Paranormal
We may all have heard of how crop circles are nothing but mere creations of hoaxers and may even have seen demonstrations of crop circle being made. However, what the medium of presentation, or the people involved will conventiently ignore are various characteristics that make the crop circles an uneasy phenomenon in the first place. We look at a few of the effects that crop circles have on crops, people and their characteristics in general.
Number, Complexity, Placement
Number and complexity. Some researchers contend that crop formations are too numerous and too complex to all have been made by humans. This may be the weakest argument against them being manmade as it naively underestimates the abilities and ingenuity of some people.Placement. While most crop circles can be found in readily accessible fields, some are not. Some have been found within restricted areas - "numerous accounts of crop circles appearing inside military installations that are fenced off (quite securely!) from the surrounding area. Most notably in Wiltshire along the Salisbury Plain." This article also points out that several crop circles have been formed away from the farmer's tram lines, which makes it very difficult for the circle makers to hide evidence of their presence.
Effects on Plants
Weaving. Researchers have long contended that the plants in genuine circles are weaved together in a particular way when they are flattened. Hoaxers have not been able to duplicate this pattern. "The plants are masterfully overlapping each other, and gently spiking into the standing crop in a spoke effect creating the circle, this is an effect that is not achieved by simply stomping on the plants with a board and or a garden roller, two tools commonly used by hoaxers to create fakes."Elongated nodes. Joseph E. Mason at "Arguments Against the Hoax Theory of Crop Circles" says that there is a distinct difference between crops that are bent in genuine circles and those bent by hoaxers. With photos to support his claim, Mason says: "The bent node of the plant from inside a [genuine] crop formation is elongated yet undamaged. Plant stems bent by people via mechanical means appear damaged and do not have the elongated nodes."
Blown nodes. Many plants inside genuine circles also have "blown nodes," according to Mason.
Dried ground. The soil beneath crop circles often appears inexplicably dehydrated, even after heavy rain.
Increased size. Dr. Eltjo H. Haselhoff, Ph.D., a former employee of Los Alamos National Laboratories, noted these alterations in crop circle plants in his research: "It was discovered that the plant stems inside these formations had increased in diameter, as an effect of intensive heating, with an astonishing circular symmetry. Moreover, this effect perfectly matched the radiation pattern of an electromagnetic point source at a height of four meters and ten centimeters above that field." This finding, he says, supports the contention that the formations were created by the "balls of light" that witnesses have claimed to see at crop circles.
Bent unbendable plants. Some plants just should not be able to be bent, say some researchers. "Crop circle formations often appear in canola (oil seed rape) fields," says Joseph Mason. "This plant has a consistency like celery. If the stalk is bent more than about 45-degrees, it snaps apart. Yet, in a 'genuine' crop circle formation, the stalks are often bent flat at 90-degrees. No botanist or other scientist has been able to explain this, nor has it ever been duplicated by a human being."
Altered seeds. Tests by some researchers have shown that seeds planted from crops that were part of crop circles grow abnormally. "Biophysical Effects found in Crop Formation Plants" by BLT Research says that the seed-heads (barley) from the 1992 formation at Barbury Castle are "stunted and seedless." Some crop circle plants also produce seeds that are noticeably smaller than normal plants.
Crop yield. At the other end of the spectrum, "Peculiarities of Crop Circles" says that some farmers have experienced increased crop yield in fields in which formations have appeared: "In 1997, Tim Carson who farms East Field (where the 'DNA' formation appeared in 1996) reported to researchers that his yield was up 30-40%."
Cellular changes. There are microscopic changes as well, Joseph Mason says, and provides photos that show the differences. It isn't explained what the differences mean, however. BLT Research also show that depict an unexplained cell wall enlargement in a crop circle wheat plant.
Electromagnetic and Radiation Effects
Effects on equipment. Researchers claim that their electronic equipment is often affected when they are examining crop circles. "There have been numerous reports of electronic equipment failing in crop circles and compasses spinning out of control in and over the crop circles (when flying over in aircraft)," according to "Peculiarities of Crop Circles". "This range of equipment includes watches, mobile phones, batteries, cameras. No explanations for these occurrences, other than the indication of a strong EM field distortions."EM measurements. Longtime crop circle investigator Colin Andrews says he has recorded electromagnetic (EM) measurements of 40-50 nano Teslas at the centers of some formations, which he says is 10 times the radiation level of a normal field.
