We all know that plants are living, breathing entities. Both humans and plant forms receive energy from the sun. The main difference that separates humans from plants is photosynthesis; however plants and humans are dependent on each other for survival. Plants helps humans to breathe by providing us oxygen and humans help plants to breathe by providing them with carbon dioxide. This cycle of plants and humans being dependent or interacting with each other don’t simply happen on an ecological or biological level; it can also be on social, spiritual or cultural levels.
Of course when it comes to foreign ideologies, there is always the need for evidence for those doubting Toms who are skeptical of that which is elementary or different to current knowledge or belief systems. Studies have shown that plants can be mood boosters as well as reduce stress; they help to eliminate toxins and clean the air by providing us oxygen. Nurturing and caring for plants help people to be more compassionate and empathetic beings while also giving them sparks of happiness. They can also be therapeutic to others who are simply around them. Even the mere sight of plants and greenery can be therapeutic to some.
“Humans have minds and plants don’t.” This is one myth you may have heard or thought before. The scope of intelligence for humans is not one sided. It’s been well substantiated that humans can operate having different intelligences. Now plants may not have a brain but they have their own unique intelligence. What are some of the ways that plans have shown intelligence? What actual stories or experiences is there that discuss the inner lives and intelligence of plants?
The book, The Mind of Plants: Narratives of Vegetal Intelligence was recently released and edited by three researchers. The book successfully compiles various stories, essays and poems from authors who detail their interesting perspectives, interactions and personal connections with plants. Whether it’s an apple or banyan tree, ayahuasca or sunflower, the book takes the reader into the world of plants and mesmerizes—enhancing and creating deeper meaning about the consciousness and intelligence of the plants around us.
I especially loved this poem created by Sara Laborde based on a question that her six year old niece asked her while taking a leaf from an apple tree stem to make a sail for her small boat. She asked, “where is the heart of the plants?”
Where is it,
The heart that pulses?
It beats forth, I thought
With rhythms of earth and sky.
In the upward song of the sap,
It beats the fractal ways of life
Into shape;
It is in the faze of the flowers,
the shriveling of leaves,
The slow breath of winter buds.
And where is it the heart that feels?
It flows forth, I thought,
Through the playful maze.
In the touch
Of the soft earth and vibrant sun.
In the smell, the taste of the apple
Meeting a beak or a mouth.
It is the leaves bending under the storm,
And the tree’s answer to the dance of the bees.
It navigates the soil, watches for the deep,
And dies unafraid.
The heart of the apple is in all its relations.
Past and future, known as now
As is ours, I thought.
I bet Steve Jobs probably would have loved this particular short story with the apple tree as the subject. Working amongst apples had a major influence on Steve so much so that he named his company after it. Plants are not only here to feed us and to help us thrive and survive but to also help create meaning concerning complexities of life. With this book, the reader gets a glimpse into the plant mind as well as numerous aha moments that will help to shape their perspectives about the existence of plants, their necessity and significance to the living breathing world around them.
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