Note: The "Joe Cell" (described in NEXUS magazine, Aug-Sep'98, pp. 43-46) is an electrical device attached to the carburetor of an ordinary automobile engine which allegedly enables it to run for extended periods with the fuel line disconnected.
Biodynamics is a science of natural forces and agriculture inspired by the Austrian philosopher Rudolf Steiner. It pre-dates "Organics" as the original alternative to chemical/industrial agriculture. Biodynamics has achieved limited recognition in the United States and Canada, but is widely practiced in Europe, New Zealand, and Australia.
The Joe Cell uses water as a storage medium, which,
when charged above a certain threshold, collects additional energy
as needed by the engine. The initial charge is not depleted as
the engine runs, but will dissipate under certain conditions.
This matches a key attribute of the biodynamic ether, which attracts
more ether to itself once the local concentration reaches a certain
threshold. Without adequate boundaries (or storage conditions)
the etheric charge build-up will dissipate.
The motive reaction in the engine seems to be *implosion*,
since the ignition timing must be advanced so far into the compression
stroke. (Note that 80 degrees is nearly 2/3 of a typical compression
cycle, which totals about 135 degrees in a 4 stroke engine.) Implosion
may be considered equivalent to "a sudden condensation of
the ether" which is also thought to be the motive reaction
that creates lightning and thunder in the atmosphere. According
to Biodynamic researchers, condensation is a state change from
a more rarefied ether into a less ratified one, releasing energy
in the process.
Biodynamics deals with four states of ether which are equivalent
to the four elements intuited by ancient philosophers:
Warmth Ether corresponds to the Fire element
Light Ether corresponds to the Air element
Tone Ether (or "Chemical Ether") corresponds to the Water element
Life Ether corresponds to the Earth element
In the physical world, substance tends to flow from a high
potential to a low potential. This is what the concept of "entropy"
and the Second Law of Thermodynamics are based on. But in the
etheric world of living energies, the inverse is true. Ether is
naturally attracted to itself and flows from low potential to
high potential. This is why living organisms continue to draw
nutrients and life forces into themselves while the rest of the
world is supposedly running down. Ether penetrates substance,
and substance influences ether. This dynamic interplay is essential
to life on the physical plane.
Under favorable conditions, the following etheric condensations
will occur:
Warmth Ether --> Light Ether, releasing energy as lightning
Light Ether --> Tone Ether, releasing energy as thunder
Tone Ether --> Life Ether, releasing energy as biological manifestation
Recall that lightning and thunder sometimes occur independently
of each other (as in "heat lightning" and "rolling
thunder"), while at other times they are closely linked.
Clearly any reasonable explanation for these phenomena must allow
for both cases. The common notion that lightning and thunder are
caused by static discharge between air masses is clearly untenable.
A buildup of static charge in such magnitudes could only occur
under extremely dry conditions; the typical thunderstorm is certainly
not dry.
The biodynamic researcher points to a well-defined cumulus
cloud in mid-summer as the ideal collector of etheric energy.
Hour by hour it grows, drawing abundant warmth ether from the
atmosphere into itself as well as particles of dust and moisture.
The cloud builds itself taller and taller, its boundaries sharply
distinct from the rest of the sky. Eventually the cloud becomes
saturated, turning darker and forming a mighty thunderhead. At
this point, anyone who is familiar with weather patterns in open
country is headed for shelter. They know that a violent thunderstorm
could be unleased at any moment.
Just a few months ago the author observed such a phenomena
in central Maryland. The top of the cloud was puffy and brilliant
white, illuminated by the late afternoon sun. In contrast, the
bottom was flat and dark, laden with moisture. Great bolts of
lightning began to crackle about its upper regions. The air felt
clear and energized while all around trees were bending and twisting
in sudden gusts of wind. When the storm finally broke it was both
fearsome and beautiful, a mighty discharge of lightning, thunder,
and rain.
We can surmise that the Joe Cell becomes highly charged
with etheric energy and that this charge is transferred through
the carburetor to the air entering each cylinder. As the compression
stroke begins the volume of air is compressed, causing a further
concentration of etheric charge. Soon the air becomes saturated
with ether. At this point conditions in the cylinder are similar
to those within the thunderhead. The ignition spark, far advanced
into the compression stroke, serves to catalyze a condensation
reaction of the compressed ether. This sudden change of state
causes the air mixture to contract sharply, generating power through
the remainder of the compression stroke. Therefore the air mixture
in each cylinder undergoes a structural change, not a chemical
one, and the flywheel is driven by *suction* rather than combustion.
With the exception of small amounts of vapor from engine oil and
perhaps trace elements from the engine and muffler, the exhaust
should be of substantially the same quality as the air intake.
Since warmth ether is the most rarefied ether, condensation
will have the effect of reducing or consuming warmth. Therefore
implosion is a cool process, which tends to absorb heat rather
than release it. This matches observations of the Joe Cell in
which the engine runs cold. Unlike combustion, implosion is a
"living" process, and as such produces no waste heat
or by-products.
All three styles of Joe Cell are based on concentric,
insulated cylinders. This is similar to the classic "orgone
accumulator" discovered by Wilhelm Reich. Reich found that
metals tended to conduct ether while organic materials tended
to absorb it. By layering the two types of materials together,
Reich caused a directional flow of ether to occur. The orgone
accumulator was a six-sided box constructed with alternating layers
of metal and non-metallic materials.
The inclusion of a 1.5 volt battery to maintain the charged
condition (and a 12 volt battery to create it) is an interesting
variation on the orgone accumulator design. There is precedent
for this idea in electrogravity documentation that has become
available in recent years. (See the USAF report "Electrogravitic
Systems" that was released in 1995 as well as patents by
T. Townsend Brown.) The basic idea is that a charged condenser
exhibits a tendency to move towards its positive terminal. This
is thought to result from a net movement of ether in the opposite
direction (from positive to negative). Therefore a static electric
charge stimulates a directional flow of ether.
The Joe Cell design implies a net movement of ether from
positive to negatively charged terminals (i.e. towards the center
of the cell and towards the engine).
The transfer of energy to the carburetor is accomplished
by several different conductors including plastic, copper, aluminum
and rubber tubing. The common material in all of these configurations
is the *air* inside the tubing. This is consistent with the biodynamic
view that oxygen is an excellent carrier of etheric forces. (Fertile
soils are said to contain 50% air for just this reason.) The metallic
carburetor housing would conduct the etheric energy to its interior
surfaces, where incoming air would absorb it and carry it into
the cylinders.
In conclusion, the Joe Cell offers a compelling view of how ordinary combustion engines might be modified to run on natural etheric energy. This could be an important direction for future research. Validation of the concept could be approached in three phases:
1. Collecting a high concentration of etheric charge. For some ideas on how to accomplish this, see Geometric Energy Fields which includes specific instructions for building resonant etheric devices.
2. Stimulating a sudden condensation of ether by means of electric spark and measuring the implosion effect in a pressurized container.
3. Achieving reproducible evidence of successive implosion events within a small engine mounted for laboratory testing.