This time, we examined six new responses, with most reinforcing the claim that sensing is not sentience. Many authors argued that without a nervous system, plant responses cannot be equated to conscious experience, and that drawing comparisons to animals is misleading.
But one paper took a fresh approach. Henning and Mittelbach proposed that we may be looking in the wrong place—instead of physiology, we should examine the complex, reciprocal relationships plants form with pollinators. Could these dynamic, two-way interactions reveal a new way to define sentience?
As science continues to resist the idea of plant sentience, are we asking the wrong questions? Let’s explore these perspectives together.
Commentary against plant sentience within Naturally Conscious Community:
LIVE Plant Consciousness Commentary every Friday
Where we explore all things plant neurobiology, plant cognition, plant intelligence, plant humanities, and the birth of critical plant studies through the lens of personal evolution. Livestreams are every Friday on Youtube.
Be a part of the conversation in the Naturally Conscious Community
Let’s talk more in the only online ecosystem that nourishes plant reawakening for enhanced evolution and collaboration with our plant friends. Connect with nature-conscious creatives, multipotentialites, and naturentrepreneurs who share your desire for more interspecies relationships. >> JOIN OUR COMMUNITY <<
Looking for a mentor/coach to help you confidently embody a Naturally Conscious Life? Book a discovery call here, and let’s discuss how I can support you.
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Tigrilla Gardenia
More Evidence Against Plant Sentience or Simply Not Enough For?
In this livestream, we continued our exploration of the ongoing debate against plant sentience started by Miguel Segundo-Ortin and Paco Calvo’s call for replies to their paper Plant Sentience? Between Romanticism and Denial: Science. Watch the series:
🌿 Replies to Segundo-Ortin & Calvo’s Provocations on Plant Sentience
🌿 More Replies to Provocations on Plant Sentience
🌿 More Denials of Plant Sentience, Yet There Is Hope
This time, we examined six new responses, with most reinforcing the claim that sensing is not sentience. Many authors argued that without a nervous system, plant responses cannot be equated to conscious experience, and that drawing comparisons to animals is misleading.
But one paper took a fresh approach. Henning and Mittelbach proposed that we may be looking in the wrong place—instead of physiology, we should examine the complex, reciprocal relationships plants form with pollinators. Could these dynamic, two-way interactions reveal a new way to define sentience?
As science continues to resist the idea of plant sentience, are we asking the wrong questions? Let’s explore these perspectives together.
Commentary against plant sentience within Naturally Conscious Community:
LIVE Plant Consciousness Commentary every Friday
Where we explore all things plant neurobiology, plant cognition, plant intelligence, plant humanities, and the birth of critical plant studies through the lens of personal evolution. Livestreams are every Friday on Youtube.
Be a part of the conversation in the Naturally Conscious Community
Let’s talk more in the only online ecosystem that nourishes plant reawakening for enhanced evolution and collaboration with our plant friends. Connect with nature-conscious creatives, multipotentialites, and naturentrepreneurs who share your desire for more interspecies relationships. >> JOIN OUR COMMUNITY <<
Get to Know Me, Tigrilla Gardenia
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Looking for a mentor/coach to help you confidently embody a Naturally Conscious Life? Book a discovery call here, and let’s discuss how I can support you.
Episodes related plant attention
More Replies to Provocations on Plant Sentience
Replies to Segundo-Ortin & Calvo’s Provocations on Plant Sentience
References
Damasio, Antonio and Damasio, Hanna (2023) Sensing is a far cry from sentience. Animal Sentience 33(16)
Vallverdú, Jordi (2023) What if plants compute?. Animal Sentience 33(17)
Solé, Ricard V. (2023) Do plants have the cognitive complexity for sentience?. Animal Sentience 33(18)
Bennett, Tom (2023) Cognition is not evidence of sentience. Animal Sentience 33(19)
Birch, Jonathan (2023) Disentangling sentience from developmental plasticity. Animal Sentience 33(20)
Henning, Tilo and Mittelbach, Moritz (2023) Complex floral behavior of an angiosperm family. Animal Sentience 33(21)
If you have a paper, essay, article, or video you would like me to comment on, send it to me!
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