Do Animals Have Spirits??

[ALien]

A spirit provides humans with self-awareness as well as the possibility for varying degrees of consciousness in the spiritual dimension. Humans are very spiritual creatures. Although the spiritual dimension takes up no space, I believe we can use the illustration that a spirit does for the human consciousness what the third dimension does for two dimensional "flatlanders." We dwell in the realm of the physical and the spiritual at the same time because we have a spirit and a body with the added element of a soul which interacts with both the spirit and body. Humans are actually spirits having a physical experience, our bodies functioning much like space suits in the physical dimension. We can perceive what is "soulish," when the soul is in control of the body and what is "spiritual," when the spirit is in control. Soul has a lot to do with brain cell capabilities; whereas, spirit goes deeper than that.

Let's explore the subject of spirit in regard to animals in hauntings, spirit possession, DNA experimentation, and alien interest.

Animals operate on a "flatlander" level of the soul with their intellect, emotions and will. Much, if not all, of what they do is instinctive. Depending upon each species' intellectual capacity, they may be able to learn new behaviors, but they are not self-aware nor aware of the spiritual dimension like humans are. Indian beliefs include totem animals which have various desirable characteristics to emulate or base human actions upon, such as the eagle, crow or bear. However, even though those characteristics are attributed to the "spirit" of the animal, they still are well within what can be manifested from the soul.

Throughout history and up into the present, reports have been made of the appearance of animal phantoms or ghosts. These apparitions are sometimes used as proof that an animal has a spirit, yet often a haunting is a residual memory stored in the fabric of certain physical surroundings which replays over and over like a sporting event's instant replay. The apparition appears when conditions are right to cause the memory to start again. Other spiritual entities may masquerade as animal apparitions as well. Still no proof that an animal has a spirit.

What about spirit possessions of an animal? We know that a familiar spirit is one who possesses and inhabits an animal such as a cat which does the bidding of the one in control of the animal. There are many reports of animals seemingly being temporarily possessed by benevolent entities as well whereupon they are directed to perform amazingly courageous feats of rescue or even speak through the animal.

I believe that the large percentage of water that makes up a physical body is what makes it an ideal habitation for a spirit. Of course, the body is ideal for our own spirit. The body is the perfect tool for manifestation of our soul and spirit into the physical realm. However, other spirits desire that manifestation as well. Therefore, a great spiritual battle wages in which spirits vie for control of bodies. This includes animals, although as indicated in the reaction of the pigs in the story of the possession of the demoniac by a legion of spirits in the Bible, an animal is not the optimum expression for a spirit. When Jesus cast the legion out of the demoniac in Mark 5:1-13, they immediately entered the pigs and drove the animals over the cliff and into the sea. The pigs' bodies were not quite what they sought, not quite able to contain them as well as their previous host. I believe that those particular types of demons used the pigs as a vehicle to get to the sea (water) to travel further and expand their possibilities from the limited life in a pig without having to traverse through dry places. For a demon to be cast out of a body means going into a "dry" place, a place of no expression, no viable energy, which is tantamount to torture for them. We might use the illustration of how a plant wilts without the energy of water although this doesn't explain it adequately. Indeed, our bodies "hydrate" spirits, giving power and life in some strange way to their input into this world.

What about the difference in animal and human bodies? This brings me to the subject of DNA experimentation. Nowhere in human history has mankind NOT done something if they have the ability to do it. We now have the ability to combine different DNAs to produce what is called a chimera. No question in my mind that somewhere, someplace a mad scientist has mixed animal DNA and human DNA and an animal/human chimera is growing up there or will be sooner than we think. Therefore, this chimera will have animal parts and human parts and not only a soul but a spirit. Could this mad scientist go even further in DNA experimentation and produce a human with a body that is completely animal? How would the spirit of a human cope within the body of an animal?

