Well…
I’ve always felt I had a unique link with animals. Without sounding like I’m tooting my own horn, I think I have an ability to sense when an animal is reaching a last stage of life, and then knowing when it’s time to say goodbye. I felt this very strongly with Shadow earlier this year. When we finally had the deed ready to do, the vet asked us if we were prepared, hubby said no, I said yes, but I don’t think I was speaking for me. I was kind of not within myself and I think I was feeling more of where Shadow was at that time.
Back in 1995, hubby’s cat developed squamous cell cancer in his mouth and throat. He would come in to a room with me, usually the bathroom where there was plenty of time to communicate, in his last days and just look at me. Most folks would just say, that’s just a cat staring, but his eyes conveyed so much more and I was perhaps more willing to pick up on it that my husband, who dearly loved this cat. I had to tell him that Drac was ready, even if he wasn’t and that it was time. It is a hard thing to do in any case.
However I am just as unwilling to pick up the cues as well, when it was one of my own cats dying from cancer I kept her with me probably a bit too long. She was bad off by the time the vet got there, as she gasped when she saw her and was stern with me for waiting, but I do know I got a distinct feeling of Peep passing through me as she left her body, as if to say she forgave me. It was the most profound parting I’ve ever experienced, save the day my stepmom passed away, and the day that my Fuzzy cat died in my arms from a stroke.
Ugh…the morbid end is always the strongest. Not that I don’t sense things when my companions are happy, of course I do. But I’d have to say I pick up on most animals’ cues to conversation better than most human ones. I guess I’m just very Walt Whitman that way. *shrugs*

LOL…books give me fits these days, my eyesight isn’t what it used to be and so I prefer watching or listening to something rather than reading. But what is it called? Maybe I can find it in audiobook form.
(BTW, off topic but, I just had to order a book for my daughter that appears to only be out in Britain and Australia called Battle for Rondo. It’s been out for over a year and no idea why you can’t get it in the US. Then of course after all that trouble, she goes through it in less that 48 hours…OI!)

Of course when you mention folks who are highly in tune with animals, rabbits especially, I think of Marcy (?) the lady at the California rescue that MarkBun talks about so often. Now THERE’S someone with a talent for communicating with and in regards to animals!

I am a believer in almost every type of paranormal experience, and I have a friend who’s an animal communicator (to the point where she can charge people money for it), in my opinion it’s not necessarily that specialized of a skill (don’t tell her)

I think an animal communicator is like a human psychic basically. If you’re a good one, you’re a person who can read visual and energetic cues very well. In a way it’s easier to read animals than people, because you can pick an animal to specialize in (as most animal communicators do) and study them extensively. So in a way the communicator’s knowledge could be useful, because they’ve spent a lot of time and energy studying and observing particular animals, and may have the ability to see what a casual observer wouldn’t see.

If you’re an animal lover who spends a lot of time with your pet, you’re going to observe a lot of things and be able to read your animal. You can almost hear them “speaking” to you with their actions. For example, I understand cat actions completely, and only recently began to understand rabbit actions. So if I wanted to present myself as a “cat” or “rabbit” communicator I could do so, and wouldn’t be lying. But dogs freak me out (except for the cutesy little ones) so I couldn’t bill myself as a dog communicator.

I would be suspicious of any animal communicator or therapist who wasn’t a vegetarian, personally. Any time you’re treating someone, if you’re truly empathetic, you will feel their pain (human or animal). And if you’re dealing with animals but still eat animals, that’s weird and suspicious. Just saying. No fur, no leather, no meat. No to be overbearing, but a true animal communicator will be incapable of eating animal flesh.

Yeah, I’ve done this – I’m a bit skeptical but it was fun. I mean who knows what’s true about what they say and what’s not. I’m not very spiritual I guess which is why I’m such a skeptic. I think I’m just too practical.