Strange sounds. Researchers say they have sometimes detected an unexplained sound at 5KHz frequency emanating from crop circles for just a few days after they are formed. "This corresponds to reports of eyewitnesses who often claim to hear a 'trilling' sound coming from the direction of the formations," says "Peculiarities of Crop Circles".
Radioactive isotopes. In 1991, two American nuclear physicists, Michael Chorost and Marshall Dudley, applied their expertise to crop circle research. "After subjecting a number of seed and soil samples to rigorous lab analysis," according to Freddy Silva's article, "Analysis of Crop-Circle Affected Crops and Soil," "their main discovery was that the soil in genuine formations contained no less than four, short-lived radioactive isotopes - vanadium, europium, tellurium and ytterbium. Tests conducted on soil from the Beckhampton July 31 formation yielded alpha emissions 198% above control samples, beta emissions 48% above, both of which seemed 'strikingly elevated,' since they were two to three times as radioactive as soil from outside the formation." Analyzed DNA samples from plants in another circle were found to be considerably more degraded than that of surrounding plants.
Effect on people
Extremes of physical effects on people who enter crop circles have been reported. While some feel elation, others feel ill effects, including "nausea, headaches, dizziness, tingling sensations, pains and giddiness." Some claim their menstrual cycles have been affected while others say they have literally been knocked off their feet.People aren't the only ones affected. According to "Crop Circles: A Deeper Look" from the Foundation for Paranormal Research, "one researcher allowed his dog to enter a newly formed circle. The dog became violently ill and vomited for about an hour afterward. Sheep in the area go into a frenzy."
Another witness testified: "During a third visit into the main Chiseldon formation in 1996 I encountered a couple who couldn't understand why their normally placid cat suddenly became agitated the moment he crossed the threshold of the formation. He protested and looked around frantically for a way out. Once outside he was back to his normal self."
Mathematics
Euclidean geometry. Some researchers contend that certain crop circle formations contain sophisticated geometry that an ordinary hoaxer most likely would not even understand. Gerald S. Hawkins, former Chairman of the astronomy department at Boston University, says that he detected relationships between crop circles and Euclidean geometry. According to an article at "The Crop Circular", "Hawkins found that he could use the principles of Euclidean geometry to prove four theorems derived from the relationships among the areas depicted in crop circles. He also discovered a fifth, more general theorem, from which he could derive the other four. 'This theorem involves concentric circles which touch the sides of a triangle, and as the [triangle] changes shape, it generates the special crop-circle geometries,' he says. Hawkins could find no reference to such a theorem in the works of Euclid or in any other book that he consulted. In July 1995, however, 'the crop-circle makers... showed knowledge of this fifth theorem.'" (Link)Diatonic ratios. At least one article claims that the circle makers, whoever or whatever they are, have been encoding within crop circles diatonic ratios - how notes in music are related to each other. "Musicians have used the musical notes of the first octave to encode messages in their music," the article says. "For example, the last fugue of Bach keeps repeating notes B-A-C-H. The Circlemakers, since 1988, have also been encoding messages by including diatonic ratios, and hence sets of notes. When geometries are tested against lists of initials, the code appears to fit one and only one list: the first 25 presidents of the Society for Psychical Research of London." A reason why the circle makers might identify these people is not offered in the article. "Music and Harmonics" at Crop Circle Research.com offers additional information and some sound samples. (Link)
Sacred geometry. "The Sacred Geometry of Crop Circles" says that so-called sacred geometry is evident in crop formations and reflect "the universe, its pure forms and dynamic equilibriums shared a higher purpose: the attainment of spiritual wholeness through self-reflection, thereby giving structural insight into the workings of the inner self. When analyzing crop circle forms through the precise and unalterable practice of sacred geometry one cannot help but appreciate that a mind of scholarly intelligence is involved. That these symbols are occurring primarily in wheat, the very symbol of the Earth Mother, is significant in itself. Perhaps they are here to draw us as a race together by this interaction with our symbol of life?" (Link)
