Wil James and the narrator head out early in the morning for a conference resort, Viciente Lodge, where scientists interested in the Manuscript gather for research. While exploring the grounds, the narrator meets Sarah Lorner, a physics professor who studies the effects of energy on plants. She expounds the Third Insight and gives him a translated copy. According to the Manuscript, everything in the world is energy; perceiving energy fields allows one to interact with the world in different ways. The key to doing this is to become more deeply aware of the nature of beauty.

As the two tour the gardens, Sarah shows the narrator some practical implications of the Third Insight, demonstrating its impact on plant growth. He encounters other researchers, including Marjorie, a biologist to whom he finds himself instantly attracted. In the research gardens, the narrator witnesses how plants respond to human attention and interaction.

The narrator rises early the next day to learn more from Sarah; instead, he meets Phil Stone, who helps him see and tap into his own energy. Sarah arrives later and guides the narrator into seeing the energy fields around plants.