I think its fun, but thats all it is. nobody is actually “communicating” with the animals, its called being able to read subtle signals the animals and their owners are giving. I have seen e-mails ones too that read from a picture…really now? its not hard to look at a picture, and make something up. whos gonna dispute it? its not like that animal can go “hey hey hey..wait just one second!” lol

now does that mean I am a total skeptic? no, actually I beleive there are a lot of things in this world that we dont know or understand.

I think great numbers of people are absolutely terrible listeners. Much of communication is listening, with your eyes and senses as much as your ears. So someone who has studied a particular type of animal will be paying attention to their form of communication in much the same way another animal of its own species would. Ever see a 4 year old with a 2 year old? They communicate easily, but the language is very minimal or unintelligible.

I am a big lover of the paranormal and psychic, but I agree that we cannot verify from the animal if it’s at all on the mark. I mean, bite me if I’m wrong. (The animal, that is.)

I believe in psychic and stuff.    In fact when I was young I had a lot of clairvoyant experiences.   3x with people I had only met once.   One of them only a few years ago I had an experience.    I get this weird feeling that this is the last time we are going to see this person that this person is going to die.   Sure enuf   we would get a call the next day so n so died.   I had this with mostly my parents friends and my ex’s friends.

The one at my Dad’s  was startling.  All went quiet the only thing I heard was a bird loud n clear and I got such a strong feeling this person is going to die tonite.  Well both of them actually and sure enuf they got in a car accident on their way home.  That was the strongest and most startling due to everything going quiet but the wild bird.  It was just me that was in an eerie quiet zone as my Dad was talking to his friends. IT was like I was in another world or something.

I have always had a way with animals.  Especially cats.   Rabbits too though.   When mom visited she said when I was little they said I could have a rabbit.  IF I took care of it I could get more.  I took great care of it so they got me more.   Mom told me I would get up before dawn sometimes and go feed n water them.  Pull twigs off the hedges for them to chew on and occupy themselves.   Awe it was nice to hear that.

Cats talk through their eyes and tail a lot with their eyes.  The greet you with their eyes blinking and such squinting like. 

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Yes, she avoided me for umm I would say 7 months..

Wow Taurus! Incredible!

I have had feelings of not being alone.. several times when I was a little girl, after my grandpa passed away.

Beautiful stories, Taurus!

BT, you reminded me of the cats I’ve had in my lifetime. We always blink back and forth at each other. I like to make their noises back at them and see how long we can carry on a ‘conversation’. I should actually get a movie of one of my cats and me ‘chatting’…she is a cat of few meows, but when they start coming it’s like a bird peeping…and she won’t stop till she’s said her piece!

I also know what you mean about feeling someone will die soon. I also had that ‘talent’ (I use the word very tongue-in-cheek because it’s not like I could know of someone’s impending doom and be able to stop it) which was more profound during my pregnancies. Before each of my children was born, I correctly predicted family members who would pass on at the same time. They didn’t have to be ill either, something you could feel was ‘coming on’. It was very unnerving.
My dad always believed that nothing in or on earth and heaven is wasted. That where a new life comes to being, an old life must depart to keep balance.

Speaking of him, here’s one for you…human to human…so not the same subject:
Anyway, I was driving my boyfriend to work one morning, way back in the early 80’s was when we were together. My dad had gone on a long trip to Colorado in his motorhome. He’d been away a few weeks and it was a Friday, the day we agreed to have a phone conversation to tell each other what was going on, check up on things.
It was a beautiful summer’s day in California. Lovely weather conditions, no heavy traffic…and yes, I was perfectly awake and lucid.
As I was driving home, the wheel of my car (it was my dad’s truck) was suddenly WRENCHED out of my hands. I almost went off the road. I recovered but the first thing in my mind was, “Dad’s had an accident.”
I sat by the phone for the rest of the day, waiting. When it rang at the appointed time he usually called I picked it up and immediately said, “What happened?”
My dad was quiet on the other end for what seemed like a full minute, “How did you know?” was all he said at first.
Apparently at the same time of day that I lost control of the car, he’d gone off the road in his motorhome and crashed in a ditch. I think the tire on that side had blown or something. He was only bruised and shaken, but it took the whole day for the road crews to get the vehicle out of the ditch, and then he was stuck in the town he wrecked near until they could get a new tire in and some other minor repairs to the drive train.

