What do you believe, do animals, pets have souls?
- Thread starter LadyEmeraude
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Alligatorob
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I'm sure...
Jamala
Senior Member
- Location
- Butterfly from Herts/UK
Absolutely animals have souls.
Animals can think, reason, sense danger, experience happiness and sadness… all of the things we as humans experience.
Animals can think, reason, sense danger, experience happiness and sadness… all of the things we as humans experience.
JustDave
Well-known Member
For all the biological knowledge we have about our own bodies. We know far less our own brain, particularly the cerebrum, and how it creates electrical impulses into thoughts and images. This is odd being that it's the part that we seem to be most enamored with. Wherever there exists a knowledge vacuum, the spiritualists will rush to fill in the blanks with explanations, and even invent a lexicon to name the parts they invent.
feywon
Well-known Member
- Location
- Rural North Central NM
Why should we be exempt from being part of food chain?
We're not exempt, but it's a little unnerving to think about!
JustDave
Well-known Member
We are not, but that has nothing to do with the intentions of my comment. Anthony Williams makes a lofty assessment about the animal kingdom; "When I look into the eyes of an animal, I do not see an animal. I see a living being. I see a friend. I feel a soul,” as if his relationship with animals is all love and warmth.
The story of Timothy Treadwell comes to mind, a misguided bear hugging soul who deluded himself into thinking it was his job to live among the grizzly bears of Alaska, because it was his calling to save them from humans. They repaid his love by eating him, and then they ate his girlfriend. He was the quintessential tourist who believes his love for wildlife trumps the warnings of Park Rangers.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timothy_Treadwell
feywon
Well-known Member
- Location
- Rural North Central NM
i don't care for those who have a 'Disneyesque' veiw of animals either, i have little sympathy for anyone who doesn't respect the nature of various animals. You know, those folks who try to pet Bison/Buffaloes? Or feed animals when there are warnings in National parks about NOT doing that. Or Mr. Treadwell. He could have done more good by educating people about the bears, and working to reduce infringement on their habitat--instead of moving into it himself.
However, i've have been more often threatened and harmed by other humans than other animals, and i lived rural both as a child and last 11 yrs (lots of city life between). Have also witnessed more harm done by humans to each other, to animals, to the planet---then animals do. Unless abused or trained to be vicious most animals have understandable reasons when they 'attack' (whether other animals or humans). Humans can be awful to each other for some pretty flimsy reasons.
feywon
Well-known Member
- Location
- Rural North Central NM
See me, if i do something stupid and intrude on a wild animal's personal space, interfere with them i deserve what i get. When we lived in Wyoming for 18 yrs we often drove out to wilderness areas to hike. We'd drive out early before the trails got crowded just as when we lived near the Gulf of Mexico we'd go out to the beach at crack of dawn and leave after a couple of hours when others were just arriving. Doing so we got to see deer fairly close up a couple of times. They'd 'freeze and so would we. Once they realized we weren't going to approach, were no threat they'd calmly continue eating or going wherever they were headed.We're not exempt, but it's a little unnerving to think about!
Most animals will avoid humans if they know you are there. The man JustDave mentioned was in Alaska where food sources limited. Most bears are omnivores but in that eco systems there would not be as much plant life available as there is in most of the lower 48. Or the bear may have been angry about his presence, felt it an invasion of territory. Even snakes would prefer to just avoid us, we'd often see them slithering away from the trail as we approached
Funny story: Once when daughter and i hiking at Veedauwoo Recreation Area (between Laramie and Cheyenne) we had to step off the trail near a clearing because a group of Bicyclists were hauling ass up the hill. 3 or 4 went by quickly but the last guy, who had a very noisy (squeaky sounds as he pedaled) bike stopped and asked about bears. i told him there were bears in the area but we were far enough into summer that they weren't just coming out of hibernation hungry and for there to be plenty of other food sources.
While they might steal food from campsites at night they weren't likely to go after people unless you got between a Mama bear and her cubs or startled one in a way they felt cornered. Also mentioned that with his noisy bike he was safer than his companions who in their haste (how do you enjoy the forest racing thru it????) and being fairly quiet might accidentally do one of the things i just mentioned.
