For some reason, it is generally accepted that only a person has a soul. But this is not so. It is also present in animals. This was recognized by both the prominent minds of mankind and many church ministers. For example, L. N. Tolstoy once said that a person is able to feel sorry for animals because he feels that they live in them the same as in him. Another prominent writer, G. D. Toro, seemed to supplement his words, expressing his disbelief to those religious figures and philosophers who call animals "soulless machines." But, in order to avoid unfoundedness, let's see if animals have a soul from different points of view - from different religions, science and esoterics.
Science and soul
Psychologists cannot deny the presence of a certain spiritual substance, since the name of the science with which they are engaged is translated from the ancient Greek language as “the doctrine of the soul”. As you know, these experts correct and analyze the behavior of people, learn to build relationships with the outside world. Zoopsychologists do the same, but the object for their research is not a person, but an animal. And if the pets are able to understand a person’s speech, to love or be angry, to distinguish friends and enemies, does this not mean that they really have a soul?
Someone will now say that modern science does not recognize the existence of such in any state, even among humans, not like animals. This is not entirely true. For example, Natalia Bekhtereva (director of the Scientific Research Institute of the Human Brain) wrote that consciousness exists even after the death of the brain. Similar conclusions have recently been reached by Dutch physiologists. But what is consciousness? If you read in Wikipedia, this is the state of a person’s mental life, which is expressed in the experiences of the events of the external world and the life of the individual. Very similar to the definition of the soul that some religious leaders give. Is not it?
It should be noted that many scientific descriptions have been published in foreign scientific journals that prove the existence of the soul. Let's hope that soon enthusiasts will be able to "pull the string" and stretch the whole truth about the presence of such a person and the animal. After all, they proved the existence of parallel worlds. But nobody once believed in their presence either.
Orthodoxy and the soul
If you ask the priest if the animals have a soul, most likely he will quote from the book of scripture. It says that God gave grass greens for food to all earthly beasts in which there is a soul: to the birds of the air and to every reptile (written on behalf of the Lord himself). Thus, Orthodoxy recognizes the presence of spiritual substance in all living beings. But how to define the term “soul” and whether it is immortal is a completely different matter.
It is worth noting that, if you answer the question whether animals have a soul, other quotations can be recalled from the Bible. For example, the books of Moses say that after the killing of an animal, its blood should be drained into the ground, and not eat, because the soul is in the blood. Solomon mentions: man and animal are essentially the same thing. The Book of Isaiah the Prophet says that after the establishment of the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth, not only pure-minded people can enter it, but their smaller brothers. Like, then everyone will live together and peacefully, no one will kill anyone and eat.
Interestingly, the Bible speaks about cats only in passing, in Jeremiah 1:21: "... and the swallows, and other birds, cats climb on them." But this does not mean that such a pet is a negative character in Christianity. It was just that the Israelis were then deeply outraged by the subservient attitude of the Egyptian neighbors towards him, therefore they did not write anything about him. Thus, one cannot say for sure whether cats have a soul. But one thing is certain: many clergymen let their pets sleep at the altar and forbid them from being expelled from the Church. Dogs can’t enter the temple only because they don’t know how to behave themselves and can bark during the service.
Buddhism and Hinduism
Hindus, when asked whether animals have a soul, answer yes. In their opinion, after the death of its owner, she can go to the same Paradise or Hell, where the human spirit goes. Then it receives a reincarnation, becomes anything or anyone - from a simple microorganism to a person, depending on the accumulated karma.
Buddhists deny the existence of the soul. They believe that there is only a constant common stream of Consciousness around, which takes different forms. And Paradise or Hell for all living beings is only a psychological state. Everyone, whether a person or a cat, creates them for himself, choosing a life path. In addition, Buddhists believe in the reincarnation of man and animals in the next life. In their opinion, living beings as a result of reincarnation can become spirits, lower or higher deities, people or animals. Everything here, as in Hinduism, will depend on karma.
Do animals have a soul in Islam?
The Qur'an teaches people to be patient, merciful and fair in relation not only to each other, but also to animals. One of the most positive characters in Muslims is considered to be a cat, since the prophet Muhammad especially emphasized this pet: he sat on his knees during a sermon, drank from one of the dishes with it, and once even cut off the sleeve of his robe so as not to wake the sleeping animal. As for whether animals go to heaven, according to the Qur'an, the answer is simple: no. The soul of four-legged friends is mortal and, after the death of its owners, turns to dust.
Mythology
There are many different myths that mention animal souls. For example, the Yakut peoples in folklore have such a creature as Abaas, who lives underground. It grows from a black stone. At first he eats the same food as people. And then, when it turns into a giant growing in size with a tree, it begins to prey on humans. Relatives of sick or dead people previously sacrificed various animals to him in order to exchange their souls for human ones.
