--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Well, they couldn’t, so apparently each…" description: "\"“Well, they couldn’t, so apparently each of these cells has a consciousness, maybe, of its own. Are you with me?” Chris nodded. “Yeah, a little.” “Good..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e1d/william-peter-blatty-6688_human-body_well-they-couldn-t-so-apparently-each-of_2189100.jpg" --- # Well, they couldn’t, so apparently each of these cells has… ![“Well, they couldn’t, so apparently each of these cells has a consciousness, maybe, of its own. Are you with me?” Chris nodded. “Yeah, a little.” “Good. Now imagine that the human body” quote by William Peter Blatty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e1d/william-peter-blatty-6688_human-body_well-they-couldn-t-so-apparently-each-of_2189100.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e1d/william-peter-blatty-6688_human-body_well-they-couldn-t-so-apparently-each-of_2189100.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e1d/william-peter-blatty-6688_human-body_well-they-couldn-t-so-apparently-each-of_2189100.jpg) > ““Well, they couldn’t, so apparently each of these cells has a consciousness, maybe, of its own. Are you with me?” Chris nodded. “Yeah, a little.” “Good. Now imagine that the human body”” [William Peter Blatty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-peter-blatty/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Each cell may act as an independent conscious unit, suggesting the body is a collective of many minds. **In simple terms:** Cells act like tiny minds. Key Takeaway Consider the body as many conscious parts. Themes biology philosophy consciousness collectivism Mood curious thoughtful Type analytical philosophical When to use this quote - medical research - psychology - neuroscience - philosophical debate Key Concepts cellular autonomy emergent consciousness Questions to Reflect On - How does viewing cells as conscious change your view of health? - What are the limits of this metaphor? A Different Perspective The analogy may oversimplify complex biological processes. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Apparently Cells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/apparently-cells-4761476/) [Cells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cells/) [Cells Consciousness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cells-consciousness-4761475/) [Consciousness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consciousness/) [Consciousness Maybe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consciousness-maybe-3322897/) [Human body](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-body/) ## Related quotes > [There is no permanent in this world. In your consciousness, maybe tomorrow we rich.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/innah-delos-angeles/there-is-no-permanent-in-this-world-in-your-consciousness-maybe/) [Innah Delos Angeles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/innah-delos-angeles/) > [“After more than a hundred years of debate, quantum scientists still believe that the physical world is a law-based machine… Perhaps the time will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-gottlieb/after-more-than-a-hundred-years-of-debate-quantum-scientists-still/) [Larry Gottlieb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-gottlieb/) > [“The human body is a tube and tank machine with an electrical system that is made up of trillions of cells and two fluids,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-w-reese/the-human-body-is-a-tube-and-tank-machine-with-an-electrical-system/) [Kevin W. Reese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-w-reese/) > [If you are building a thirty-story building and you use worm-eaten wood for the frame, inferior structural supports, and other fourth-rate, low-grade materials, what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-diamond/if-you-are-building-a-thirty-story-building-and-you-use-worm-eaten/) [Harvey Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-diamond/) > [But, as Douglas E Harding has pointed out, we tend to think of this planet as a life-infested rock, which is as absurd as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-watts/but-as-douglas-e-harding-has-pointed-out-we-tend-to-think-of-this/) [Alan Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-watts/) > [In reality, a cell is a biological mini-me compared to the human body. A cell has every biological system that you have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-reality-a-cell-is-a-biological-mini-me-compared-to-the-human-body/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Upon the union of the male germ cell with the female egg cell, a new cell is created which almost immediately splits into two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-lous-lange/upon-the-union-of-the-male-germ-cell-with-the-female-egg-cell-a-new/) [Christian Lous Lange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-lous-lange/) > [Just one living cell in the human body is, more complex than New York City.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linus-pauling/just-one-living-cell-in-the-human-body-is-more-complex-than-new-york/) [Linus Pauling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linus-pauling/) > [“We, through the cerebral cortex, add the consciousness, spirit and rationality, to this dolphin brained human body avatar. We control our destiny and this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-michel/we-through-the-cerebral-cortex-add-the-consciousness-spirit-and/) [Kevin Michel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-michel/) > [If the estimated age of the cosmos were shortened to seventy-two years, a human life would take about ten seconds. But look at time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-grudin/if-the-estimated-age-of-the-cosmos-were-shortened-to-seventy-two/) [Robert Grudin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-grudin/) > [“Can I tell you a boring science fact?" she whispered. "I bet you didn't learn it in Shadowhunter history class." "If you're trying to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/can-i-tell-you-a-boring-science-fact-she-whispered-i-bet-you-didn-t/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [Alas, everything that men say to one another is alike; the ideas they exchange are almost always the same, in their conversation. But