How can plants be emotional and conscious?

Question

Hi,

I have read so many articles about plants being emotional and conscious.
But they don't have a nervous system or a brain.
How can this be?

PLEASE DO NOT ANSWER WITH LINKS.

Thanks

Answer 1

the problem with addressing this question is that we can only give answers according to how we understand the world.

it is not appropriate to gauge a plant's "emotions and/or consciousness" by human perceptions. for example, apparently plants can "talk" and cooperate among each other; there is evidence of kin selection among plants (there is no/less root competition among related plants than non-related plants).

plants can also "talk" to mutualistic insects (i forget the specific species, but if a plant is getting munched on by, let's say a caterpiller, the plant can signal friendly ants to go attack the caterpiller).

is this numbingly only described as reaction to stimuli? well emotions and consciousness is a reaction to stimulit...just because plant language involves chemicals--and not words--does not mean it is not a "language."

Answer 2

I don't think they are emotional or conscious. They have no brain.
But they do respond to their environment, some more noticeably than others. A plants fluid pressure can change due to stimuli, but this doesn't mean they are conscious.
Some plants actually move kind of fast in response to touch; the venus fly trap comes to mind, and sensitive plant (mimosa pudica) which folds up its leaves when touched. They re-open in a few minutes.

Answer 3

Pretty hopeless question really, particularly for a survey taker. So you've read "so many articles"? How many? Can you name fifty or so of them? Are they kosher articles or are they in the mags in your doctor's waiting room?

You assume that emotions and consciousness are linked to nervous systems. One of the huge psychology arguments is about exactly what consciousness is, even among organisms with a brain. Take a survey about whether dogs are conscious.

Perhaps once we define "consciousness" and "emotional" we can start.

BUT. there is a lot of evidence that plants respond to music, usually Mozart, human voices, and just plain affection. How or why is another lot of questions.

Answer 4

In this case, the obvious answer is the correct one:

They do not have emotions, and they are not conscious. A brain is required in both cases, and plants clearly lack that.