Cleve Backster was among the first to propose that plants are affected by human intention. Backster was the country's leading lie-detector expert who fascinated by the psychology of lying and the use of hypnosis and interrogation in counterintelligence during the time of the second world war. His first program with the CIA refined the ppolygraph test to a psychological art and was used several years after the war.

One morning after working all night, he was about to water his Dracaena and wondered if it might be possible to measure the length of time it would take the water to travelp up the stem of the plant from the roots to reach the leaves. So he connected his Dracaena to one of his polygraph machines. Once the water reached the spot between the electrodes, the moisture would contaminate the circuit and be recorded as a drop in resistance.

In 1966, the technology consisted of a set of electrode plates which were attached to two of a subject's fingers through which a tiny current of electricity was passed. The smalles changes were picked up by the plates and recorded on a paper chart where a pen traced a continuous line. When someone lied or experienced any emotions such as excitement or fear, the size of the line would dramatically increase to the top of the chart.

Backster put one of the long leaves of his plant between the two sensor held by a rubber band. He expected to see an upward trend in the line when he watered his plant, but instead, the line went downward and then gave a blip which is what happens when someone experiences fear of detection. He later learned that the waxy insulation between the cells in the plants causes an electrical discharge similar to human stress reactions during polygraph readings. So he decided to try getting a response if he threatened the plant, so he thought about burning the leaf. At that very moment, the recording pen swung to the top of the polygraph chart and nearly jumped off the paper! The plant had perceived the thought as a direct threat and registered extreme alarm.

Needless to say, Backster performed and documented many experiments with plants even from distances away from plants in other offices. He found that all living things, all life forms, were in tune with each other and could pass information back and forth, particularly in moments of threat or death.