We often had these flashes of shared moments. He used to dream about lost objects and find them where he dreamed they were. It was regular enough that we knew the veil was thin enough for us to look through and see or feel things going on miles and time zones away.

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Hmmm this thread is interesting. I should say I believe in most paranormal experiences because I’ve had many, seen ghosts, seen unexplainable things from other dimensions, etc. I don’t talk about it all the time and only to certain people, because the majority of people will look at you like you’re insane. But when you see something like that with your eyes, well there’s no denying it. On the other hand I am skeptical of many psychics because a lot of people really imagine things and make things up.

In a way having an animal communicator isn’t a bad idea if you’re having problems with your pet, psychics generally won’t read their friends and family because they’re close and involved in their lives, much as sometimes we can spend every day with our animals but miss things that an outsider will notice. I am suspicious of people that “read” animals through pictures or distance or the internet… with animals you need to be quite close in my opinion.

To develop skills of extrasensory perception, meditation is the #1 key, and learning to focus and visualize things so you can literally “see” images in your mind’s eye. I have been super lazy and not doing any of this lately. When you focus on it, especially for women, it’s amazing how quickly these abilities can develop.

Sadly, no. I only seem to pick up on the negative vibrations. They seem to have more influence.
I think that’s probably why the 6 O’clock news is such a bugbear of society. Here we compile so many negatives (usually) and then send them around the world on a wire. Bring the planet to a higher and lighter vibration? How is that possible with all that friction?

I think that’s what makes my time with my animals so comforting. It’s the eye of the storm. The peaceful place to recharge from the chaos.
My bunnies do not want to discuss politics or global warming or people at war…they would just like a treat and a cuddle…and then to pee on my blankets. Then they are happy. ^_^
The simplicity…that must be it. Simple needs and simple pleasures.

Meditating with an animal on your lap actually is a great idea. It’s very easy to feel an animal’s aura if you’re focusing correctly. They don’t have the layers of deception that humans do (i.e. the way people try to present themselves in a certain light, there are always walls that animals simply don’t have.) I remember the first week I had Bun-Bun he was sitting on my lap, and I could feel his energy radiating out, he felt like a burning hot coal of positive energy in my lap. I can’t always feel that, but at that moment I knew I had made the right decision to bring him home to live with me.

Sad to say, if you want to be happy and make a difference in the world you have to focus on the positive and kind of turn a blind eye to the bad things, or at least let them touch your mind only peripherally. I’ll go months without watching the news. There are certain people who can be in the middle of a very sad situation (think of Mother Teresa) and can stay positive, but those people are exceptionally strong spirits who have more positive energy than I do.

Oooo auras! Now that’s something I wish I could do is see auras. I’ve heard of people who say they can, seen the Kirlian photography,etc. But it would be so cool to just pick it up naturally.

Oh I can see auras. Ha ha seriously. It started happening after I did 4 months of intensive Qi Gong (Chinese meditation.) However I can’t just glance at someone and see it, they have to be standing against a white background, I have to unfocus my eyes and kind of hover my eyes over them for a minute or so. With my friends and family I can see them much more easily. Also, animals and inanimate objects have auras.

The downside? I don’t know what it means. I’ve read a lot of theories, but I see no advantage to being able to see a person’s energy extending out of their body, and it’s distracting sometimes. I sometimes see colors and don’t know what they mean. As you’d suspect, people who are outgoing with large personalities have wider auras that are easier to detect, and people who are shy and withdrawn have ones that are hard to detect. What does it mean? Argh I don’t know… but there are many things in this world that we don’t understand.