inside…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-de-musset/alas-everything-that-men-say-to-one-another-is-alike-the-ideas-they/) [Alfred de Musset](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-de-musset/) > [We are beginning to see intimations of this in the implantation of computer devices into the human body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-kurzweil/we-are-beginning-to-see-intimations-of-this-in-the-implantation-of/) [Ray Kurzweil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-kurzweil/) > [The human body has been designed to resist an infinite number of changes and attacks brought about by its environment. The secret of good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-johnson/the-human-body-has-been-designed-to-resist-an-infinite-number-of/) [Harry Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-johnson/) > [Don't think you can...know you can! You human body is the most impressive tool you'll ever own. Even if you can't control everything, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-hardy/don-t-think-you-can-know-you-can-you-human-body-is-the-most/) [Jeff Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-hardy/) ## More by William Peter Blatty > [“Henri Bergson thought the principal function of the brain was to filter out most of reality so that we could focus on the tasks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-peter-blatty/henri-bergson-thought-the-principal-function-of-the-brain-was-to/) [William Peter Blatty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-peter-blatty/) > [God never talks. But the devil keeps advertising, Father. The devil does a lot of commercials.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-peter-blatty/god-never-talks-but-the-devil-keeps-advertising-father-the-devil-does/) [William Peter Blatty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-peter-blatty/) > [“Ah, well … at last I realized that God would never ask of me that which I know to be psychologically impossible; that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-peter-blatty/ah-well-at-last-i-realized-that-god-would-never-ask-of-me-that-which/) [William Peter Blatty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-peter-blatty/) > [“We have familiar experience of the order, the constancy, the perpetual renovation of the material world which surrounds us. Frail and transitory as is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-peter-blatty/we-have-familiar-experience-of-the-order-the-constancy-the-perpetual/) [William Peter Blatty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-peter-blatty/) > [“More rooted in logic was the silence of God. In the world there was evil and much of it resulted from doubt, from an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-peter-blatty/more-rooted-in-logic-was-the-silence-of-god-in-the-world-there-was/) [William Peter Blatty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-peter-blatty/) > [As far as God goes, I \_am\_ a nonbeliever. Still am. But when it comes to a devil---well, that's something else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-peter-blatty/as-far-as-god-goes-i-am-a-nonbeliever-still-am-but-when-it-comes-to-a/) [William Peter Blatty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-peter-blatty/) > [Well, the research into it affected me. And the novel, it very much strengthened my faith.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-peter-blatty/well-the-research-into-it-affected-me-and-the-novel-it-very-much/) [William Peter Blatty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-peter-blatty/) > [The demon is a liar. He will lie to confuse us; but he will also mix lies with the truth to attack us. His…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-peter-blatty/the-demon-is-a-liar-he-will-lie-to-confuse-us-but-he-will-also-mix/) [William Peter Blatty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-peter-blatty/) > [“Abruptly sagging, Chris stared at the floor. “Go ahead,” she said softly. “Do whatever you have to. Just make her well.” “May”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-peter-blatty/abruptly-sagging-chris-stared-at-the-floor-go-ahead-she-said-softly/) [William Peter Blatty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-peter-blatty/) > [I didn't read The Haunting of Hill House until sometime early in the 1990's.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-peter-blatty/i-didn-t-read-the-haunting-of-hill-house-until-sometime-early-in-the/) [William Peter Blatty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-peter-blatty/) > [“Well, what’s wrong?” “I don’t know, Doc, I just can’t describe it! Please come over right away! Come now!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-peter-blatty/well-what-s-wrong-i-don-t-know-doc-i-just-can-t-describe-it-please/) [William Peter Blatty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-peter-blatty/) > [“They Said, "what sign can you give us to see, so that we may believe you?" - John 6: 30 - 31 You do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-peter-blatty/they-said-what-sign-can-you-give-us-to-see-so-that-we-may-believe-you/) [William Peter Blatty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-peter-blatty/) > [I lived in Georgetown in the late 70s about four houses down from the steps.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-peter-blatty/i-lived-in-georgetown-in-the-late-70s-about-four-houses-down-from-the/) [William Peter Blatty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-peter-blatty/) > [“He thought of death in its infinite groanings, of Aztecs ripping out living hearts and of cancer and three-year-olds buried alive and he wondered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-peter-blatty/he-thought-of-death-in-its-infinite-groanings-of-aztecs-ripping-out/) [William Peter Blatty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-peter-blatty/) > [“We mourn the blossoms of May because they are to wither; but we know that May is one day to have its revenge upon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-peter-blatty/we-mourn-the-blossoms-of-may-because-they-are-to-wither-but-we-know/) [William Peter Blatty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-peter-blatty/) [Explore all 92 William Peter Blatty quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-peter-blatty/) ## More Cells quotes > [Bush reiterated his stand to conservatives opposing his decision on stem cell research. He said today he believes life begins at conception and ends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/bush-reiterated-his-stand-to-conservatives-opposing-his-decision-on/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [Windmills and solar cells are carbon-free sources of electricity. But they are costly. If you've been investing in those, give it up. That game…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-fisher/windmills-and-solar-cells-are-carbon-free-sources-of-electricity-but/) [Kenneth Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-fisher/) > [The weird thing was that Soft Cell was supposed to have come and gone before I started the album.