Animals And Our Shared Reality
Originally published February 6, 2016
Years ago, when I first starting talking about animal communication and explaining it to folks, I had a pat method of explaining how to connect with animals: go to a quiet place, quiet your body and mind, imagine yourself in a safe place, yada, yada, yada.
All of that is true and yet there’s more involved in connecting with animals (all sentient souls).
How do we change our persona, our essence, so we are meeting the animals in a shared reality instead of encountering them fully in the human world, on human terms and in human ways?
How do we BE with animals?
Observing Crow
Let me share a story with you.
After receiving a heavy, wet snow the other day, the sky had cleared up. It was bright and sunny, I definitely needed my sunglasses. The sky was a brilliant, expansive blue, truly giving credence to Montana’s saying “Big Sky Country”.
I was outside clearing off my car, minding my own business (famous last words!) when I heard the flamboyant cawing of Crow. I looked up just in time to see Crow flying over my head singing his Crow song, very much enjoying himself and his day. The picture I saw looked exactly like the picture at the top if this post.
I couldn’t help but laugh with Crow, he was so obviously enjoying himself, feeling the freedom of a good flight. That minute experience lifted me from the mundane chore of clearing off a snow covered car to feeling life course through my body and exuding outside of my body in joyous laughter.
Still chuckling, my dog Max and I got in the car to run errands.
Right before I reached the main highway, guess who playfully swooped down in front of my car? You got it – Crow! The very same Crow who had flown over my house. I drove down the mountain on the switchbacks, Crow simply traveled as the crow flies, and we met in the same place, at the same time, for the second time that day.
Coincidence? Maybe, but I don’t think so.
Our Shared Reality
Why did Crow and I connect in the first place? What was it that made Crow caw just at that time and capture my attention? Happenstance? Because I was the only human around? Is there a scientific explanation? Was I in such a relaxed state my body was emitting a certain pheromone that attracted Crow my way? Had Crow seen me before and remembered me?
I can’t tell you, I don’t know. All I know is that experience was the highlight of my day and still, whenever I think of it, I get a big grin on my face.
We and the animals share a common reality. We all physically exist on Mother Earth, we share senses, feelings, the need to care for ourselves and our families. We breathe the same air and we transverse the same planet, whether that is on ground, by air or in water.
I don’t know about you, but when I consider we have a shared, daily, physical reality with animals, it sure makes it easier to be in relationship-with them, instead of claiming power-over them.
The Art of BEing With Animals
There are lots of valid reasons and ways to practice animal communication: to find out what’s going on from the animal’s perspective when – from the human’s perspective – there is a training or behavioral issue; helping an animal and her/his human before, during and after the animal’s transition; working with lost animals, the lists goes on.
As an animal communicator, each time I experience a session I learn more about connecting with animals, the animals themselves and myself. I become more cognizant we do share reality and of my responsibility of making sure I operate within that shared reality. I am becoming aware it’s simply not fruitful to presume the animals will always want to connect with me, simply because I’m the human and I require it of them.
Which brings me to some questions: is there a more basic and fundamental way of approaching animal communication? A way that is more easily recognized by the animals than what we have been doing? A way that is perhaps more innate to the animals than it is to us?
I believe there is – it is simply BEing with the animals. BEing present to them, BEing aware of their presence. It’s acknowledging they are in the same physical reality and space we are.
When’s the last time you acknowledged the birds in your yard? Not just recognizing them as being in your yard, but saying hello to them, telling them how much you admire their song, how handsome they are looking. Have you thought about treating the birds like you might a friendly neighbor, one who had come to visit and was standing in your yard? When you think in terms of a common, shared reality, the yard belongs to the birds as much as it does to you.
We humans have nothing to loose and everything to gain when we start thinking about and acting in a shared common reality with our animal relation. I hope you’ll give this a go, see what differences you notice and how this affects your relationship with the animals in the wild, the animals in your shared backyard and the animal family with whom you live.
Looking forward to reading your experiences in the comments below!