I believe inanimate objects do absorb energy from us and then may show it as an aura simply because we kept such and such a thing with us for a long period of time. I think this is why certain objects of people who’ve passed away mean so much to us when we hold them. That person’s energy is transferred to you when you touch the object they held close.
Of course, this is probably an obvious assumption.

I was told by a reader (which I don’t really put much stock in, it was a passing observation) that I had a large yellow aura and that it was a good thing because it signified intense positive energy and a desire to reach out to people. Odd, because I always considered myself the kind of person who wanted to keep myself relatively unnoticed in the world and as such I tend to be a bit on the depressive side.
I would be curious to know the difference between my aura both pre and post cancer. Is it larger now or was it larger then? Brighter? Dimmer? Are there any ‘shadows’ in my aura and does it indicate my current condition, etc?

In that vein, most of all I would like to see the auras that animals cast. I think it would be a good barometer to telling their general health. It wouldn’t be used exclusively, but may be a clue as to how well and animal is or isn’t.

This is interesting. I believe strongly in the paranormal and animal communication but I think that they are both very different things.

I’ve done a lot of reading and work on “natural horsemanship” which is learning how to communicate with the horse. When I’m in a field with my horse, by reading her body language and having her read mine, I can make her go, stop, turn around, change direction and back up with no ropes or anything, even if we are quite a distance from each other. People think it’s pretty neat but it’s just me using my body as the “boss” horse would and she reacts the same way.

With regards to paranormal, I have had many experiences, most of them having to do with my dreams. One that stands out the most was when Stormy was very sick not long after I got him. He was having a very bad case of stasis and we went to the vet in the middle of the night, she did what she could and we came home. I was certain he was going to die. He just looked like he had no life left in him at all, laying flat out, not wanting to move at all. His eyes looked so sad and desperate. It was really late and I was so tired so I brought my blankets in the rabbit room so I could rest and stay with him. I fell asleep and heard my Dad’s voice (who passed away 7 years ago). He said “I’m so sorry your little guy is sick” and then at that instant I woke up to see Stormy eating lettuce. It just seemed like a miracle, because looking at the clock, I had only been asleep for a few minutes. I think my Dad had something to do with Stormy’s recovery. He loved animals and always had a lot of appreciation for my strong bond with them.

I’ve actually believed in and had experience with psychic phenomenon most of my life, but it is not something I discuss with many people. (Like broadcasting it on the internet, LOL!) I agree with the idea that physics adds to a reasonable opportunity for validation. Rephrase that: we become knowledgeable in what is by scientific explanation in our current society. What exists is there whether we understand it or not. I think psychic ability is as latent in everyone as a sense of smell, but it is in varying degrees of sensitivity (I was born with very bad eyesight and very strong insight) like any other ability. Some people run fast, some people see an aura easily, etc. So if you look at families, you probably find a genetic tendancy to psychic ability in someone with it. Remember, too, that the past was quiet and smaller. Less airwaves being used. We have a lot to pick up on these days.

I had a metaphor for it with palm trees. If you asked someone born and raised up north if they believed in palm trees, and described one, they probably wouldn’t. If you showed them a picture, they may acknowledge the possibility that they exist, but not in their lives or immediate world. But if you took that person south and let them loose in the countryside, touching and admiring and playing among the palm trees, then asked if they believed in them, they’d look at you like you were crazy. What do you mean, believe in them? These huge trees are all around us! Same with those who experience psychic events on a frequent basis. What’s not to believe?

And Spockie called to me at work one afternoon so I had to rush home as fast as I could at the end of the day. My baby was not feeling well. He got better, but that’s just one example of bonding with your animal that has it’s psychic moments. (Taurus )

One last thing: MM, the strong energy is what penetrates and communicates. A positive insight can happen, but it’s that chemical rush we get when things go wrong that has real strength to reach out, so we sense the bad events more easily. Have you ever sensed someone around at the moment of a birth or wedding? That’s a good example of a positive strong moment that can reach out as well.

