I was sitting in a coffee shop awhile back and a couple came in with their young dog. It didn’t take a moment to realize what a happy dog it was and how excited it was to be with its caretakers. Like a magnet, the dog attracted almost everyone in the shop. One by one, without thought, each person migrated over to the couple, asking to pet the dog. The same thing happens with young children. Without the petting. We all like to be around happy dogs and young children.
The reason that this happens is about energy. Yes, once again, energy. Dogs and children have very high vibrational patterns that attract us like moths to a bright light. We are naturally drawn to them without knowing why. We can’t even explain it.
Most of us adults started out with the same high vibrational energy. We danced and played and lived life moment to moment. One moment laughing, the next pouting and then on to the next. The same goes for dogs. They live moment to moment, fully participating in life, no matter what the circumstance. Both child and pet fully expressing life’s flow through them and projecting it out onto the world. This is what draws us to them.
About the time the child reaches 7 years old, things start to change. The child is now being bombarded with instructions from all sources. Parents become critical and instructive. This is right. This is wrong. Don’t do this or that, but it is ok to do this or that. During this period of development, the intellectual mind becomes more focused. It becomes keenly aware of exact things going on in the moment, trying to spot those things that might cause them harm (a scolding) or what might be pleasant (praise).
During this phase, the memory starts to become more important. The child remembers that if she does this, Mommy will be pleased. So, she tries to keep in mind her past experiences trying to create a future that will please Mommy. In doing so, she has forgotten that being happy is her natural state of being. She is developing her ego and it will soon become her master. And, in doing so, she will have lost that playfulness that we were all attracted to. Her natural state of high vibrational energy has been lowered by the focused, ego-mind and its influence. She is now talking to herself, trying to determine what she should do next to gain praise and avoid rejection. She is going to sleep and will likely not awaken again.
People who study ancient cultures and spirituality, like Joseph Campbell, tell us that in early civilizations, the individual’s mind was very primordial. It had not evolved into the intellectual mind that we find in today’s western culture. People at that time, due to non-interference with the ego-mind, were not as focused; not as preoccupied. Without the focus, they were aware of a deeper sense of self. It is believed that they were aware of their soul and its influence on them. Researchers say that as the intellectual mind developed over the centuries, there was an inverse ratio of intelligence to inner awareness. We became very smart but lost awareness of our soul. There are many out there that believe we humans are going through a crisis due to the loss of awareness of the soul. Einstein even said that intelligence would circle back around and lead us back to spirituality.
Pets do not have the strong intellectual mind, so they still have awareness of their soul, or higher self. This gives them great peace. This protects them from great fears, such as the fear of death. It keeps them joyous and playful and living in the moment. There is no developed frontal lobe, so, it isn’t listening to the voice in its head that tells it that it should be doing this or that.
It appears that we are slowly changing this. Due to our personalities and desires in regards to our pets, particularly dogs, we are training them, much like we train our children. We have taken them into the house to be with us, but we are implying rules to them, much like children. We train them to do this or that. We scold them when they fail to do what we say. We even shame them for not doing what we want. In response, they are becoming more focused and in doing so, become more preoccupied and restricted in expressing their natural self. We are taking their eternal childhood away from them and allowing them to create an ego mind.
It is not hard to see this when we look at the different breeds. Those breeds that for years have been trained and bred for activities that we want, are losing their playful self. Sure, they enjoy doing whatever makes you happy. We like to say that we have bred them for that purpose and we have. But, have you ever seen one of these dogs that “live to perform” that no longer has the ability to do so? Not a happy dog. Imagine the basic personality difference between a German Shepherd and a Bassett Hound. Try to get a Bassett Hound to take down a criminal.
Fortunately, evolution of the intellectual mind takes a very long time and dogs still have inherent ability to be aware of their soul or higher self. Maybe we should look at how we are affecting them and what might happen if this pattern continues. We certainly don’t want to make them little people. They would no longer attract us like they do. Their love would be conditional like ours. They would form their own opinion and respond accordingly. They would no longer be our pets. Worth thinking about.
