Biologists have recently discovered that plants have far more sophisticated means of communication and survival strategies than we’d ever thought. Some scientists and philosophers even talk about “vegetal consciousness” and the “personhood” of plants. And if you really want to go down the rabbit hole of plant consciousness - and the insights gleaned from ayahuasca and magic mushrooms (ok, mushrooms aren’t really plants) - you’ll find testimonials about “plants as teachers.” In this talk, Steve Paulson explores this highly speculative way of thinking and also reflects on Terrence McKenna’s [Stoned Ape Theory of Consciousness](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terence_McKenna) .