In the reports of alien abductions and DNA experimentation, it would seem that at least one of their goals may be to produce hybrids. By all accounts, they seem to have human and animal DNA high on their list of things to do. Could they actually be going after the human spirit as an addition to their makeup? The mind boggles at the thought of alien/human hybrids which would have a soul and human spirit. On the other hand, could this even be for the purpose of developing a suitable (or stronger) body for the habitation of a spirit that is not human?

When we stop and think about the ramifications of what could be taking place, it opens a Pandora's box of possibilities. However, the next time your dog or cat looks at you and its eyes melt into pure love, just think about what else might lie behind those eyes. Are they spirits having a physical experience as well? How we regard animals is an indication of whether we are normal because normal in this case means to care for them, treat them with respect, and nurture all, no matter what the species. I sincerely hope that animals do have an entrance into the spiritual realm--if not through their own immortal spirits, through some other way --for there are several animals that I would dearly love to see again.

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[mich@el]

Nope.........as per Wikipedia.........

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spirit

The English word "spirit" comes from the Latin "spiritus" (breath). The term is commonly used to refer to a supernatural being which is transcendent and therefore metaphysical in nature. For many people, however, spirit, like soul, is a natural part of a being, and is identified with mind, or consciousness, or the brain.

Etymology

The English word "spirit" comes from the Latin spiritus, meaning "breath" (compare spiritus asper), but also "soul, courage, vigor", ultimately from a PIE root *(s)peis- (to blow). In the Vulgate, the Latin word translates Greek (πνευμα) pneuma, Hebrew (רוח) ruah, as opposed to anima, translating psykhē. The word was loaned into Middle English via Old French The distinction between soul and spirit became current in Judeo-Christian terminology (e.g. Greek. psykhe vs. pneuma, Latin anima vs. spiritus, Hebrew ruach vs. neshama or nephesh; in Hebrew neshama from the root NSHM or breath.)

Metaphysical and metaphorical uses

The word is used in two related contexts, one metaphysical and the other metaphorical.

Its metaphysical context has attained a number of meanings:

1. An incorporeal but ubiquitous, non-quantifiable substance or energy present individually in all living things. Unlike the concept of souls, which are by definition eternal and usually believed to preexist the body, a spirit develops and grows as an integral aspect of the living being. This concept of the individual spirit is common among traditional peoples. It is therefore important to note the distinction between this concept of spirit and that of the pre-existing or eternal soul because belief in souls is specific and far less common, particularly in traditional societies. This is more properly termed life ("bios" in Greek) ether than spirit ("pneuma" in Greek.)
2. A daemon sprite, or especially ghost. A ghost is usually conceived as a wandering spirit from a being no longer living, having survived the death of the body yet maintaining the mind and consciousness.
3. In religion and spirituality, the respiration of the human being has for obvious reasons been strongly linked with the very occurrence of life. A similar significance has been attributed to human blood. Spirit in this sense denotes that which separates a living body from a corpse and usually implies intelligence, consciousness and sentience.
4. Various animistic religions, such as Japan's Shinto and various Native American and African tribal beliefs, focus around invisible beings which represent or are connected to plants, animals (sometimes called Animal Fathers), or even landforms; the English word "spirit" is usually used when translating tales related to such entities.
5. Spirits are often visualized as being interconnected to all others and The Spirit (singular capitalized) refers to the theories of a unified spirituality, universal consciousness and some concepts of Deity. All "spirits" connected, form a greater unity, the Spirit, which has both an identity separate from its elements plus a consciousness and intellect greater than its elements; an ultimate, unified, non-dual awareness or force of life combining or transcending all individual units of consciousness. The experience of such a connection can be a primary basis for spiritual belief. The term spirit has been used in this sense by at least Anthroposophy, Aurobindo, A Course In Miracles, Hegel, and Ken Wilber. In this use, the term is conceptually identical to Plotinus's "One" and Friedrich Schelling's "Absolute." Similarly, according to the pan(en)theistic aspect, Spirit is the essence that can manifest itself as mind/soul through any level in pantheistic hierarchy/holarchy, such as a mind/soul of a single cell (with very primitive, elemental consciousness), or a human or animal mind/soul (with consciousness on a level of organic synergy of an individual human/animal), or a (superior) mind/soul with synergetically extremely complex/sophisticated consciousness of whole galaxies involving all sub-levels, all emanating (since it is non-dimensional, or trans-dimensional) from the one Spirit.
6. In Christian theology, the Spirit is also used to describe God, or aspects thereof as in Holy Spirit, referring to a Triune God (Trinity): "The result of God reaching to man by the Father as the source, the Son as the course ("the Way"), and through the Spirit as the transmission."
7. Also in (popular) theological terms, the individual human "spirit" (singular lowercase) is a deeply situated aspect of the soul subject to "spiritual" growth and change; the very seat of emotion and desire, and the transmitting organ by which human beings can contact God. In a rare theological definition it is higher consciousness enclosing the soul. It is a central concept of Pneumatology (in context of the latter definition note that this science studies "pneuma;" Greek for "spirit," not "psyche;" Greek for "soul" studied in psychology.
8. In Christian Science, Spirit is one of the seven synonyms for God. These are: "Principle; Mind; Soul; Spirit; Life; Truth; Love" (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy, p. 587).
9. In Harmonism, spirit is a term reserved for those which collectively control and influence an individual from the realm of the mind.