JustDave
Well-known Member
I'm glad you didn't interpret my post as me being anti-bear. Like you I've hiked the wilderness for years and years, but in Northwestern Montana. And I've met them face to face on various occasions. I wouldn't kill a bear, but after a couple of unnerving encounters, I started carrying bear spray. Seeing a bear is a lucky experience. But where I lived, it wasn't like Yellowstone National Park, where bears have lost the fear of humans. My bears all left, but sometimes not right away. Those were the unnerving encounters.
There is a documentary film, Grizzly Man, about Treadwell, which I own. While his intentions were OK, although in a snowflake kind of way, his head was not right. If I remember right he had been under psychiactric care from time to time. Bears didn't love him, because he loved them. They tolerated him for several summers, and then for reasons we can only speculate, suddenly they didn't. The whole thing was a tragedy, a tragedy of his own making. And while I felt bad for him, I was much more saddened when he dragged is reluctant girlfriend into the mess so that she sufferred the ultimate fate because of Timothy's poor judgement.
feywon
Well-known Member
- Location
- Rural North Central NM
My father had a lot to do with my attitude toward nature and animals. He taught us how to walk in the woods. Explained how if you were hunting (which my parents did for food) you wanted to get out there while still dark and be quiet, but when just enjoying nature you should make some noise, and be vigilant, careful where you step. He taught us to respect the power of both natural forces like tides and storms and of various animals, but not be overly sentimental about the animal--rather realistic, practical.
We have bears up in the mountains here, but i've not seen one in 11 yrs here. But then i haven't actually seen an Elk either tho i see the signs of them moving and sometimes bedding down. i recently learned from a long time local that my speculation that they are the reason some of our sage bushes get flattened is true--the elk will use them as 'beds', plopping down so all the branches radiate out from a center point. And sometimes when ground is dry/hard i can hear them walking past the house between 3-5 a.m.
While 4.9 acres isn't a lot of land for rural dweller it is is enough that i get observe animals, plants and how they respond to varying weather in different years. Just being in more natural setting (with low light pollution) is a joy. On clear night between March and Sept we often see the Milky Way, something i missed greatly living in cities. Unfortunately often have cloudy nights during the prime meteor shower weeks. But have a good view if clear. Also good views of planetary alignments.
In the winter i'll go out and look at the different tracks in the snow to see what critters visited overnight.
Supernatural
Senior Member
This situation occurred quite often once husband and I moved to our very first house, in the 80s.
To tell the storyline, I've to go back to the time where I had a baker's dozen kitten and their mum in bed with me. From the time they were born until the last night they spent away from me and unfortunately died.
Chochone was the mum, her twelve babies had been born in December 1961, all survived. One of the kittens, all females BTW! One of them took to me and she'd compete with her mum to be either sleeping on my chest or my head. Which meant that if Blackie was on my chest, Chochone was on my head. They were all black or with various white spots. Blackie, my favourite, had one white spot on her belly. We had a profound affection to each other.
The remaining girls would be sleeping around my body in my basinet, either on top of the covers or underneath. I'd be used as a scratch-post and when I woke up next morning, my white sheets were coloured red. Neverminded that, as I was always a fast healer and no never felt it, as back then I slept through anything and everything lol.
February 1962 was particularly cold that night and someone in the family who's had enough of washing blood soaked bedding, insisted they'd slept in the basement by the furnace.
Unfortunately, that night a fire occurred next door. Their semi explored around 4am and we just had time to evacuate and save ourselves. Unfortunately, my baker's dozen kitten girls and mum died that night.
Back to present day and now we have our wee CoffeeBean. He's all black with one white spot on his belly. Hello coincidence?
Ever since with hubby, everywhere we moved into, I'd hear a kitty meow. Out of the corner of my eye, I'd see a wee kitty walking by. I'd feel a kitty's body on either my chest or head. Now, as you may know, cats see into the afterlife and sees ghosts (dogs do as well BTW).
I always know when Blackie is around as CoffeeBean, possessive of me, jumps on my chest, arms or heads to dislodge Blackie. So, yes, I believe that pets have souls as I hear her special kitty meows and CoffeeBean reacts whenever she comes near me.
There's also stories of people who died briefly and come back to life, speak of seeing their departed pets waiting for them in the afterlife.
Sharks and crocodiles are a great way for Aussies to enter the food chain.We're not exempt, but it's a little unnerving to think about!
