Will Your Pet Dog or Cat Go to Heaven?
Inquiring minds want to know, especially inquiring minds that have just lost a beloved pet.
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Will Your Pet Dog or Cat Go to Heaven?
The person who inspired today’s article is MICA, a first-time commenter at this blog.
She had found some help for grieving here: Spiritually Saying Goodbye After a Death.
Commenting, she wrote the following.
Would this technique be appropriate for saying goodbye to a precious family member, who also happens to be non-human (such as a beloved “pet”)?
Many people experience intense grief and anguish over the loss of a cat or dog whom they’ve had the honor of being responsible and caring towards for many years. Many would consider them family members, if not special companions. The connection is deep.
Blog-Buddies, I have a lot to say on the topic of considering a cat or dog “a family member.”
Fair warning though: If considering a different point of view seems offensive to you, don’t read the rest of this article. It’s pretty counter-culture.
I am just one spiritual teacher in this new Age of Awakening. You can find plenty of teachers who will echo points of view like those expressed by Mica. Don’t expect me to be one of them. Since most members of today’s “Enlightenment Establishment” are teaching as though it’s still the Age of Faith. Although that era ended on Dec. 21, 2012!
Regarding What Happens to Pets After They Die
Everybody has an opinion. Ever notice?
Today’s article brings you an unusual perspective, because I’m bringing you perspective as an Enlightenment Coach for the Age of Awakening. That link takes you to a video, btw.
Also important to know right away, this article is meant to be interactive. Your responses can make it come alive. To lead off our conversation here, what do you think? As you start reading this article, pause in your reading to answer this question:
Do you believe that your pet dog or cat has a soul? Maybe just like yours?
Which Approach Will I Take?
Whether you love animals or . . . not so much, welcome! I have so much to tell you on this topic. To begin with, many common beliefs that people have about pets are mainstream ideas that have gained traction.
Important distinction here: These beliefs are popular. Not that they have Big Truth Value. Drawing upon MICA’s words, I’ll point out ideas that are socially popular but may have SMALL Truth Value. Very small truth value indeed! And, if you care about spirituality, truth matters.
Laying a Foundation, Acknowledging Beliefs like MICA’s
In Sections 1-4 of this post, you will find:
- From MICA: A quotation from MICA
- Quick Perspective from Rose
- Popular Now in American Collective Consciousness: Some research into the popular ideas she expresses. Popularity statistics via Google. As for me, I’m a researcher into consciousness. I’m convinced that “Collective Consciousness Subconsciously Grabs You” through cliches, popular memes, etc. (That link just provided will tell you more.)
- Food for Thought, Human Thought: I’ll give you one related question. Inviting you to put together a perspective on pets that is spiritually up to date, now that we’re in the Age of Awakening.
Then I’ll Share a Spiritual View of Pets for the Age of Awakening
Starting with Section 5 of this article, we begin my Enlightenment Coaching on Pets. Thinking informed by over 50 years as a spiritual teacher — one who still does not know everything, but does at least know some things. Almost needless to say, I’m the founder of Energy Spirituality®. Using effective skills for cocreating along with the Divine.
At any point along the way, you’re invited to pause in reading. Share your point of view. Whether you agree or disagree with me, you’ve got something to say. Following that you can easily return to this article.
What’s one of the things I like best about our informal, curious, caring community at this Energy Spirituality Blog? You can feel safe agreeing with me. Despite how the ideas in this article are more leading-edge than what is currently mainstream.
Sourcing My Perspective, Today’s Spiritual View of Pets
My source of knowledge should matter to wise reader., I’ll summarize that “Sourcing” perspective at my personal blog — in the Comments section there beneath the main article.
Meanwhile, I’m eager to get going, and bet you are too.
Will Your Pet Dog or Cat Go to Heaven? #1.
Are Pets Really Members of Your Human Family?
From MICA
Would [Spiritually Saying Goodbye] be appropriate for saying goodbye to a precious family member, who also happens to be non-human (such as a beloved “pet”)?
