What is a Sentient Being?
When most people think of a sentient being, they typically think of something human-like. Perhaps they think of our ancient hominid ancestors, humanoid aliens, or futuristic robots. Some may think of pets and specific animals. Few consider the possibility that plant or microbial life may be sentient. Might I suggest that a planet itself can be a sentient being?
What is a sentient being? Sentience is defined as “capable of sensing or feeling” or “having consciousness”. Consciousness is another debatable term. For now, let’s focus on the “capable of sensing or feeling” pat of the definition. Further elaboration of that part goes on to say “responsive to sensations”.
This means a sentient being is capable of sensing and responding to sensations such as sound, touch, smell, etc. All living organisms sense and respond to their environments. It’s one of the eight criteria that must be met in order for something to be considered a living organism. It is also one of the criteria that even viruses, which are still not considered to be living organisms, meet.
As for consciousness, that is described as awareness or the ability to perceive. Awareness and perception are defined as being responsive to stimuli. Suffice to say by any and all definitions, at least withing human understanding, a sentient being is one that is aware of, and responsive to, surroundings and stimuli.
Can a Non-human Life Form Be a Sentient Being?
Now let’s consider some living organisms that most would not define as sentient. Trees have been proven to be very aware and responsive to their environments and external stimuli. When trees encounter pests, such as insects, they release chemical defenses and send airborne and/or underground warnings to neighboring trees. They exhibit awareness, respond to the external stimuli, and communicate their finding with others in their community. Their community being other trees in their environment. Does that not sound like sentience?
If you’re still not convinced, let’s talk about fungi. Fungi communicate through an underground brain-like network called the mycelium. They use electrical and chemical signals to share information and respond to their environment. Honestly sending chemical and electrical signals through the interwoven network of the mycelium isn’t all that different from how thoughts and actions are interpreted within the human brain.
Physics and Nature
While I could go on with example after example of organisms that deserve the acknowledgement of being sentient beings, I think it’s time to finally talk about the mother of all sentient beings. Of course I’m referring to Mother Earth. Is it really so far fetched that a planet full of sentient life might also be sentient herself? The same energies given off by lifeforms, such as radiation, electromagnetic, heat, light, sound and so on, are also found throughout the cosmos. Also, just like each living organism gives off its own unique electromagnetic field, sound, and/or biosignature, the same an be said for planets.
One could argue that the many living organisms found on Earth really are like the planet’s children growing, developing, and being protected within her womb. As for the sentience part, Earth has been shown to be aware of and respond to organisms and environments on her surface. When adaptations, mutations, and extinctions occur, they can often be traced to specific triggering events or causations. We attribute such things to “nature”. Who is nature? Might nature be Earth?
Admittedly, nature might be too broad of a term to be specific to Earth. Instead of a single planet, nature tends to refer to all energies and interactions in the cosmos. Therefore, perhaps Mother Nature can be considered the mother to all planets including Mother Earth, thereby making her Grandmother Nature.
Meta Physics and Philosophy
All joking and pondering aside, the argument of whether Earth can be considered a sentient being remains. The primary reasons for mankind’s reluctance to acknowledge anything not ‘human’ as sentient is due to the limited thinking of homo sapiens and their hubris. The concepts with which we attempt to define perception, consciousness, and sentience are vague overlapping ideas. Said ideas came from our own desire to understand our environment and other living entities within it. The definitions are limited by the terminology of the verbal and written human languages. Furthermore, even by those very terms and ideas, unexpected lifeforms have proven to meet the criteria we set forth for sentience.
All of those organisms and ourselves interact with the planet and are influenced by the planet in ways we are still uncovering and attempting to understand. Metaphysicists are still exploring what encompasses consciousness and sentience and what happens to our conscious when we die. If our awareness is made up of the natural energies like radiation and the biophoton and biphonons making up our natural light and frequencies, perhaps these return to mother Earth to be redistributed. Perhaps our experiences and memories our stored within them and become part Earth’s own memories.
Happy Earth Day
All of the questions and what ifs are far beyond current human comprehension. As such, while I may not be able to prove Earth is a sentient being, no one can disprove it either. I can offer as much evidence to her sentience as anyone else can offer to the contrary.
Therefore, in honor of our mother planet who gives us life, sustains us, and protects us within her own body, I hope I’ve given everyone some things to think about. Maybe we should pay Mother Earth a bit more attention and be more grateful and considerate to her every day, and not just on Earth day.
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