Are Plants Conscious?

And where do we draw the line between consciousness and awareness?

Hiya!

Have you ever noticed the subtle differences in the energy of various natural entities? Like, my sense of connection with plants feels different than my connection with the oceans, mountains, or deserts. The last three feel monumental, containing galaxies of shadowed wisdom and awe-inspiring magnificence—whereas plants are like a community, more like us.

As science advances, experts are discovering that perhaps plants actually are more like us. For instance, plants have some remarkable capabilities and behaviors that make some scientists wonder if plants are conscious. Understandably, this is a tricky and ongoing debate for several reasons, but one, in particular, is that science doesn’t exactly have any concrete way of defining consciousness. Then again, at least one scientist thinks he can.

Plants Appear Intelligent

Is it just me, or is it almost like we’re going through some sort of enlightenment? As if we’ve needed all the time since the last enlightenment — with Descartes and Socrates and such — to process the concept that we are consciously aware Beings with subjective experiences. We don’t understand how it works, but we’ve at least acknowledged it as a fact.

Now, though, we wonder if other animals, and even plants, are consciously aware too. We’ve spent decades exploring intelligence and consciousness throughout the animal kingdom, and in 2006, plant neurobiology became an official area of research recognized within the science community.

Those who suggest plants are conscious point to an array of evidence supporting the claim. For instance, plants talk. They also play tricks, learn, and react. Plus, a plant’s electrical signaling pathways are surprisingly similar to an animal’s nervous system, suggesting it’s possible that plants could behave intentionally. Even if it turns out that plants aren’t conscious, evidence suggests they’re at the very least, intelligent.

Yeah, Right

Although not everyone agrees, hence why plant consciousness is still fiercely debated. Those who disagree with the concept have varying reasons, including dismissing all current arguments nothing more than simple evolutionary adaptations — that a plant is simply reacting rather than acting with any real agency.

This paper from Novemeber 2020 argues against several factors regarding the potential consciousness of plants. In the end, they come to three conclusions:

(1) plants have not been shown to perform the proactive, anticipatory behaviors associated with consciousness, but only to sense and follow stimulus trails reactively;

(2) electrophysiological signaling in plants serves immediate physiological functions rather than integrative-information processing as in nervous systems of animals, giving no indication of plant consciousness;

(3) the controversial claim of classical Pavlovian learning in plants, even if correct, is irrelevant because this type of learning does not require consciousness.

While they make some great points, they aren’t all entirely accurate. In fact, the very same month, another paper was published, this time in Nature, which suggests at least one plant challenges all of the above.