The Plant Consciousness Wars

Yeah, I don't trust the Turing test, I think it's obsolete. When you say "get inside another person's head and actually experience their stream of consciousness" that was what I had in mind in my suggestions of meditation/drugs/ NDE, all of which potentially include that sort of mind-meld - at least possibly. There's also dreaming. The possibilities go on and on. Though I respect your point of view, I personally don't accept the "impossibility" as a complete answer, it expresses a limited view rather than all possible views. With due respect of course.

I remember as a small child being either falsely accused of something, or harshly judged over it, and I understood then that if the person could share my thoughts and experiences they would be accepting rather than judgemental. Which is exactly what is found in NDE accounts. I must have recalled that from before I was born, I think.

Presumably the soul condition in the afterlife is one in which communication with other souls naturally involves some sort of mind-to-mind communion coming about as part of that spiritual realm's nature. Something along the lines of a powerful telepathic link. Of course there would have to be some sort of protocol or procedure to protect privacy if a soul wants its inner self to be private. 

But in this physical world such sensing and communication is exceedingly rare and difficult to achieve, at least it seems to me. I agree it's not impossible, but it is very hard to accomplish - probably not intended as part of the conditions of Earth life, which include being essentially trapped and isolated in individual physical animal bodies and being forced to mostly rely on the physical senses. Common sense and intuition have historically been the normal means of determining if another being is conscious, and worked very well until recently with the advent of high technology AI systems, certain sophisticated philosophical speculations and questions, and a general (amongst the educated class) analytical materialistic naturalistic way of thinking.

[Laird]

Plants as Persons, a To The Best Of Our Knowledge podcast from December 19, 2020, hosted by Anne Strainchamps (hat-tip to @Aussie Mike).

The show synopsis:

Over the past decade, plant scientists have quietly transformed the way we think of trees, forests and plants. They discovered that trees communicate through vast underground networks, that plants learn and remember. If plants are intelligent beings, how should we relate to them? Do they have a place in our moral universe? Should they have rights?

Interviewees: Robin Wall Kimmerer, Plant Ecologist; Matt Hall, Botanist; Monica Gagliano, Evolutionary Ecologist; Brooke Hecht, Ecologist.

Here's a new video documentary by Keith Parsons, entitled "Are Plants Conscious, Intelligent and Aware?"

This was really worth watching! The Spitting Image of Price Charles made me skip it initially.

I couldn't help thinking that shouting at a plant might increase the amount of CO2 in its vicinity, but that would make it grow more - exactly the opposite to what would appear to happen. It would be nice to see the experiments repeated with a screen between plant and bully. I also worried a bit about possible damaging vibrations.

As you know, I am impressed by the Discovery Institute's evidence that the chemistry of life was intelligently designed. This evidence, and the books that they produce about this, happily avoid discussing Christianity or God.

Presumably plant life is just as hard to explain by RM+NS, although I am not aware if they have directly studied plants.

If all life is created it might make it more believable that they interact this way.

David