond to areas of high
                      metabolic activity or locations in which one would expect concentrations
                      of various biochemical substances?
                          (3) Is there any explanation for the particular positions  of  the
             2         flares or carona that appear at the edges of leaves?  (Incidentally,
                      the apparatus used in producing our photographs did not permit  varia-
                      tion of frequency and voltage. The Russian literature  indicated  that
                      the position, extent and color of the corona varied with frequency and
                      voltage %ihich would cause different cells to resonate in response to
                      the charact8eristics of the electrical field.)

                   June   72
                 paze 2
                          (4)  A sequence of the          lphoto:s we're taken over a several.
                      day period.  Do these photographs give any indication of the health
                      or condition of the leaf beyond loss of moisture?
                          (5)  If the Kirlian technique does have potential for indicating
                      the health of a2 plant or the nature of its natural and absorbed
                      coastltueats, would it have any advantages over existing techniques?
                          (6)  Is there any relationship between the "Baxter Effect" and
                      %irlian photography, of pl=ta?
                      If you feel there is somethlnc,, worthy of discussion in this collection
                 of material, I and perhaps a couple of colle8agues would like to have an
                 informal discussion with you or one of your staff cembers to attempt the
                 separation of fact from fiction.
                                                               sincerely$