The metaphorical use of the term likewise has several related meanings:

1. The loyalty and feeling of inclusion in the social history or collective essence of an institution or group, such as in school spirit or esprit de corps
2. A closely related meaning refers to the worldview of a person, place, or time, as in "The Declaration of Independence was written in the spirit of John Locke and his notions of liberty", or the term zeitgeist, meaning "spirit of the age".
3. As a synonym for 'vivacity' as in "She performed the piece with spirit." or "She put up a spirited defense."
4. The underlying intention of a text as distinguished from its literal meaning, especially in law; see Letter and spirit of the law
5. As a term for alcoholic beverages stemming from medieval superstitions that explained the effects of alcohol as demonic activity.
6. In Mysticism, as existence in unity with Godhead. Soul may also be known as spirit, but soul is certain individual human consciousness, while spirit comes from beyond that.

See soul and ghost for related discussions.

Related concepts in other languages

Similar concepts in other languages include Greek Pneuma and Sanskrit akasha/atman, see also Prana. In some languages, the word for spirit is often closely related, if not synonymous to mind. Examples include the German, 'Geist' (related to the English word ghost) or the French, 'l'esprit'. In the Judaeochristian Bible, the word "ruach" (רוח; "wind") is most commonly translated as the spirit, whose essence is divine (see Holy Spirit; ruach hakodesh). Alternately the word nephesh is commonly used. Nephesh, as referred to by Kabbalists, is one of the five parts of the Jewish soul, where "nephesh" (animal) refers to the physical being and its animal instincts. Similarly, both the Scandinavian languages and the Chinese language uses the term "breath" to refer to the spirit.

[kissbang]

Many years ago I acquired a Doberman puppy, to be more accurate I rescued it from certain misery as it was kept in a junk yard not far from where I lived, I managed to force a weak section of fence down and popped the puppy over and into the safety of my arms. The following years where spent with countless untethered walks, as I lived on the outskirts of the city. Time passed, and she(Binky) got old(14yrs), her age brought on illness and it was time for her to pass. The dog was very loyal, although dying, she held on till I came home from my shift at work. I approached the dog and reasured her that everything was okay, she passed, and upon doing so I saw her spirit form leave her body. it resembled a shadowy form barely visible to the naked eye, similar to what we see documented on various sites. There is no dought, in my mind, that at least dogs have similar spirits to man.

[Mingus]

There are those who say that all things, rocks and such included, have a soul or at least a form of consciousness. Speaking only of other animals, it's been said by these people that pets have a better chance than wild animals at reincarnating as human because they learn that they are different from other animals, thus learning what needs to be learned to go on to the next density of consciousness.

Plants have even been reported to have a form of consciousness, at least based on a lie detector test that showed a response to fire (among a few other tests).