Pets and the after life

Since the animals have an intelligence which gives them a certain degree of freedom of action, is there, in them, a principle independent of matter?

"Yes; and that survives their body."

-- Is this principle a soul, like that of man?

"It is a soul, if you like to call it so; that depends on the meaning you attach to this word. But it is inferior to that of man. There is, between the soul of the animals and that of man, as great a difference as there is between the soul of man and God."

Does the soul of the animals preserve, after death, its individuality and its self-consciousness?

"It preserves its individuality, but not the consciousness of its me. The life of intelligence remains latent in them."

599. Has the soul of the beasts the choice of incarnating itself in one kind of animal rather than in another?

"No; it does not possess free-will."

600. As the soul of the animal survives its body, is it, after death, in a state of erraticity, like that of man?

"It is in a sort of erraticity, because it is not united to a body; but it is not an errant spirit. The errant spirit is a being who thinks and acts of his own free-will; but the soul of the animal has not the same faculty, for it is his self-consciousness which is the principal attribute of the spirit. The soul of the animal is classed after its death, by the spirits charged with that work, and almost immediately utilized; it has not the leisure to enter into connection with other creatures."
www.spiritwritings.com...

Originally posted by tw0330
So what is your thoughts, will I get the chance to see my girl again?

On one hand, western religions don't consider animals to have souls like people, and therefore they're unlikely to continue in any form after death. They are more elemental than we are, and their energy just goes back into the universe it came from. It's all just a transition. And as the song says, "life is but a dream."

On the other hand, if you think that you will have a life after death, and be rewarded in that afterlife if you're "good," then having your precious things and loved ones around you will likely be part of that reward. And in that case, your pet will be there waiting for you and very happy to see you again. That's a happy thought.

Personally, I don't see how a personality matrix can survive without a body to house it. I've been unconscious during operations, and there's nothing going on during that time at all. I don't imagine death is all that different, except you never wake up to notice the difference, and the blackness extends backwards and forwards in time, into eternity, completely obliterating reality and existence.

The good part about that, if you want to consider it that, is that you will no longer miss your pet because you won't exist. Non-existence takes away the pain.

reply to post by Shadow Herder


And this is the kind of thing that has made me question the bible and those who wrote it.

Don't tell me an animal doesn't have free will or choice. Tell that to the owner or the Dog who chose to save the owners life instead of theirs in a fire. Like wise you can find the same type of dog that will choose to turn on their owner for no reason.

This is not free will?? how do you figure.

reply to post by tw0330


I think the fact that animals love is proof they have a soul...the soul is the realm of love...not ego and not the body but the soul...it is our private piece of the Living Spirit, the way I see it.

And the truth is, that the original writers of the bible made no bones about both 'Adam' and all the rest of the 'creatures' being 'living souls.' The later translators, such as who created the KJV, seemed to have used slightly different terms for what was in Hebrew the exact same phrase...in order to make it SEEM as if man had a superior soul to other creatures...but we all have the breath of life in us from our Creator no matter how many legs we have or if we swim or fly or crawl.

reply to post by tw0330

Pets and the after life

One can truly hope so. I just wanted to lend some support for your loss, and thank you for sharing your story. I have my first dog now, she is 5 and I can't even think about the dreaded day, much less about how I will handle it.
Blessings to you, you sound like a kind person that cared deeply for your loved one.

Peace and cyber hugs,
spec

You can keep her alive in your memories, thats what I do.

I know how you feel, hardest think I ever had to do. Its the reason I cant make myself get another four legged friend.

reply to post by tw0330


I'm so sad for you.......and I understand your
loss...... deepest condolences.

All things return to the source, nirvana, heaven, etc.

reply to post by tw0330

So sorry to hear of your loss,but it sounds as though you did the kindest thing possible.
As for those who would say that animals have no soul,well you know diferent having known the love and companionship of one who gives unconditionally,to me they have more soul than most humans could aspire to.
You'll see her again at Rainbow Bridge.

I am terribly sorry for your loss, as I too am a dog lover, and fear the day that I lose my friend, Blue. I just wanted to say that to you, as my personal beliefs don't encompass a heaven of any kind. But you should believe what you want to believe, and if that includes dogs in heaven, then believe it. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. You are right about the point that if there is a heaven, your dog would certainly be there, I have no doubts. What a great story, thank you for sharing it, and I wish you the best in healing after this loss.

