The Hundred Monkey Phenomenon:

‘…when a certain critical number achieves an awareness, this new awareness may be communicated from mind to mind. Although the exact number may vary, this Hundredth Monkey Phenomenon means that when only a limited number of people know of a new way, it may remain the conscious property of these people. But there is a point at which if only one more person tunes-in to a new awareness, a field is strengthened so that this awareness is picked up by almost everyone!’ The Hundredth Monkey Ken Keyes Jnr.

Notion of Critical Mass:

The whole notion of ‘critical mass’ is a pseudo-scientific crock – see http://skepdic.com/monkey

RICHARD: In the 1950’s primatologists in Japan discovered and carefully documented the spread, from monkey to monkey, of a particular feeding behaviour within a group of macaques (rhesus monkeys) on Koshima Islet. The primatologists supplied a group of free-range macaques with sweet potatoes. One young macaque discovered that washing the potatoes in the sea or in a stream removed the dirt and sand. Gradually some other macaques in her group learned to wash their potatoes, which learning demonstrated, according to the primatologists, a ‘pre-cultural’ transmission of technique.

However, it was alleged by Mr. Lyall Watson in his book ‘Lifetide’ that suddenly and spontaneously and mysteriously monkeys on other islands, with no physical contact with the potato-washing group, started washing potatoes. Was this really monkey telepathy or wishful thinking by the author? In 1979 Mr. Lyall Watson claimed his information came from ‘personal anecdotes and bits of folklore amongst primate researchers’ and in 1986, in a response to Mr. Ron Amundson’s critique in the summer edition of the ‘Sceptical Inquirer’, 1985, pp. 348-356, Mr. Lyall Watson mentioned ‘off-the-record conversations with those familiar with the potato-washing work’ as being his source-material.

It makes for an alluring NDA story, but it is not factual: according to Mr. Robert Carroll (http://skepdic.com/monkey.html) after six years not all the monkeys on Koshima Islet even, saw the benefit of washing the grit off of their potatoes, let alone elsewhere ... the claim that monkeys on other islands had their consciousness raised to the high level of the potato-washing group has no basis in fact.

Mr. Markus Possel contacted Mr. Masao Kawai (one of the original primatologists):

• Mr. Markus Possel: [Are you] aware of any sweet potato washing or other skills that propagated more rapidly than would be expected by normal, individual, ‘pre-cultural propagation?
• Mr. Masao Kawai: No.
• Mr. Markus Possel: [Have you] heard any ‘anecdotes or bits of folklore’ among [your] primatologist colleagues regarding rapid behaviour propagation, and [do you] know of any contacts between Lyall Watson and [your] colleagues?
• Mr. Masao Kawai: No. [I believe] that the idea of telepathy may have been introduced by Western countries. (www.csicop.org/si/9605/monkey.html).

Undeterred by facts, the claim has lead to a burgeoning cult-movement known as ‘The Hundredth Monkey Phenomenon’. Viz.:

• ‘The Japanese monkey, Macaca fuscata, had been observed in the wild for a period of over 30 years. In 1952, on the island of Koshima, scientists were providing monkeys with sweet potatoes dropped in the sand. The monkeys liked the taste of the raw sweet potatoes, but they found the dirt unpleasant. An 18-month-old female named Imo found she could solve the problem by washing the potatoes in a nearby stream. She taught this trick to her mother. Her playmates also learned this new way and they taught their mothers too. This cultural innovation was gradually picked up by various monkeys before the eyes of the scientists. Between 1952 and 1958 all the young monkeys learned to wash the sandy sweet potatoes to make them more palatable. Only the adults who imitated their children learned this social improvement. Other adults kept eating the dirty sweet potatoes. Then something startling took place. In the autumn of 1958, a certain number of Koshima monkeys were washing sweet potatoes – the exact number is not known. Let us suppose that when the sun rose one morning there were 99 monkeys on Koshima Island who had learned to wash their sweet potatoes. Let’s further suppose that later that morning, the hundredth monkey learned to wash potatoes. THEN IT HAPPENED! By that evening almost everyone in the tribe was washing sweet potatoes before eating them. The added energy of this hundredth monkey somehow created an ideological breakthrough! But notice. A most surprising thing observed by these scientists was that the habit of washing sweet potatoes then jumped over the sea – colonies of monkeys on other islands and the mainland troop of monkeys at Takasakiyama began washing their sweet potatoes. Thus, when a certain critical number achieves an awareness, this new awareness may be communicated from mind to mind. Although the exact number may vary, this Hundredth Monkey Phenomenon means that when only a limited number of people know of a new way, it may remain the conscious property of these people. But there is a point at which if only one more person tunes-in to a new awareness, a field is strengthened so that this awareness is picked up by almost everyone!’. (www.worldtrans.org/pos/monkey.html).

And again:

• ‘[The Hundredth Monkey Principal] implies that, theoretically, fundamental change can be catalysed by a small proportion of people – a 51% majority is not needed. This principle was coined during 1950s studies of Japanese macaques. A certain number of macaques on one island learned to wash yams before eating them, to protect their teeth. It was then discovered that macaques on other islands were suddenly learning this too – without inter-island contact. Thus arose the notion that a field of awareness exists, common to all macaques. When sufficiently impregnated with a new idea, this mind-field allowed other macaques to utilise that idea. Thus, things change when their morphic patterns change. Legislators, reformers and revolutionaries have all tried to change our world, yet resistance, corruption or disunity lead to unfulfilled objectives – what’s missing is a shift in the heart of humanity. What is crucial is that humanity can make such shifts only of its own free will – anything less makes new problems. At the Millennium, we know that changes are needed, but we know not how. Today, many people are conscious that things aren’t right. Not knowing where to start, we avoid starting. Psychic trash, heartache, angst and buried dreams obstruct healthy social functioning: we defend our patch against them, and we thereby misunderstand both them and us. The hundredth monkey principle suggests that our deeper psyches are implicitly connected and talk to each other. If someone gives out a strong, clear, wholesome enough message deep in their heart and soul, it is registered deep down in the world psyche. If many people do it, the signal emitted is infinitely greater than the sum total of all individual signals’. (www.newage.com.au/home/M100.html).

Editorial note: the text immediately above is no longer at that URL ... it remains here for its historical value and an example of how things come and go on the internet. (Richard, List B, No. 25e, 3 November 1999).

1200 Gods:

The last time I looked up the subject there were about 1200 gods and goddesses (and that does not include all of the Hindu pantheon).

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