In Japanese mythology, there are some Shikigami. A connoisseur of Omme-do is able to call these spirits. According to legend, creatures look like birds or animals. They can also inhabit any animal and control its body and soul. They are able to break out of control of the magician and begin to “command” him. So if you are looking for the answer to the question whether animals have a soul according to mythology, know: yes, they have it.
Philosophy and soul
Although philosophy cannot be called exact science, it provides the most accurate answer to the question: do animals have a soul? For example, Tatyana Goryacheva in her book “Holy Animals” suggested that animals are forced to “moan and suffer” near a person, waiting for the coming of the Kingdom of God. Like, they are ready, after the martyrs, to enter the Church and even to “deify themselves.” She also recalls the life of the healer Panteleimon, whom, according to legend, wild animals did not want to attack. Animals were killed and thrown to be eaten by birds, but they did not even touch them. The corpses lay for a long time in the sun incorrupt, representing the relics of the holy beasts.
The English writer James Herriot said that if the soul is the ability to be grateful and devoted and love, then the animals, unlike many people, definitely have it. Dr. Will Tatle lamented that a person often peers into space in the hope of seeing at least someone like him, while he himself is surrounded by thousands of intelligent creatures whose abilities have not yet been discovered and not appreciated. Georgy Vitsin dreamed that all people fed animals. It is interesting that when the actor was buried, all the stray animals to whom he gave food came out with a crowd of people to take him on his last journey.
You can list for a long time all the philosophers who spoke of animals as rational and spiritual beings: from Socrates to Peter Singer, who published the book “Liberation of Animals” in 1975, which became the tabletop for many activists involved in protecting the rights of the lesser human brothers. But is it worth mentioning here that man himself is far from God and not an angelic being. He is a representative of the animal world. And if he has a soul, then why should animals not have it?
Esoteric and soul
You can deny the possibility of the existence of a soul in an animal for a long time, but you should go to your favorite cat (or dog) and look into her eyes to understand: she is. Esotericists say that pets live close to people, not only because they are so comfortable and easier to live, but also to protect their owner from various misfortunes. For example, red cats are able to treat various diseases and open the “doors” to the other world, and black cats protect their pets from magic, damage and the evil eye.
Some psychics believe that the souls of animals after death remain near people in the form of a certain energy and help them with all they can: they warn in case of danger, ward off disaster, and so on. They insist that sometimes you can even feel the soul of a beloved animal nearby or see it yourself. However, they immediately contradict themselves, saying that under the guise of former pets, demons sometimes appear to a person. Should I believe them - this is a big question.
Where do animals go after death?
There are many versions about whether animals have a soul. In Orthodoxy, for example, as mentioned above, even in the Bible there are quotes that indicate that they have it. But then where does she go after death? There are many different theories on this subject. The most popular of them:
- goes through the stage of reincarnation and is reborn;
- joins a certain "world soul";
- goes to Paradise (not without reason animals and birds are painted on many icons ?!);
- remains near a person in the form of an electromagnetic pulse;
- forever turns to dust, and indeed, it is not (according to atheists).
It seems that here everyone should choose the version that he likes the most. After all, it is impossible to make a person believe in Paradise if he is skeptical about the existence of God himself. As for whether the soul of animals is immortal, there is also no definite answer.
Can I pray for animals?
Taking care of animals is a direct responsibility of a person, according to many clergymen. For example, hegumen of St. George’s Monastery, Daniel, says that people not only can, but are obligated to pray for their pets. To do this, you can turn to their patrons: Saints Cosmas and Damian, the martyr Athenogenes, St. Blasius, Rev. Sergius of Sarov and Sergius of Radonezh, who fed animals with his hands during his lifetime. But the best thing, according to the minister of the Church, is to "go" directly to God, since only He can submit the requested.
Do plants have a soul?
Some ask if animals and plants have a soul. We already spoke about the existence of this substance in animals in this article. But about the presence of it in plants - not yet. This is a topic for a large separate publication. The only thing that can be said now: flowers, trees and herbs are born, grow, die, know how to love. There were many cases when they died immediately after the death of their master, no matter how well other people looked after them. Therefore, they can be called "alive." And if so, then most likely they also have a soul, albeit not similar to that which a person has.
In conclusion
Today we tried to determine if the animals have a soul. It says a lot that it really is. But only higher beings can know exactly about this: God, angels, and so on. Modern man is unlikely to ever answer this question. Similarly, he will not be able to say whether the souls of dead people and animals meet. But I want to believe that everything is possible. Good luck to you!