I look at the common elements that living beings have, compared to plain matter. Animals have consciousness and can feel pain. Animal and plant bodies are both

I look at the common elements that living beings have, compared to plain matter. Animals have consciousness and can feel pain. Animal and plant bodies are both comprised of many differentiated cells. Both have DNA. Bacteria are singular cells, and have DNA... Plants have been demonstrated to have short-term memory, recognize family and neighbouring plants, and so on. So... it is extremely likely that plants, bacteria, fungi, and perhaps even amoebas, also have consciousness, feel emotions and feel pain. Maybe not in the way we think about emotions and pain, but in whatever way they do, which is entirely mysterious to us, being animals with animal-consciousness and instincts. We cannot understand what it is like to be a plant, bacterium, fungus or amoeba... it is far too alien to our animal-mind. You may find these articles of interest: http://www.naturaltherapycenter.com/the-secret-life-of-plants/ http://www.naturaltherapycenter.com/the-secret-life-of-plant... https://nautil.us/issue/34/adaptation/junk-food-is-bad-for-plants-too https://nautil.us/issue/34/adaptation/junk-food-is-bad-for-p...