My Sentient and Intelligent Plant

Plants are conscious and aware, some probably more so than others just like animals, and if you take care of one and are constantly monitoring and consciously observing it, you will see signs of intelligence that are very difficult to explain away under normal Western scientific thought and dogma.

This is a very short personal story about whats convinced me beyond reasonable doubt that plants are not only sentient, but have observable intelligence as well.

Recently a plant Ive been taking care of under a grow light was experiencing an overheating of some of its sub-canopy leaves that had developed prior to having been placed under this light. The heat from the light was slowly burning these sub-canopy leaves (one specifically), but the upper leaves were thriving as they grew up in that light intensity.

Now youd think, if you believed in the whole "plants arnt sentient/intelligent/aware/conscious" thing, that the plant would simply either not respond, or respond in a static, mechanical way, such as... well, doing nothing and going about its business as usual, ie: not noticing anything was actually happening, because there was no observer to observe the event and respond accordingly; ie, no consciousness.

But thats not what happened.

As the leaf slowly burned over days, very slowly getting brown in specific but large areas of the center, what happened was amazing. Another leaf (these leaves are on different stalks but part of the same plant, and it was resting underneath the burning one, the stems forming about a 30 degree angle with each other, point out, to give you an idea) at approximately the same height that was more tolerant of the heat, and was situated adjacent but slightly BELOW the burning leaf, over the course of approximately 1 day moved itself out from underneath the burning leaf, and then placed itself ABOVE the one that was getting burned, shielding the distressed leaf from excess heat reaching its surface.

It remained there for about 2 days. In that time I had raised the grow light higher to reduce heat. It sensed that heat reduction, and knew the burning leaf had stopped burning (which of course it did) and was in the clear, then moved itself back to its original position, slightly beneath the burned leaf. Note that never did the healthy leaf PUSH the burning one; it went completely around it in a "C" shaped pattern both times to protect it from the heat, and also to return to its original position once the danger to the distressed leaf had passed.

The leaf has not moved since returning to its original location after the burning of the other ceased.

That is conscious intelligence at work, folks.

The scoffers will scoff.

The skeptics will skepticate.

But I personally witnessed it at each stage, and cannot be convinced there was not both sentience and intelligence behind that feat.

Also, if you just open yourself up a bit, you can feel the spiritual presence of plants (and animals). They are ALL conscious, with intelligent spirits. As much as I believed this before, witnessing this event makes me believe it all the more so now.

Pseudo-skeptics and habitual scoffers, go nuts

Move your light again and see if it moves. The leaves follow the light. I'm an indoor grower as well.

reply to post by becomingaware


The canopy is too high to lower the light now. Im using a high powered CFL, so while the heat is minimal, it cannot be moved down any further. To get to the original position would have the bulb resting in the canopy.

Also, I could never run a test like that on a sentient creature, deliberately burning it to see what it does.

But I can assure you this was not an instance of the light changing location. Ive observed this plant constantly for months; I guess I know its habits. The canopy leaves are somewhat responsive to the light shifting altitude, but these sub-canopy leaves do not move when the light does. The light never shifts X or Z position either.

reply to post by CaticusMaximus


Very cool.

What's its name? I have a basil herb that I named Fred and a wildflower that I named Basil. I glued googly eyes on them, (the pots), but they don't have a nose or mouth.

I'm thinking of getting some fuzzy yarn to make mouths but I haven't decided how to make noses.

reply to post by CaticusMaximus

That is conscious intelligence at work, folks.

That's phototropism at work, CacticusMaximus. Give it time, the way you are stressing the poor thing, it will likely turn to a hermaphrodite, which is infinitely more complex than phototropism. Yeah, it's sentient, give it a break and hoist those sodium lamps another 6 inches.

reply to post by CaticusMaximus

You should look into an experiment done by Masaru Emoto:

In another experiment, two jars with a small amount of cooked rice were sealed, and labeled with messages, one positive (“Thank You”) and one negative (“You Fool”), and had these messages spoken to them by children everyday for one month. After the duration of the experiment, the jar of rice that was influenced positively grew a bright, colorful orange mold, while the other “abused” jar of rice was covered in a drab, brown mold. This experiment was done with the hopes of proving that microbes are conscious entities, and can process varying emotional variables. Based on the results, Dr. Emoto and his team concluded that microbes are indeed conscious of their surroundings.

everything2.com...

I have no further input on these tests, and can't verify the results.
You can probably find more information with some quick research.
Experiments were also done to test the consciousness of water.

reply to post by Bybyots


Its not phototropism though, as said in post 3. I am familiar with the habits and responses of this plant, It was definitely not a response to a shift in light, one because Im familiar and know when and how the leaves shift, and two, because the shielding leaf moved BEFORE there was a change in light position. The light had been in a static location for far long enough for the leaves to adjust and find a location they liked.

This leaf shifted of its own volition without an apparent stimulus, and it was the ONLY leaf to shift position, and it shifted in a drastic and complex way. Thats why I mention that it made a "C" shaped movement pattern and did not just push the other leaf out of the way. I then watched it shift back once it had accomplished its goal and protected the burning leaf

And before speculation turns into something else, the plant is not MJ. Nothing illegal is going on.

ETA:

I would also like to add that phototropism is *growth* in response to a light source. This is a fully grown leaf that is moving without the light source changing position.

reply to post by CaticusMaximus


[color=gold]1 wonders is it the flower/fruit that is conscious or the plant/tree itself...

I was thinking this in relation to eating habits of some CREATOR Creations considering if in different forms or environment suits and CREATOR Creations just absorbing( some energy )as opposed to intake of what are felt living things which seems to generate a conscious discomfort for some CREATOR Creations who as of now practice these current eating habits of consume life to extract energy to live and not DIRECT energy. Perhaps the feeling or conscious reminder is a, reminder of a deeper part of many basically shouting out that this isn't your normal way of energy ingesting to survive... And so that's when 1 came to the question is it the fruit/flower from the plant/vine/root/tree or the actual producer of the fruits...

