Spiritless Tree or Teacher Plant?

What a curious little plant this Mitragynine speciosa is! It is a fanciful treat, donned from the annals of cloudless nights and the deepest dreams. It possesses no spirit of its own, but instead, likes to simply reside in the minds of those who partake of its wondrous riches. Kratom has no identity, no message, but simply chooses to let the discoverer decide what meaning to assign to its strange and apathetic ways.

If nothing else, Mitragynine speciosa, in its various forms, can be purchased online from a multitude of outlets. If I were the plant and had no fear of my own extinction, I would be quite pleased that my name was growing in such popularity around this vivacious green and blue planet. I wonder if it thinks to itself; “Is it my own intelligence that has allowed for such a spread of my particular form throughout the world, becoming the stuff of newly planted forests in far away places, of mystery, of concern, and of sheer delight?” I wonder if energy, in any form, needs to be in a form that humans recognize, for it to possess intelligence, or if intelligence, in its infinite manifestations, exists in all energy, regardless of ones ability to perceive it. Maybe plants can give us the answer.

Does it think further; ‘Is it by sheer accident that my common name of Kratom sounds, at least to my ears, of Kingdom? – I claim no territory, but seem to have not only permeated the ground of so many varying terrestrial outcroppings, but I have somehow permeated the minds of the mass consciousness, and for that, I am happy.”

How is it that plants such as the mighty Kratom tree comes to exist in just one part of the world, yet is coveted by masses across the entire planet? This is the same for Salvia divinorum. It exists in one rocky mountainside, in a tiny little village of Oaxaca, which, by the way, is a great cultural center for art. The people of that tiny village recognized the intelligence hidden deep within that plant, and cultivated it, preserved it, and have kept it in their own consciousnesses long enough to have it escape to the rest of the world.

Since Kratom is a mighty tree, is it possible that this beautiful and amazing plant can also make its way across the globe, to find itself planted in forests, in gardens, and in flower pots everywhere? Mitragyna speciosa is extremely hardy, and can exist in a great number of diverse conditions. I don’t think a winter survival is possible, but there are innumerable other places that this tree can call its home and unfurl its soaring leaves.

I would love to visit a forest of Kratom trees, just to see what it felt like to be underneath such awesome energy. Imagine feeling the energy of thousands of towering, living, breathing plants that so many hold so sacred? How could one not be moved by such a display? It would also be such a treat to be able to pick a fresh leaf or two, and make a tea from it right on the spot. Who knows how different it might feel, how much more connected it would seem, and maybe, just maybe, I would discover that there actually is a voice and a personality to this plant! Maybe the voice it possesses is just to subtle for us to hear, maybe it is too delicate and dim when it is taken so far from its homeland of living, towering trees.

I find it difficult to believe that a plant of this great intelligence would not also carry a teaching message like so many other teaching plants do. This plant has a very interesting and unusual effect, not only on the mind, but on the body was well, simultaneously energizing it and relaxing it at the same time. Often, I find myself wondering if I should meditate, or run a few laps. If I could sit still for long enough, meditation might be a vivid and electric experience, but my patience while under its spell, runs a little thin.

There must be a spirit lurking within the depths of this sacred tree. I must simply not have listened closely enough, or spent enough time working with it. Nothing this intelligent can be void of meaning or message; I have never known a teaching plant to not have something unique to offer its student.

So, I will simply continue my journey, and continue to speak with reverence for this plant called Kratom, in both my dreams and my waking world, where both are equally as vivid, and often as strange.

– Stan Seerling