animals as therapists

[BrainEater]

as far as i can see, animals can in some cases be much better/effective therapists than humans can be. because psychologists sometimes seem to develop strange symptoms, too. maybe among other factors because of the roleplay aspect that is
inherent to the professional psychotherapy. also because of ignorance towards human nature etc etc and being stuck
in the limited perception of the world especially related to forms, but forms are a limitiation also and it sems some people
worship forms without seeing the deeper aspect towards what they may be pointing towards or so.
well that's only my speculation but yeah maybe it makes some sense... just think about it. :wink:

the reason why i think animals can be better therapists is (if they haven't been corrupted by human society too much in some sense or so), that they are pure love and they are just there and not trying to be something etc etc.... something like that...
the other idea here is that especially in psycho-therapy, very often it's like therapists only (are supposed to?) assist and give a helping hand to the patient, but the main work has to do the patient him-/herself.
so i guess what i want to say that in the main work animals can be much better assistants than probably most humans can be.
because of ego/mind-identification etc etc...
interestingly enough i think i noticed how this is already happening with some people and how some more knowingly and some less have pets as their slaves.
maybe this means for some, that if they can't have power over themselves, they at least want to have power over another being, which of course would be an evidence of incapacity on some level, but well that's only my interpretation ok...
i suggest to be nice to the animals than it's more likely that they are also nice to you... pretty logical right???




peace

 

[ophiuchus]

i just returned from a barefoot walk through my local woods earlier and right before i opened my back door to go inside i saw a frog at my back door. with my abrupt appearance i startled it, he made a quick leap nearer my backdoor, onto the bottom frame. i paused for a moment then drew my hand close to him for a few moments to assure it i meant no harm. he didn't try to escape or even budge. as i didn't want it to get lost and die in my house, i decided to sit down against my door next to the frog and share the moment with it for a bit instead of going in, viewing the world through his or her perspective. it brought a certain freshness to that bit of scenery that i see on a daily basis. we we're both content to be with each other and look out into the vastness of the trees before us. after a while we both became restless and the frog carried on and i went inside.

i think it is important for people to connect with nature. even if one does not take things for granted it can become easy to become mentally preoccupied to the degree that they do not notice the world around them. i love my backyard, but had i not seen that frog at that time, i would not have though to take the time to just appreciate the subtle complexity and epic harmony of the community existing there. i often gaze out into the ivy in the yard in the mornings, the gentle wind tossing the new leaflets about in waves is very soothing to my brain in the morning. but this chance encounter added a new level, an extra layer of appreciation of it all. i am grateful for what the frog taught me.

 

[BrainEater]

lol that sounds good man. i think i have had the feeling of having lost the natural connection with nature a few times... and it really feels good to reestablish it.
it's almost as if that strengthens the overall ability to feel. because as far as i can see in the modern world or so, the mind and the thought process itself very often
seem to have become the disease and sickness. so what we can do is to simply try to feel more when we can recognize the thought processes coming automatically.
because that's the point where we have to watch out. when the thought processes become too automatic or so. that is where a great risk lies.
we have to develop more conscious awareness, so the automatism of the processes can't go against ourselves in bad ways. that's where i think animals have the large advantage or so towards most human beings nowadays, because they simply are natural and live totally in the now. so we can learn a lot from animals and nature in general. but we have to really pay attention. i think the ability to care comes from the ability to feel.



peace

 

[ophiuchus]

and it really feels good to reestablish it.
it's almost as if that strengthens the overall ability to feel.

agreed. i've been really trying to develop this aspect of my life lately. trying to find my intuition and learn to listen to it, find a reliable way to tap into it. animals and nature have been positive symbols for this development, amongst other things. i find that it is almost as if one is riding a wave, when the have successfully established a relationship with their intuition. one will still encounter hardships for sure, but instead of feeling lost, one is provided with the awareness of the tools to do the job, to remedy things.

because that's the point where we have to watch out. when the thought processes become too automatic or so. that is where a great risk lies.

i totally agree. i would like to add though that as we must be aware to not become too automatic in our thinking, we must also not become to manual in our thinking. being blind to ones decisions is in my opinion just as bad as being so caught up in "choice" that one cannot easily make any decision...

 

[toogoodforyou]

Animals are therapists in their own way. When you pet a dog or a cat your brain releases this chemical oxytocin which makes one feel relaxed & stress free. I have two dogs & I feel they contribute a lot of happiness & love to my house. Animals like dogs are friendly & egoless in most cases which make them amazing companions & providers of positive vibrations & energy.