MimzMum, those are interesting ideas. I can’t see auras to that detail in general but there certainly are people who can. I think a major illness could affect it, but not the overall shape or quality (as long as the person has recovered.) I also almost died 8 years ago from a random lung illness, as a result I’m sure the energy of my lungs is weaker even though I’m quite healthy now, and actually developed all these paranormal observational abilities after the illness.

What a great story about Stormy, it’s entirely possible. Your proximity to him while he was sick may have helped as well. I agree about people who flat-out deny the possibility of these occurrences when they have no experience with them! No point in arguing with these people, if they experienced it themselves it would change everything pretty quickly! And yeah I may be broadcasting ideas here on the internet but I don’t actually know any of you guys… I wouldn’t put anything similar on Facebook where I know everybody who’s going to read it. No point in opening yourself up to possible taunting from naysayers.

Maya brings up an interesting point about her lungs having less energy after an illness. For some reason I’m prompted to think of the Chinese philosophy that we are all born with a certain amount of energy allotment, or “chi” and we need to use this energy wisely all our lives or it will be depleted before it’s time.
My dad had a book called The Importance of Living, by Lin Yutang when I was young. I recently had to order another copy of it because I can’t find my dad’s original (a shame, that book was probably from the early 20’s and may have been a first edition) and began reading it again. He mentions “chi” quite a bit and how pivotal it is to Chinese life in general still at the time of his writing the book.

I would guess that this could be the energy we all feel coming from one another or from our pets. At least it seems to make perfect sense to me. The idea that you can overuse this energy too is one reason why I have never understood people who run marathons. You have to wonder how much of their life’s energy they are using up every year? ^_^

Pam: Love the palm tree metaphor. That’s a great way to illustrate it!
And no, I just don’t get any flashes during good events. Heck, even the morning my daughter was born, I couldn’t even sense that I was in labor (or maybe I was just putting up a wall) and it wasn’t until the pains were coming less than 4 minutes apart that we finally called the doc and he told us to get to the hospital immediately. (which was silly because she wasn’t born for another 7 hours)

Mimzmum you are correct about animals and their chi (I spell it qi, same thing.) An animal that is happy and well cared-for can add lots of positive energy to a home. When I’m at houses that don’t have pets they feel sterile and empty no matter how nice they are.

It’s true that we’re born with a certain amount of energy as well, it’s a specific type of qi that you have at birth. You can of course always improve yourself with diet and exercise, the way you live, etc. Some people have enough to burn through with marathons, like you mentioned, others take a lot of alcohol and drugs and still maintain good health. Others have low energy and are weak and sickly in spite of relatively good habits. At root, you’re stuck with the body you were born into, but there are lots of ways to improve it.

To bring it back to the psychic stuff, one way to improve health is to be very positive. I know people scoff at this and reduce it to “if I’m happy I can cure cancer?” Not the case necessarily but negativity definitely makes conditions worse. I’ve seen people with relatively mild pain who focus on it so extensively that it becomes crippling. There is a strong connection between the mind and body, a depressed person will often make themselves sick. The condition I survived kills over 50% of people who contract it and leaves most survivors with damging long-term effects. I recovered my health 100% (except for slightly weaker lungs/immune system) but I attribute this to my good health before getting sick, huge support system of friends and family, and the fact that I didn’t doubt for one second that I would be back to my normal self! It’s tough but if you’re stuck in a hospital bed you do have the choice of how to think about it. It sucks no matter what but even if you don’t know for sure you’re going to get better, you might as well assume that you will!

How did I start writing a novel on this subject? I’m trying to postpone going to the gym apparently LOL!

I don’t usually talk about this subject b/c I am a skeptic myself in ways (so many crazies out there) but also b/c I feel that way I don’t want others to label me as a nut job. Anyways LOL

I was one of those kids who talked to animals, saw things not everyone did and ‘felt’ everything. I choose to ignore most of that, it’s something I do not want in my life (I was able to turn it ‘off’ with meditation courses I had taken). Though i have to admit I do miss the bond I had with animals before, it semed easier/more natural then it does now, where I watch for body language etc.

