Explorations of plant consciousness and human interactions with the natural world.
From apples to ayahuasca, coffee to kurrajong, passionflower to peyote, plants are conscious beings. How they interact with each other, with humanity and with the world at large has long been studied by researchers, scientists and spiritual teachers and seekers. The Mind of Plants: Narratives of Vegetal Intelligence brings together works from all these disciplines and more in a collection of essays that highlights what we know and what we intuit about botanical life.
Featuring a foreword by Dennis McKenna, the collection includes short essays, narratives and poetry from Robin Wall Kimmerer (author of Braiding Sweetgrass), Jeremy Narby, John Kinsella, Luis Eduardo Luna, Monica Gagliano, and dozens more. Intricate illustrations by José María Pout accompany the texts throughout.
“What the reader will find here, expressed in poetry and prose, are stories that are infused with cherished memories and inspired celebrations of unique relationships with a group of organisms that are alien and unlike us in every way, yet touch human lives in myriad ways.” — Dennis McKenna
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Why this book matters
- Brings together scientists, poets, anthropologists, and spiritual teachers to explore plant consciousness from every angle — a genuinely interdisciplinary collection
- Features Robin Wall Kimmerer, Jeremy Narby, Luis Eduardo Luna, Monica Gagliano, and dozens more — the most important voices in plant intelligence today
- Foreword by Dennis McKenna — one of the world’s leading ethnopharmacologists and a lifelong student of the plant world
- Illustrated throughout by José María Pout — intricate, beautiful images that honor the intelligence and mystery of botanical life
- Essential reading for anyone drawn to the emerging science of plant cognition and the ancient wisdom traditions that have always known plants think
