The Hidden Consciousness of Plant Life

This week, we take a look at emerging research on the hidden consciousness of plants.

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CON·SCIOUS noun

From Latin, con- (together) + scire (to know).

In other words, "to know together"

Restoring our planet demands that we understand that nature is animate, not something to be owned and controlled. To any skeptics out there, more and more research is suggesting that nature—plants and forests— exhibits characteristics of consciousness. Indigenous cultures have long known this to be true. But Western science is finally coming around.

The Global Forest: 40 Ways Trees Can Save Us by Diana Beresford Kroeger describes how trees not only breathe and communicate; they also reproduce, heal and even nurture their young. Kroeger weaves together ecology, mythology, horticulture, and science to give forests the respect they deserve as life's protectors. Forests created the living conditions for humankind. We will go extinct if we do not reverse the damage done to the world's forests.

The Secret Life of Plants by Peter Tompkins famously raises some compelling possibilities at the intersection of plant life and consciousness. According to Tompkins, plants respond to the people around them. Tompkins goes on to promote a theory of sustainable agriculture that respects the fundamental consciousness of plant life.

Why does any of this matter? Because respecting plant life is an essential step to fighting climate chaos. According to The Guardian, massive reforestation efforts have "mind- blowing potential to tackle climate crisis".

Consciousness in Nature: A Reading List

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