Animal Quote by Terence McKenna
“Inwardness is the characteristic feature of the vegetable rather than the animal approach to existence. The animals move, migrate and swarm, while plants hold fast. Plants live in a dimension characterised by solid state, the fixed and the enduring. If there is movement in the consciousness of plants then it must be the movement of spirit and attention in the domain of vegetal imagination. (...) This is the truth that the shamans have always known and practiced. Awareness of the green side of mind was called Veriditas by the twelfth century visionary Hildegard Von Bingen.”
About This Quote
Source Book: Food of the Gods, 1992
Plants embody a still, inward consciousness contrasting with animal movement, suggesting a deep, enduring imagination.
In simple terms: Plants are inward, steady, unlike active animals.
Key Takeaway
Observe and value inner stillness.
Themes
nature
consciousness
spirituality
biology
Mood
reflective
calm
inspired
Type
philosophical
poetic
nature‑focused
When to use this quote
- gardening
- meditation
- environmental education
- creative writing
- ecopsychology
Key Concepts
Veriditas
vegetal imagination
shamanic insight
Questions to Reflect On
- How can we nurture inner stillness in a fast-paced world?
- What lessons do plant rhythms teach about resilience?
A Different Perspective
Plants also respond to external stimuli, so stillness isn’t absolute.
![“[Emily] Dickinson, our supreme poet of inwardness.” quote by Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/da3/joyce-carol-oates-344_emily_emily-dickinson-our-supreme-poet-of-inwa_2288172.jpg)
![“Art on the contrary sought this harmony in practice [of art itself]. More and more in its creations it has given inwardness to that what surrounds us in nature, until, in Neo-Plasticism, nature is no longer dominant. This achievement of balance may prepare the way for the fulfillment of man and…” quote by Piet Mondrian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/0c3/piet-mondrian-14779_achievement_art-on-the-contrary-sought-this-harmony_1635363.jpg)
