241
Intuitive Farming
rational process, which is slower, controlled, conducted with awareness, neutral and can be verbalised (Kahneman, 2003; Hodgkinson, Langan-Fox and Sadler-Smith, 2008; Keller and Sadler-Smith,
2019).
In an attempt to understand the mechanics of intuition, McCraty (2015) breaks it down into three
types: implicit intuition – that is knowledge gained through tacit learning, which is the most commonly understood type; energetic sensitivity – when the nervous system detects and responds to
signals in the environment, such as from electromagnetic felds; and non-local intuition – which is
not limited to time and space, such as precognition or clairvoyance.
While intuition seems to operate with neural correlates across various regions of the brain (Keller
and Sadler-Smith, 2019), the heart, which has an electromagnetic feld 5,000 times stronger than
the brain, seems to be involved in receiving, processing and decoding intuitive information and can
respond to an event before it actually happens (McCraty, 2015). These considerations may explain
both the immediacy of intuition and the possibility of the information originating from outside the
body.
INTUITIVE OR INTERSPECIES COMMUNICATION
Some researchers have explored the associations between intuition and interspecies communication
(Erickson, 2011; Kieft, 2015; McCraty, 2015). Dutton and Williams (2009) reviewed empirical and
anecdotal evidence for animal psychic or paranormal phenomena (termed psi, such as is associated
with non-local intuition), mostly between humans and domesticated or laboratory animals. The
evidence supports the idea that there is psi communication between humans and other species, and
the researchers conclude that future research in this area should carefully consider the assumptions
around how psi is expressed and interpreted in animals. Erickson (2011) advises against clinging
to conventional perceptions of human/animal communication. This accords with the discussion by
Tompkins and Bird (1973: 22–24), on the scientifc evidence for extrasensory perception (ESP) and
communication between humans and plants.
Intuitive interspecies communication is described, not as a one-way fow of information, but as a
dialogue, and the information is often conveyed somatically (through the body) in the form of feelings, sensations and emotions. From both epistemological and phenomenological perspectives, this
makes it diffcult to accurately translate into a linguistic form, and the authors call for an expansion
of the theory of language, as well as the vocabulary (Gagliano and Gimonprez, 2015; Kulick, 2017).
For example, the terms and concepts of ‘noetic ecology’ – the different ways of knowing nature
(Zylstra et al., 2018) – and ‘ecofuency’ – the ability to fuidly and accurately communicate with
other-than-human nature using an expanded spectrum of human sensory awareness (von Diest,
2019) – may help the exploration of the human–nature relationship through diverse ways of knowing
and communicating.
APPLYING INTUITION IN FARMING
EMERGING RESEARCH ON INTUITIVE COMMUNICATION IN FARMING
While there is growing evidence of farmers using their intuition, Kieft (2006, 2015) provides the
earliest published scientifc research in English on intuitive communication informing practical
management decisions in agriculture. Surveying farming practices in Europe, Sri Lanka and South
America, he found that additional practices such as meditation and dowsing assisted in conversing
with nature. Importantly, the reliability of intuitive information depends on one’s paradigm,
A set of ideas and assumptions on how people perceive life, beings, things, the natural and the
super-natural and the processes in the world around them - determines what questions you ask, how
you try to know nature, and hence how you farm.
Kieft (2015: 182)
Intuitive Farming
rational process, which is slower, controlled, conducted with awareness, neutral and can be verbalised (Kahneman, 2003; Hodgkinson, Langan-Fox and Sadler-Smith, 2008; Keller and Sadler-Smith,
2019).
In an attempt to understand the mechanics of intuition, McCraty (2015) breaks it down into three
types: implicit intuition – that is knowledge gained through tacit learning, which is the most commonly understood type; energetic sensitivity – when the nervous system detects and responds to
signals in the environment, such as from electromagnetic felds; and non-local intuition – which is
not limited to time and space, such as precognition or clairvoyance.
While intuition seems to operate with neural correlates across various regions of the brain (Keller
and Sadler-Smith, 2019), the heart, which has an electromagnetic feld 5,000 times stronger than
the brain, seems to be involved in receiving, processing and decoding intuitive information and can
respond to an event before it actually happens (McCraty, 2015). These considerations may explain
both the immediacy of intuition and the possibility of the information originating from outside the
body.
INTUITIVE OR INTERSPECIES COMMUNICATION
Some researchers have explored the associations between intuition and interspecies communication
(Erickson, 2011; Kieft, 2015; McCraty, 2015). Dutton and Williams (2009) reviewed empirical and
anecdotal evidence for animal psychic or paranormal phenomena (termed psi, such as is associated
with non-local intuition), mostly between humans and domesticated or laboratory animals. The
evidence supports the idea that there is psi communication between humans and other species, and
the researchers conclude that future research in this area should carefully consider the assumptions
around how psi is expressed and interpreted in animals. Erickson (2011) advises against clinging
to conventional perceptions of human/animal communication. This accords with the discussion by
Tompkins and Bird (1973: 22–24), on the scientifc evidence for extrasensory perception (ESP) and
communication between humans and plants.
Intuitive interspecies communication is described, not as a one-way fow of information, but as a
dialogue, and the information is often conveyed somatically (through the body) in the form of feelings, sensations and emotions. From both epistemological and phenomenological perspectives, this
makes it diffcult to accurately translate into a linguistic form, and the authors call for an expansion
of the theory of language, as well as the vocabulary (Gagliano and Gimonprez, 2015; Kulick, 2017).
For example, the terms and concepts of ‘noetic ecology’ – the different ways of knowing nature
(Zylstra et al., 2018) – and ‘ecofuency’ – the ability to fuidly and accurately communicate with
other-than-human nature using an expanded spectrum of human sensory awareness (von Diest,
2019) – may help the exploration of the human–nature relationship through diverse ways of knowing
and communicating.
APPLYING INTUITION IN FARMING
EMERGING RESEARCH ON INTUITIVE COMMUNICATION IN FARMING
While there is growing evidence of farmers using their intuition, Kieft (2006, 2015) provides the
earliest published scientifc research in English on intuitive communication informing practical
management decisions in agriculture. Surveying farming practices in Europe, Sri Lanka and South
America, he found that additional practices such as meditation and dowsing assisted in conversing
with nature. Importantly, the reliability of intuitive information depends on one’s paradigm,
A set of ideas and assumptions on how people perceive life, beings, things, the natural and the
super-natural and the processes in the world around them - determines what questions you ask, how
you try to know nature, and hence how you farm.
Kieft (2015: 182)