I truly empathize with your loss. All I know is what I've been through personally:


She's been back over 2 years now & I Know it's Her. It's very surreal.

My other male Cat, who passed about a year before Her at 16, lives at the neighbors as they let him out like I never would. He comes by daily to say "Hi!". I never quite fully believed it was Him, despite the exact appearance & characteristics, until She came back.

Unconditional Love is very powerful.

The relationship that you had with the soul of your dog is far deeper and more advanced than any piece of literature that exists on this earth can describe. The time will come when your comprehension of existence exceeds current human comprehension, and when that time comes, you will feel the closure and the happiness that should be associated with this particular death.

I am so sorry for your loss. Personally I believe that animals do have souls and do go to heaven or in some situations stay close to their beloved human companion to help them through the grief, either for a brief time or longer if needed.

Over the past few years my family and I have suffered through more than our share of pet losses IMO. In 2008 I lose my beautiful calico ginger kitty, she was only 8 years old, but she was very attached to me. I was hospitalized on multiple occasions that year and each time she would get sick while I was gone, finally in November after being in then out 3 days and then back in the hospital for a week it apparently was more than she had the will to keep dealing with and by the end of the month she died in my arms. I was desperately heartbroken, but to this day I feel she still comes to visit me...not only do I occasionally see her wander past a doorway or run under the bed, but there have been times generally at night while I am in bed and the room is darkened but I am still wide awake, I will feel her jump up onto the bed next to me, this sensation has been so definite and firm that I have had my husband turn on the lights while I am still feeling her weight on the bed and although I haven't seen her form during those times we both have seen the depressions in the blankets.

Around December last year I lost my elderly pet sugar glider, he was the second of 2 brothers I originally had, the more timid one had passed about 6 years earlier. Despite my doubts we were able to help his stronger willed brother get through the loss and enjoyed the rest of his life with him, when he passed away I mourned his loss, but was better able to accept it because he was 15 years old by then which in sugar glider years is quite a long life. I heard him chattering for about the first week after he was gone, by which time I accepted that he had lived a very long and happy life, he was not in pain when he passed it was obvious that he just comfortably fell asleep and didn't wake up. I've not heard from him since but I am sure he's happy to be back with his brother again

My daughter is very spiritually sensitive and in January she lost 2 of her close companions, one a very unique, communicative, and affectionate cockatiel who's loss was unexpected and rather traumatic for my daughter. She still see's him sitting on the shower curtain rod in the bathroom, and feels him walk up to her and start tugging at her hair as he did when he was alive. And finally less than 2 weeks after that loss she was faced with putting her dog Toto to sleep, Toto was 16 years old, completely devoted to my daughter and had been with her since she was 6 years old. It was a very difficult decision for her to make but she know it would have been inhumane not to, Toto had been slowing down and then one night she lost the use of her back legs and cried as she tried to follow my daughter through the house, we sat together with her until we felt that even that was doing her more harm than good, then we took her to the vet and she very peacefully quieted, laid her head in my hand and sort drifted off to sleep. It was both of our first experience with losing a pet in such a way but in the end we all agreed it would have been an insult to all the love she had given us to force her to go on as she was. My daughter says she still feels her snuggling up next to her in her bed at night, and sometimes when she's at her computer desk she will fell her brush by her feet as she often did while alive as she curled up under her desk to be near her.

So yes I definitely believe that our pets have souls, they are intelligent, they can love us, protect us, comfort us, miss us while we are away, greet us when we return, and even sense our emotions at times before even beloved members of our human family notice.

Sorry this is so long but I hope that all my examples will help you find comfort and peace

Sorry for your loss. You had a really beautiful story. I'm sure you will see her again. I have some 4 legged friends I'm waiting to see when my time comes as well. Just remember the kindness she showed to you and send that back out into the world.

Often we put animals down as lesser than us but the truth is, how much better are we when an animal will never betray you? You pointed out all true facts about animals, especially dogs. They love you more than they love themselves. Animals protect their own like no other so why is it so hard for us to be able to trust other human beings?

