Posted on 10/07/2026 4:01:12 AM PDT by Pontiac
Human beings tend to be anthropocentric.
That is, we often see ourselves as evolution's magnum opus despite the fact that, as biomass goes, we're insignificant compared to plants and other animals.
For instance, scientists estimate that there are more than three trillion trees on Earth—a number that even dwarfs the amount of stars in our galaxy. And when you add the populations of the more than 380,000 other plant species, the total becomes mind-boggling.
Nonetheless, many of us assume that we're the smartest, most conscious beings on Earth.
But what if consciousness isn't a feature limited solely to humans—and what if we're actually wildly outnumbered by a planet full of other conscious beings? As it turns out, a handful of studies suggest that might just be the case.
For starters, plant neurobiologist Stefano Mancuso, PhD, notes that plants respond to anesthesia the same way humans do—they become nonresponsive.
Humans tend to think of plants as nonresponsive anyway, because they don't generally move in human timescales.
But when scientists have administered anesthesia to plants that do operate "quickly" by human measures, such as the Venus Flytrap, the plant stops responding when flies land on it.
And while you won't see a plant fleeing danger the way we do, some have been found to be gradually migrating north as the planet warms, just as animals are changing their migratory patterns.
(Excerpt) Read more at yahoo.com ...
After 70 years of intensive neuro research, we still don’t know where consciousness lives.
There may be other conscious creatures. But we are the only ones who have The Knowledge of Good and Evil.
After 70 years of intensive neuro research, we still don’t know where consciousness lives.
There may be other conscious creatures. But we are the only ones who have The Knowledge of Good and Evil.
Imbuing into everything a conscious is paganism. Animism.
Triffids?
I'll bite...
At its most fundamental level, consciousness is defined as the primary, underlying reality and presence through which all existence and experience occur. Rather than being an accidental byproduct generated by the physical brain, consciousness is the fundamental substrate that gives rise to physical reality and enables all things to be aware according to their capacity.
For an individual, a simple definition of consciousness can be broken down into three key aspects:
1. The Unchanging Inner Observer: Consciousness is the constant, first-person witness—the "I-ness" or pure self-awareness—that experiences thoughts, feelings, memories, and physical sensations. While everything observable (your body, beliefs, and thoughts) constantly changes, consciousness remains the unchanging presence noticing those changes.
2. Subjective Experience (Qualia): Consciousness is not merely an algorithm or data processing; it is qualia — the raw, subjective "first-person feel" of living, feeling, and being aware.
3. Intentionality & Inner Awareness: Phenomenologically, consciousness is defined by intentionality (it is always directed "of" or "about" an object or thought) and inner awareness (an intrinsic, self-reflexive awareness of its own experience as it transpires).
In short, consciousness is the subjective presence that allows reality to be experienced — the observer through which thoughts, objects, and the universe become known.
(We May Be Surrounded by Trillions of UnConscious Beings,
Research Suggests—And They Aren’t Human)
With a severe case of TDS.
And they’re voting for Democrats...
My experience is that this approach is accurate. There is a difference between consciousness and sentience though, something the article does not elucidate.
Is it Halloween already?
TREES!
They can be so vicious.
And so spooky, just standing there , towering over you.
It’s like they’re judging you, man!
And while you won’t see a plant fleeing danger the way we do, some have been found to be gradually migrating north as the planet warms, just as animals are changing their migratory patterns.
......
So seeds in the climate that is adverse do not sprout and seeds that are in the more habitable climate do?
Wouldn’t say there is NO intelligent life on earth, but there does seem to be an insufficient quantity at times.
Moving north to expand into habitat previously occupied by other species is pure Darwinian thought expressed as reality. The movement or non-movement into the new habitat boils down to survival of the fittest.
The species most fit will occupy the habitat.
That fact is both botanical and zoological. As we post, France is under biological stress as North Africans are in fact occupying habitat occupied for hundreds of years by white Caucasians.
The fact that animals and some plants can be anesthetized is chemistry, not consciousness.
makes up for all the unconscious Homo sapiens filling up the ecological niches all over the planet.
That sounds... actually kind of frightening.
♫ And the farmer hauled another load away ♫
That was my first thought, too!
The author is a plant, a literal 9rganism of conscious vegetation migrating north one generation at a time like the like the global warming that comes from his loins.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.