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Updated: Nov 30, 2025
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Robotic Sensing and Stimuli Provision for Guided Plant Growth
Published on: July 1, 2019
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Debunking a myth: plant consciousness
Jon Mallatt1, Michael R Blatt2, Andreas Draguhn3
1The University of Washington WWAMI Medical Education Program at The University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, 83844, USA. jmallatt@uidaho.edu.
Protoplasma
|November 16, 2020
Summary
Claims of plant consciousness are misleading. Scientific evidence shows plants reactively sense stimuli, not proactively anticipate, and lack the neural processing indicative of consciousness. Plant learning does not equate to conscious experience.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Plant Biology
- Philosophy of Mind
Background:
- Recent years have seen increased claims of plant consciousness in popular and scientific media.
- These claims are potentially misleading, impacting research funding and policy.
- Defining basic, primary consciousness is crucial for evaluating these assertions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present new arguments against 12 core claims of plant consciousness.
- To critically evaluate the scientific basis for attributing consciousness to plants.
- To propose a hypothesis for identifying organisms possessing consciousness.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of plant behaviors, distinguishing proactive anticipation from reactive sensing.
- Examination of plant electrophysiological signaling for evidence of integrative information processing.
- Evaluation of claims regarding classical Pavlovian learning in plants.
- Development of a hypothesis based on operant learning and environmental representation.
Main Results:
- Plants exhibit reactive sensing and following of stimuli, not proactive, anticipatory behaviors associated with consciousness.
- Electrophysiological signaling in plants serves immediate physiological functions, not consciousness-related information processing.
- Classical Pavlovian learning in plants, if present, is irrelevant to consciousness as it doesn't require it.
- Plants do not meet criteria for affective (emotional) or image-based conscious experience.
Conclusions:
- Claims of plant consciousness are highly speculative and lack sound scientific support.
- Plants do not demonstrate the necessary behaviors or processing for consciousness.
- Further research should focus on organisms demonstrably meeting criteria for conscious experience.
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