Anyways, that wasn’t even what I wanted to share LOL… When I was a teen at home we had two beautiful Hymy Persian cats, Omar & Sheri. My brother opened the garage door late one night for a friend to grab something, what he didn’t know was Sheri made her way outside. She was murdered at our front door probably by a coyotee, it was very tramatic for my family. Anyways, it was Omar who we felt the worst for, his sister groomed him, and was like his Mom, always caring for him. He would call to her in front of closed doors and cupbords for two weeks after her death, he wasn’t grooming himself, and wasn’t eating as per usual.

I ended up getting a name of a Animal Communicator and professional pychic (Over 200 cases solved with our police depatment). We took Omar there, she explained all that she was going to do, and recorded the session on a casset tape. She told us Omar wasn’t a very bright cat, she said if we ever moved it wouldn’t faze him much, as when he walks into a room in our house he would think “Oh, this is nice” … lol (Poor Omar).  She explained she could ‘imprint’ him, sort of like giving him memories, ones that get him to remember where his food dish is, how to groom himself and just learn to me more independant. She also said if she did these things he would become more adventurous and friendly, so we would have to be more careful with open doors.
We agreed, and watched her do her thing…. Honestly it was amazing. I watched this stranger pet and hold my cat, then stop and all of a sudden his eye were saucers. She did this two or more times, and you could see in his huge eyes something was going on, but he was not scared, more in a trance.

When we were all done she told us in two weeks time if we don’t see any changes in him like the ones we talked about she would give us our money back.
Within a weeks time, Omar who used to hide when people came over, was greeting new people almost as soon as they walked in the door, his coat was cleaner, his food dish would go empty and later on he would try and expolore outside (where as before he was terrified of the outdoors… oh he was always a indoor cat unless supervised in  the yard with someone). He was no longer affraid of my gerbils either LOL

So, as much as i can be skepitcal, taking Omar to that lady was the best thing we could have done for him  
Omar passed away last year of heart disease, he was 14.

I think I feel exactly the way you do Jersey -the way you described your position sounds exactly right to me.

I did look into a communicator years ago…and there is a communicator with a somewhat reputable network in Calgary (from what I read online).
I asked if she could do a session if we ever came down for it, of if she was up here (Calgary is quite close to Edmonton)-and she said ‘no need, she can read from a picture’

Well pooey -there’s no way you can read from a picture. I’m sorry I’m just not that willing to get suckered in and throw money away.
I would have tried it in person sometime for fun….but with her saying that, but I crossed her out of my book at that statement! I think that’s quite ridiculous. Like Mimz was sharing-I think you’d have to be with the animal and see them in person.

I guess I have a slightly different perspective than some of the members here; I don’t at all subscribe to ideas of the paranormal or psychic, but I do think that some phenomena that are billed as such have perfectly rational answers.

I do believe that some people may have special abilities or may be “animal communicators”, though for different reasons. It’s been shown that animals are able to pick up subtle hints of events that most humans can’t, such as pets detecting impending earthquakes or cats knowing when a hospital patient is going to pass away by a change in metabolism output. I don’t think people who can do some of these same things have otherworldly gifts, per se, but perhaps their “primeval” sense (so to speak) are sharper, just like some of us have better eyesight or better hearing. We aren’t so far removed from our fuzzy friends after all, so why wouldn’t we have some of the same senses? It just seems like most people have lost touch with or ignored these senses. Same goes for communicating with animals; it’s not so rare to see animals of different species understanding each other well (as some BB members have undoubtedly experienced with their myriad of pets), so it makes sense that there are some people who are naturally more in tune with/able to understand animals…but of course, as with any talent or ability, animal communicating skill varies wildly across the population.

That’s an amazing story about Omar!

My Mom had gone to see a psychic with a friend about a year ago. She never believed in that stuff but the things the psychic knew about her was just amazing! I’ve been bugging her to bring me, I would love to go see her! I have many questions I would like answered about myself.