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-almond/the-weird-thing-was-that-soft-cell-was-supposed-to-have-come-and-gone/) [Marc Almond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-almond/) > [All of your brain cells rotting from weed, feeling like if you ain’t got it life’s not as complete.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hopsin/all-of-your-brain-cells-rotting-from-weed-feeling-like-if-you-ain-t/) [Hopsin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hopsin/) > [I've been thinking about the record since I reached the fifty plateau. But you think about it and then you let it go because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mcgwire/i-ve-been-thinking-about-the-record-since-i-reached-the-fifty-plateau/) [Mark McGwire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mcgwire/) > [To all conservative women out there: If you are so sure the embryo needed for stem cell research are precious human life that can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/to-all-conservative-women-out-there-if-you-are-so-sure-the-embryo/) [Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/) > [I like everything with a heaping dose of feminitity, including my cell phone. I created this phone for the classic woman, who like me,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimora-lee-simmons/i-like-everything-with-a-heaping-dose-of-feminitity-including-my-cell/) [Kimora Lee Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimora-lee-simmons/) > [Especially for those of us who lived in single cells, you had the time to sit down and think, and we discovered that sitting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/especially-for-those-of-us-who-lived-in-single-cells-you-had-the-time/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) > [Well, you know, they use those words so that they can scare people "terror" and "cell."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosie-o-donnell/well-you-know-they-use-those-words-so-that-they-can-scare-people/) [Rosie O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosie-o-donnell/) > [Only cells that had been transformed by a virus or a genetic mutation had the potential to become immortal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-skloot/only-cells-that-had-been-transformed-by-a-virus-or-a-genetic-mutation/) [Rebecca Skloot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-skloot/) > [We know life is futile. A man who considers that his life is of very wonderful importance is awfully close to a padded cell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarence-darrow/we-know-life-is-futile-a-man-who-considers-that-his-life-is-of-very/) [Clarence Darrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarence-darrow/) > [To defy heredity is to defy billions of years, to defy the first cell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emile-m-cioran/to-defy-heredity-is-to-defy-billions-of-years-to-defy-the-first-cell/) [Emile M. Cioran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emile-m-cioran/) > [It required unusual inquisitiveness to pursue the development of scientific curiosities such as charged pith balls, the voltaic cell, and the electrostatic machine. Without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-seitz/it-required-unusual-inquisitiveness-to-pursue-the-development-of/) [Frederick Seitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-seitz/) > [For me, and this may not be everybody, but because I do love country music so much, there's such a feeling of home in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrett-hedlund/for-me-and-this-may-not-be-everybody-but-because-i-do-love-country/) [Garrett Hedlund](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrett-hedlund/) > [It turns out that this part of the brain is one of the first areas that's attacked by Alzheimer's disease. So we can now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-keefe/it-turns-out-that-this-part-of-the-brain-is-one-of-the-first-areas/) [John O'Keefe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-keefe/) [Browse all 1,510 Cells quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cells/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Well, they couldn’t, so apparently each of these cells has a consciousness, maybe, of its own. Are you with me?” Chris nodded. “Yeah, a little.” “Good. Now imagine that the human body”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "William Peter Blatty" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-peter-blatty/well-they-couldn-t-so-apparently-each-of-these-cells-has-a/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Cells" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-peter-blatty/well-they-couldn-t-so-apparently-each-of-these-cells-has-a/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e1d/william-peter-blatty-6688_human-body_well-they-couldn-t-so-apparently-each-of_2189100.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e1d/william-peter-blatty-6688_human-body_well-they-couldn-t-so-apparently-each-of_2189100.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e1d/william-peter-blatty-6688_human-body_well-they-couldn-t-so-apparently-each-of_2189100.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Well, they couldn’t, so apparently each of these cells has a consciousness, maybe, of its own. Are you with…” — William Peter Blatty", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "William Peter Blatty", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-peter-blatty/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Well, they couldn’t, so apparently each...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-peter-blatty/well-they-couldn-t-so-apparently-each-of-these-cells-has-a/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-peter-blatty/well-they-couldn-t-so-apparently-each-of-these-cells-has-a/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```