Integrated information as a possible basis for plant consciousness.
Paco Calvo, František Baluška, Anthony Trewavas
Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications July 30, 2021 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2020.10.022 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Awareness Bioelectrical fields Meristems Plant consciousness Selection |
| Key points | Proposes that plant meristems may exhibit minimal consciousness according to Integrated Information Theory, highlighting a different evolutionary approach to consciousness. |
Abstract
It is commonly assumed that plants do not possess consciousness. Since the criterion for this assumption is usually human consciousness this assumption represents a top down attitude. It is obvious that plants are not animals and using animal criteria of consciousness will lead to its rejection in plants. However using a bottom up evolutionary approach and a leading theory of consciousness, Integrated Information Theory, we report that we find evidence that indicates that plant meristems act in a conscious fashion although probably at the level of minimal consciousness. Since many plants contain multiple meristems these observations highlight a very different evolutionary approach to consciousness in biological organisms.