Humanity has a tendency towards anthropocentrism, believing itself to be the pinnacle of evolution. Despite being insignificant in biomass compared to plants and other living beings, many of us consider ourselves the most intelligent and conscious beings on the planet. Susan Lahi notes that if the history of Earth were condensed to one hour, our appearance would have occurred just eight seconds ago.
Phytoplankton, meanwhile, has existed for over a billion years. These photosynthesizing organisms, living in water, mainly consist of unicellular forms but also include bacteria and protozoa. While it is hard to imagine that phytoplankton possesses consciousness, there are two key issues: first, there is no single definition of consciousness, and second, most people consider self-awareness an important part of it. Interestingly, even unicellular organisms can demonstrate elements of self-awareness.
What if consciousness is not a unique trait of humans alone, and if in fact there are many more intelligent beings on the planet than we have assumed?
Some studies suggest that this may be true. Some scientists even hypothesize that every cellular being in the universe, regardless of size—from simple prokaryotes to entire forests—may possess consciousness, as we all share common features at the microscopic level.
In the 1990s, the concept of cellular consciousness (CC) emerged, asserting that life and mind are essentially the same. According to CC, all living organisms have consciousness and self-awareness, as well as emotional responses to their sensory and perceptual experiences. Research shows that unicellular prokaryotes, such as bacteria, are capable of associative learning, memory formation, and decision-making. They can predict events and form social groups, exhibiting both cooperation and competition, as well as altruism, when some cells sacrifice themselves for others.
Unicellular eukaryotes, such as the slime mold Physarum polycephalum, are capable of solving mathematical problems and finding their way out of mazes without external stimuli, such as food.
Bacteria, in turn, can determine when their numbers are sufficient for collective action. For example, one species of marine bioluminescent bacteria releases molecules that cause glowing only when a certain population density is reached. According to molecular biologist Bonnie Lynn Bassler from Princeton University, these bacteria communicate and coordinate their actions in groups.
Researchers emphasize that the perception of consciousness in unicellular organisms and humans differs: their form of consciousness is closer to intuition rather than self-awareness.
Plants are also included in this discussion. Plant neurobiologist Stefano Mancuso notes that they respond to anesthesia in the same way as humans, ceasing to react to stimuli. Although plants do not move like animals, they are capable of adapting. For instance, many plants migrate north in response to climate change.
Mancuso conducted an experiment with beans, showing how they, upon reaching a support, released a curved shoot to grasp a metal rod. This indicates that the bean "recognized" the location of the rod. In another experiment, he observed that when two bean plants reached a support, one understood that the other arrived first and began to seek an alternative.
Monica Gagliano, who also conducted research on mimosa plants, found that these plants can "remember" experiences. After repeated exposure, they ceased to react to falling, indicating the presence of memory.
In 2025, Mancuso, along with PhD Tomonori Kawano, investigated whether plants can have two types of mind: an unconscious one that makes quick decisions and a conscious one that makes slower ones. For example, the mimosa closes its leaves when shaken but remembers this experience and may make different decisions in the future.
Researchers even suggest that unicellular organisms may possess similar abilities. They believe that all living beings interact at the level of biological material, energy, and information, and these elements may be linked to consciousness.
Anesthesiologist Marco Cavalli from the Polytechnic University of Turin is developing a theory that cellular membranes and surrounding water resonate with the Earth's energy fields, forming the matter of the brain. Humans use logic and neurochemical processes to shape their existence based on interaction with these fields.
Animals and plants have the same cellular structures, but they may not care about self-awareness to the same extent as humans do. However, this could also be a benefit, as our stories about ourselves are often distorted by self-awareness and anxiety.
The idea of quantum energy as a source of consciousness is also being considered. Quantum theory suggests that there are fields of energy in the universe that collapse into specific realities. Nobel laureate Roger Penrose and his colleague Stuart Hameroff argue that microtubules in cells interact with quantum wave functions, which may explain the continuous flow of consciousness.
Microtubules are found not only in neurons but also in plant and animal cells. If Penrose and Hameroff are correct, there may be more evidence of quantum activity in plants than in the human brain, especially in how plants absorb photons.
Other researchers, such as systems thinking theorist Jamie Monat, suggest that human-level self-awareness arises when there are enough nodes in a neural network. In dense forests, the number of nodes between plants and fungi can exceed 70 billion, suggesting the possibility of self-aware ecosystems.
In the 1990s, mass deaths of kudu were observed in South Africa, which could not be explained by any visible causes. Zoologist Wouter van Hoven discovered that the cause was acacias, which defended themselves from grazing by increasing the toxic content of their leaves and sending chemical signals to other trees.
While people often explain this behavior of plants solely through biological processes, the question arises of what we understand by our own consciousness.
Phytoplankton, though tiny organisms, play a crucial role in the ocean ecosystem, producing over 50% of the oxygen on Earth and absorbing more than 40% of carbon dioxide. Meanwhile, humanity, focused on adapting the environment to itself, may cause future mass extinctions, while plants have supported life for thousands of years by cooperating with each other.
Thus, it may be time to reconsider our perception of ourselves.
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