To go further consider how plants make pretty flowers to Attract pollinators for the plant to survive or if like Venus fly trap actual food capture. So kind of verifies you OP that yes there may be a not understood fully conscious connection within the plant life of EA*RTH. To add they are also attached to the planet and so perhaps the consciousness grows stronger as the connections of plant/tree to planet EA*RTH are considered. Also to add could go further from planet to STAR from STAR to STAR SYSTEM to STAR SYSTEMS to GALAXIES and from GALAXIES I think many see how this can go Collectively. Nice thread OP

NAMASTE*******

reply to post by Ophiuchus 13


I believe its the spirit, just in you and me, that is the one thats conscious.

Just like you and I are conscious of our hands, but our consciousness (spirit) is not situated IN our hands, so to speak, so too I think plants are conscious as a whole unit.

So those leaves that moved, they would be like our hands. If one of our hands was getting sun burned and it was hurting badly, we would try to shield it with something. If we had no object to shield it with, we might use our OTHER hand that was NOT sun burned to block the heat and light and shield the damaged part of our body, and allow that other damaged piece to recover, or at least halt ongoing damage.

So is the leaf conscious? Indeed, as we are conscious of our hands.

And just like us, I would say that there is no place on a plant or animal that you can point to, and say, "look, HERE is where consciousness resides!". Instead our "consciousness" is really the spirit that animates the entire body, and is present throughout its entirety, even more so for plants IMO, as plants do not have a centralized processing center as animals do.

Their spirit is "dispersed", you could say, over the entire plant.

ETA: And your second added paragraph, when I look at how plant systems have developed throughout the history of our planet, some things I see I just cannot reasonably consider as functions of darwinian evolution. Some of the things that plants have done IMO just cannot happen in a "natural selection" way; the intervals of time between generations would be way to short.

But if theres a conscious intelligence in those plants, and they are sentient, and comprehend the environment around them in ways that we cannot discern, I can easily see plants changing in some of the ways that have.

I think we have a lot to learn about plants. They are so old, and so majestic in their "long term" actions, that to me consciousness is simply implied and doesnt need stating.

Perhaps plants are just so far advanced ahead of us in terms of consciousness, that we simply cannot recognize them AS conscious because ours is so far behind theirs, just as a microbes consciousness could hardly recognize a human consciousness, perhaps nor can we recognize the consciousness of the plant kingdom (and ability to destroy ones environment is NOT a gauge of how conscious a life form is )

Originally posted by CaticusMaximus
(and ability to destroy ones environment is NOT a gauge of how conscious a life form is

)

1 agrees for that just signifies how Developed technologically some can be, but the conscious Advancements of some may be limited due to not looking further beyond technology

Originally posted by CaticusMaximus
...I could never run a test like that on a sentient creature, deliberately burning it to see what it does.
...

Thanks so much for this statement & attitude.
While I have no personal experience of this quality...I do believe (oddly enough) that plants, animals and more are aware (whether that qualifies as sentient or not - I don't care). And experimenting on or with them, without concern for their well being, is equivalent to "abuse of privilege", if nothing else.

reply to post by WanDash


Youre welcome

I think "abuse of privilege" is putting it way lightly. Experimenting on unconsenting sentient things to see what happens essentially, is a trait of psychopathy; an act of evil, really.

I was a little surprised that was suggested even, seeing as I made it clear I thought and believed the plant was sentient and intelligent and that the event took place only after moderately severe burning over time....

Originally posted by CaticusMaximus
...Youre welcome

...I think "abuse of privilege" is putting it way lightly. Experimenting on unconsenting sentient things to see what happens essentially, is a trait of psychopathy; an act of evil, really.
...I was a little surprised that was suggested even, seeing as I made it clear I thought and believed the plant was sentient and intelligent and that the event took place only after moderately severe burning over time....

Even if your conclusion/s are/were to be eventually "proven" incorrect. Isn't it better to err on the side of consideration & decency...than..."scientific progress"?

Im 47 when i was a child I went throught many foster homes as a ruslt I started growning plants as a way to be umm close to something that i could keep with me. I could gte anything to grow and spent hours tending to them touching them and my plants alll grew like well like weeds lol.
anyway at 11 i was put back in a home with a stepmother and my natural father (drunks and abusive))
withing weeks of being forced to move in with these people all MY plants started dieing!
I tryed every thing to help them I ((yes im a man )) I cryed over them but nothing i did stoped them from dieing.
y very last catas was dieing rotting from the bottom up and i cut it replanted it ((btw this always worked for me with almost any plant take a cutting plant it watch it grow a new plant.
anyway finly my last plant died . My plants did not like thous people any more then i did .
after that i did try growing plants as much because they always died in taht house.
PS my faveret plant is ((Bryophyllum, might be B. pinnatum, formerly K. pinnata. Aka Air plant, Life plant, Mother of Millions.
I would make sure each baby plant had a space to grow .
in my later years around 30 I got another one started with a small pot that eventaly got a old giant pot ((cooking pot taht is a 3 gallon pot that plant was HUGE 3 feet high and many young who still lived in the home pot.

at this point theres no dought plants have awarness but its nothing like a animals .
how is it if a forest is attacked by moths that even trees in a far part of the fore3st That are NOT being attacked will incress the stuff in there leafs that maked it so the moths cant eat them?
but wile this my indacate plants have awrness it surly doesnt make them Sentience like we are

Luther Burbank, check him out... big proponent of plant conciousness... lovely man, unsung garden guru too.

en.wikipedia.org...