I have been ignorant and hypocritical.
In this article I will expand on animals, humans, and consciousness. Please let me know your thoughts! I am very curious how others view this topic.
I have always been an avid animal lover. When I was younger, my first passion was animals, particularly dogs!
I remember getting a book about dog breeds when I was very young, just so that I could learn about all the different breed of dog in the world! They reminded me of real life pokemon. If you think about it, it’s so weird, this cute little animal covered in fur, that you cannot speak to verbally, but becomes your best friend!
After a lot of begging, our parents finally caved, and bought us a beagle. We decided to name her beabel, because at the time, my sister and I were quite young and we couldn’t pronounce beagle properly, and referred to her as a ‘beabel’. We thought it fit her quite well, and from then on she was always known as our little beabel.
Picture of beabel with my sister and I, and a picture from 2011, shortly before she passed away from a tumor.
I was never one of those people whom had an idea of what they wanted to be when they were young, but I always thought I would do something to help animals.. Maybe i’d become a vet!
Time went on and things changed, but my love for animals never did. When I look into the eyes of my dogs, I see a soul, I see a friend. That goes for all animals, really!
Regardless of the above, I have always eaten meat. It was pretty much the norm for me considering my upbringing. My family loves BBQ’s, and I never really second guessed it, until recently. The fact that you pick up meat at the supermarket, distances you from the animal, the suffering, and the slaughter.
I’d been thinking about becoming a vegetarian for some time, but after watching okja, I really thought to myself that I need to make a change.
It sounds silly, but sometimes you are blind to the horror of it all, and something like a movie can remind you or make you more aware. I had also been watching the new episodes of blue planet, and when you watch these animals in their habitat, you can’t help but be in awe. It makes you realise that there is a common level of intelligence across of all forms.
Each species is a variation on a theme. Their intelligence and importance is complete undermined. We as human seems to think that we are superior on all beings, just because our intelligence seems superior. I wouldn’t compare our intelligence, but appreciate them for their individual intelligence and their individual contribution to the world. I feel we don’t even completely understand their intelligence, hence why we learn so many new things every year about animal behaviour. For example, on blue planet, they recently confirmed they found evidence of octopuses being social animals and communicating on a level we didn’t understand. Certain animals have cognitive recognition, and can recognize and mourn the death of another animal, recognizing individuality of the personality, or soul.
For those who do not like animals, can I ask why? I would be interested in hearing more about your experience and opinion of animals. I am of course also interested in hearing from those people who feel the same way as I have described above!
Equally interestingly, I read an article recently about Mr Cleveland Backster, whom was a research for the CIA, and developed the first evaluation of the polygraph chart, and studied the technology extensively.
One night he decided to connect his polygraph machine to a dracaena plant that he had bought to see if anything would happen when he subjected the plant to stress. He found whenever he had bad intention, or threatened the plant, by for example lighting a match with the intent of burning a leaf, the polygraph machine registered the reaction to his malintent, and the machine came alive. Following this discovery, he spent considerable time studying the ability of plants to communicate with their environment.
This is interesting because it supports my assertion above that animals and other beings can communicate on a level or frequency that we are not attuned to, and therefore disregard the mystery of living things and consciousness, or the ‘soul’. Mr Backster suggested that plants communicate telepathically (ESP), and that they have the ability to feel pain, and that they have sensory abilities.
Data from other researchers and scientists showed that, “time and time again, bacteria, plants and so on are all fantastically in tune with each other. Human cell, too, have this primary perception ability, but somehow it’s gotten lost at the conscious level. Or perhaps we never had such a talent. I suspect that when a person is spiritually advanced enough to handle such perceptions, she or he will become properly tuned in. Until then it might be best not be tuned in, because of the damage we could caused by mishandling the received information.”
His findings were supported in a study recently published in the scientific journal or Biomed Central Ecology, which demonstrated that plants can communicated by using nano-mechanical sound waves. I have to say, this made me feel quite bad this morning when I was cutting up mushrooms for my breakfast!
Maybe this is going a tad too far for those who do not believe in consciousness or the soul, but if you look around you, animals and human life, it is so sophisticated, and complex. We have only scratched the surface when it comes to understanding consciousness, human life, and our role. It is so important to stay open minded about the mysteries of life.
In my next article, I will discuss the importance inner child, and the importance of maintaining curiosity for life.
When we are adults, it seems we forget that we are still children, and that we should also keep learning and asking questions. It’s as if we age, become “adults” and form a set list of values and principles that become set in stone, and there no room for expanding of the mind. This limiting set of values then creates a communication barrier and causes breakdown in communities. Values and principles are usually a reflection of the current political climate and upbringing. They become a part of our identity.
To expand on the above theme of consciousness, brings me to Jacob Grindberg. Jacob Grindberg studied psychophysiology, and studied consciousness using electroencephalograph (EEG). He theorised that the “conjugated activity of all neuronal elements of a working brain forms an interactive matric known as the ‘neuronal field.’” He added that the ‘neural field’ emanating from the brain distorts this lattice, and activates partial interpretations of it that is perceived as an imagine.
Only when the brain mind system is free from interpretations, do the neural field and the pre-space structure become identical, thereby concluding that all individual minds were linked together by a non local matrix. Strangely enough, this reminds me of the movie Avatar, and I can personally believe the above.
Einstein, Podolsky, and Rosen, in line with Grindberg, sought correlations between human brains to verify if the brain has a ‘macroscopic quantum component’, ie being able to demonstrate brain to brain non local correlation. They tested the theory by using a pair of subjects whom were allowed to interact, and were then separated inside chambers 14.5 meters apartment, and monitored their EEG. When one subject was subjected to light flashed, the stimuli caused a spike in the EEG. Strangely enough, the non-stimulated subject showed ‘transferred potentials’, so a change in EEG similar to those evoked in the stimulated subject, supporting the brain’s quantum nature at the macro level.
Before you think I have gone off on a tangent, the above provides evidence to the point that all living things around us have a form of intelligence that should be valued, appreciated, and respected. These living creatures have a role, as human do, and we should seek to understand and live in harmony. This is not to say that plants and animals shouldn’t be eaten at all, because our bodies require nutrients to survive, and ultimately life and death are two sides of the same coin. The point is that animals and all living creatures should be treated with respect. They shouldn't be slaughtered and kept in horrible conditions.
What can we do to stop this? Do you think if people had to buy live animals, and kill the animal themselves for food, that this would make people more aware, and perhaps reduce meat consumption?
On that note, here is some cuteness to appreciate :)
Little biscuit and her vampire teeth. She is too much!
Walk along the canal in London!
I am a meat eater, but I have recently been struggling with the same issues as you. Becoming a vegetarian would be a huge step, as my entire family would have to be converted.