I must emphasize that this experiment does not imply that rice is conscious.
There have been other experiments on plants that showed some interesting effects; see, “The Secret Life of Plants: a Fascinating Account of the Physical, Emotional, and Spiritual Relations Between Plants and Man”, by by Peter Tompkins and Christopher Bird (1989).
-Those experiments have led some people to conclude that plants ate conscious.
– There have been many experiments on water as well; see, “The Hidden Messages in Water” by Masaru Emoto (2005).
But, it is not that rice, plants, or water has consciousness. But our thoughts can affect them. In a way, it is really about setting background conditions.
– In a practical example, when we don’t keep our houses clean, it becomes an environment for insects and bugs to thrive. Not only that, but unseen beings with “bad character” are attracted too. The they can affect the minds of those who live in the house. Such effects are not obvious, but can be seen in extreme cases.
When other people tried to repeat those experiments, they did not get similar results. But that is because, they did not have the right mindset as I pointed out above.
Our world is very complex. Power of human mind is unbelievable. But again, I don’t want people to start exploring these phenomena. It is just that this is another piece of evidence of the power of the human mind.