I just wanted to say one thing.

I have facebook (though I rarely use it) and because a lot of my past friends and much of my family knew about lady, I made a quick post about her passing. I got a few "sorry for your losses" and several "I can get you a new puppy" but mostly it just all felt so non-personal.

But what has helped me the most through this grieving period is ATS. My wife and Daughter have been there for me, but there is something about how you guys have rallied around this putting our differences aside, many of you have grieved with me in this process. That shows me that there is still compassion in this world.

The compassion shown to me here has been unmatched. And this proves that we do have a chance in this world to put our differences aside for the betterment of man, whether it be a single person, culture, country, or all of humanity,

No language has the words to describe my gratitude.

Thank you is to general of a word, but is all I can think of to say.

so...

Thank You with all my heart and soul.

You have gone above and beyond and that is what makes you who you are.

My heartfelt condolences. This is a video for all of us who have loved and lost our wonderful and beloved furry companions.

www.youtube.com...#!

My deepest condolences OP. I just lost my boy of 13 years a month ago, his mother died a little over a year ago, and my kittie of 19 years passed in '08. I took a photo of her favorite toy and next to it was an orb. I enlarged it , printed it put and put it on the frig. Well, it's not just an orb, I can see her whole body, no matrixing, it's her with the orb eminating from her torso.
A couple of weeks ago, I got a double orb, one a bit closer to the floor than the other. My boy was a little taller than his mother...they are together in spirit. Also, I got one where there is a strange animal shaped mist on top of some pillows in the recliner.
Take a whole bunch of photos. And now is the perfect time. Keep taking photos, don't give up, you'll see, just keep trying. They show up good against a light background like my kittie did. You can tell the difference between dust and orbs. One is self illuminating, very bright. Dust is dull and gray. Real orbs also can leave a light trail and will have an odd shape sometimes, dust is just perfectly round.
Examine all photos closely. The picture of kittie was not obvious in the photo till I enlarged and printed it. Good luck, I hope you get to see that your baby is still with you. Free from the pain now and still watching over you. Pay attention, you may hear em or feel em.
Again, I am so sorry for your loss. The pain is unbearable, I know. They were my children.

I believe Dogs go to heaven because only something with a such a perfect soul that can love unconditionally gets immediate entry through the Pearly Gates. You will see your beloved friend one day just as I know that I will see my chihuahua Mollie.

Originally posted by Blue Shift

Originally posted by tw0330
So what is your thoughts, will I get the chance to see my girl again?

On one hand, western religions don't consider animals to have souls like people, and therefore they're unlikely to continue in any form after death. They are more elemental than we are, and their energy just goes back into the universe it came from. It's all just a transition. And as the song says, "life is but a dream."

On the other hand, if you think that you will have a life after death, and be rewarded in that afterlife if you're "good," then having your precious things and loved ones around you will likely be part of that reward. And in that case, your pet will be there waiting for you and very happy to see you again. That's a happy thought.

Personally, I don't see how a personality matrix can survive without a body to house it. I've been unconscious during operations, and there's nothing going on during that time at all. I don't imagine death is all that different, except you never wake up to notice the difference, and the blackness extends backwards and forwards in time, into eternity, completely obliterating reality and existence.

The good part about that, if you want to consider it that, is that you will no longer miss your pet because you won't exist. Non-existence takes away the pain.

Awe,I'm so sad for you..... that's so sad. You'll see brother... There's more and ooohhh how beautiful it is. Love, love, and more love. Overwhelming love...unconditional, just like what pet angels give us. Not preaching, just wanted to let you know there REALLY is more. Being unconscious is not like being dead at all. Your soul doesn't depart unless your actually dead, and even then, sometimes people have returned to their bodies I.e. NDE's. Even some people that died and saw the other side said that when they came back to their bodies they were in darkness, like a waiting area I.e. unconscious. Much love to ya!!

Humans, animals, plants and even rocks - We are all of the same energy and share 1 spirit. The spirit of being.
Everyone and everything that exists are extroadinary powerful spiritual beings and sometimes we decide to express our divine nature in different ways by taking various physical forms. Your dog is no more soulless than you are.