Animal consciousness survival

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There was this bit in Bob Olson's interview with animal communicator/medium Danielle McKinnon:

Bob Olson, Afterlife TV: Okay, all right. We’ll get more into detail about that in a minute. Can you draw the line for us though? I mean we talk about pets and usually people think cats and dogs. I don’t know how far they go, maybe horses. Where do we draw the line as far as what animals go to the afterlife? What about insects and birds and fish? Where do we draw the line, if anywhere?

Danielle MacKinnon: There is no line. There is no line. In my experience it’s every animal, every insect, every fish. It’s everybody with a consciousness can cross to the other side and can actually still be connected to and communicated with. There is no line. I’ve not been able to not reach someone. I’ve kind of connected in and had an animal be like: Yeah, I’m not interested in talking. I crossed over 30 years ago. I’m all set, or this isn’t the right time for this person to connect with me, etc. But all animals can, all animals. I mean that’s cheetahs and zebras and amoeba. All right, but I haven’t tried to communicate with an amoeba.

https://www.afterlifetv.com/2013/03/24/d...on-part-1/

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In her book Animals and the Afterlife, Kim Sheridan relates this man contacting her about the death of his wife's beloved horse Ella, after 19 years. Something mystical happened when she died.

"The night Ella was put to sleep", he explained, "Tracey (my wife) and I were with her. Tracey experienced what can only be described as a life bonding experience with Ella in the final moments of her life. She described seeing her relationship with Ella from when Ella was young to the present days. It flashed past in an instant but she felt that both Ella and she experienced it. It was extremely moving."

Animals and the Afterlife, p. 335.

Seems like I'm reviving an old thread, but I was seeing this NDE account: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQjdY6Z62eo

And he talks about meeting Skippy, his dog, as a sphere of consciousness. What kinda bugs me is that.. isn't it kinda strange that people meet animals.. like, I don't know, a Chihuahua probably doesn't have a particularly rich experiential and conceptual experience, what becomes of it once it dies? The idea of animal consciousness has always bugged me when discussing psi and survival.

[Ninshub]

Seems like I'm reviving an old thread, but I was seeing this NDE account: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQjdY6Z62eo

And he talks about meeting Skippy, his dog, as a sphere of consciousness. What kinda bugs me is that.. isn't it kinda strange that people meet animals.. like, I don't know, a Chihuahua probably doesn't have a particularly rich experiential and conceptual experience, what becomes of it once it dies? The idea of animal consciousness has always bugged me when discussing psi and survival.

Personally I think conceptual experience is overrated! In any case, thanks a lot for sharing that account...

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The part about the dog was only a small part but this is a wonderful NDE account and interview. For one thing among many, c. 50 minutes, I really like how he talks, as an experiencer, about the reality of the process of grief, even for himself, despite being reassured and working at reassuring grieving people that their loved one is well and alive on the other side.

Thanks again xxii. In a way you can't know, you revived this thread at a perfect time for me.

I don't think we grieve for the person (or a pet companion) we lost, we grieve for ourselves losing them, wondering how we can go on without them. Every day I look at my dog, my beautiful, loving, loyal Irish setter, this little redhead angel, and wonder how I am going to live on when she leaves me. I know that SHE's gonna be ok on  the other side, it's me on THIS side I worry about, trying to survive her absence. (and I'm talking about my dog, not humans in my life because the thread is about animals, obviously, it's the same as far as our human loved ones go). People who have dogs will understand me, those who don't may think I'm nuts.

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Completely agree Enrique. I lost this week my beloved cat of near 18 years on Tuesday, having learned the previous day that her suddenly catastrophic kidney failure values were not recuperable.I have another one, slightly younger, but I was incredibly attached to her, she always slept by my side, etc. etc. etc. All the little things they do in your daily routine that leave a huge gaping hole. I knew she had medical conditions and was grateful that she had already lived as long, but it still came as a shock, because she wasn't, until a few days before, critically sick. I'm getting a lot of support though, and trying to live in the moment, crying like a baby at times, at times trying to just distract myself or working on stilling the mind.

One thing is that about a week before, in bed one weekend morning, I spoke to her and thanked her for all the years she had given me. She'd gone through many medical crises starting at age 2, giving me lots of scares, yet somehow she had a full life, longer even than many other cats, although through giving her all the necessary treatments to sustain her through the last years. It does help to think that she is still there, just not with me physically, but I have to go through the pain. I have lost animals before and I know we get through it, and try to comfort myself that the bond will always be there.

Completely agree Enrique. I lost this week my beloved cat of near 18 years on Tuesday, having learned the previous day that her suddenly catastrophic kidney failure values were not recuperable.I have another one, slightly younger, but I was incredibly attached to her, she always slept by my side, etc. etc. etc. All the little things they do in your daily routine that leave a huge gaping hole. I knew she had medical conditions and was grateful that she had already lived as long, but it still came as a shock, because she wasn't, until a few days before, critically sick. I'm getting a lot of support though, and trying to live in the moment, crying like a baby at times, at times trying to just distract myself or working on stilling the mind.

One thing is that about a week before, in bed one weekend morning, I spoke to her and thanked her for all the years she had given me. She'd gone through many medical crises starting at age 2, giving me lots of scares, yet somehow she had a full life, longer even than many other cats, although through giving her all the necessary treatments to sustain her through the last years. It does help to think that she is still there, just not with me physically, but I have to go through the pain. I have lost animals before and I know we get through it, and try to comfort myself that the bond will always be there.

Oh God, I'm so sorry about your fur baby, it must be horrible going through this. Our dog sleeps with us, and oftentimes, in the middle of the night, I wake up dreading the moment when her warm, furry body won't be by our side anymore. We are lucky to know/believe the earthly journey is not the end, and that our beloved animals don't just disappear but go someplace else, still, the separation in itself is dreadful. I feel for you, my friend, I wish I could take some of your pain away....

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Thank you very much Enrique, and others that will read my post. It does help to share and feel that understanding, and that it is something we all go through, those of us who have or have had animals and know how much we can be attached.

No need for all of you to articulate your support, though - I know it's there.

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Touching strip by a cartoonist who lost his beloved dog.

A cartoonist drew a touching tribute to his dying dog. His readers gave him an outpouring of sympathy.