Quick Perspective from Rose
Look, two kinds of reality are essential to human experience: objective reality and subjective reality.
The sweet-and-flowery language from MICA is part of her perspective on pets, which is dominated by subjective reality. However, the truth about what happens to pets after death is not about subjective feelgood ideas.
Isn’t death one of the most conclusive kinds of objective reality? In this article we’ll continue to explore what happens, in reality, after death.
Popular Now in American Collective Consciousness
Many people think as MICA does. For instance: “Pets Are Family”
On my Google just now? 822 MILLION hits.
Food for Thought, Human Thought
In objective reality, is any cat or dog is a member of your biological family?
Feel free to share your thoughts about this.
Will Your Pet Dog or Cat Go to Heaven? #2.
Does Your Suffering over that Pet’s Death . . . Make that Pet HUMAN?
From MICA
Many people experience intense grief and anguish over the loss of a cat or dog
Quick Perspective from Rose
Strong subjective emotions can often seem to be true about objective reality. But that emotional intensity does not mean that the associated ideas are true.
This can be one of the hardest lessons for us humans to learn.
- It was hard to learn during the first consciousness era on Earth, The Age of Faith.
- It is equally hard for us to learn this lesson during the second consciousness era on Earth, The Age of Awakening.
But why flunk that test? Accepting reality helps us to live and also helps us to grow.
Popular Now in American Collective Consciousness
Many people think as MICA does. For instance: “Death isn’t real”
On my Google just now? 885 MILLION hits.
Food for Thought, Human Thought
Can grief after a death make a person vulnerable to ideas with Low Truth Value?
Feel free to share your thoughts about this.
Will Your Pet Dog or Cat Go to Heaven? #3.
Is Caring for a Pet Really a Spiritual Honor?
From MICA
A cat or dog whom they’ve had the honor of being responsible and caring towards for many years.
Quick Perspective from Rose
Ideally, domesticated animals and their humans have a mutually beneficial relationship. Does it make your relationship with a pet more “spiritual” if you consider pet ownership a great spiritual honor?
From my perspective as an Enlightenment Coach, accepting objective reality is essential for growing. Worshiping false gods doesn’t help, and that holds true about idealizing the mutually beneficial relationship of pet ownership.
Popular Now in American Collective Consciousness
Many people think as MICA does. For instance: “Caring is spiritual“.
On my Google just now? 789 MILLION hits.
Food for Thought, Human Thought
Can caring sometimes cause people to be spiritually stuck?
Feel free to share your thoughts about why, or why not.
Will Your Pet Dog or Cat Go to Heaven? #4.
Loving Animals More than Humans
From MICA
Many would consider [their pets] family members, if not special companions. The connection is deep.
Quick Perspective from Rose
Having a strong emotional connection to a pet may not be as “deep” as some folks think. At least if you think that “deep” means spiritually true — having High Truth Value.
Subjective emotions for a pet can be very strong. And beautiful!
Alternatively, what if you think that GROWING is the spiritual purpose of life at Earth School. Then objective reality matters as much as subjective reality. Honesty matters too.
It might stretch the truth to claim that any pet can be a family member or “special companion.” For one thing, pets don’t have human consciousness. Even if it’s common to anthropomorphize pets, projecting whatever we choose onto them, then believing it. Still, like a wise old saying, “Wishing does not make it so.”
Popular Now in American Collective Consciousness?
Just for giggles, let’s get a sense of how popular that wise old saying is in today’s pop culture.
These days, do many people believe “Wishing does not make it so“?
On my Google just now? 4,160 hits.
Food for Thought, Human Thought
Can you accept the fact that, despite the popularity of Law of Attraction and other feelgood beliefs, wishing does not make it so?
Feel free to share your thoughts about this.
Will Your Pet Dog or Cat Go to Heaven? #5.
Now Let’s Begin Today’s Enlightenment Coaching on Pets
Just the best I know so far, Blog-Buddies — that’s all I can give you.
What follows will be my first article of this kind. Written in just the second decade of the Age of Awakening. Who knows what newer knowledge will unfold in decades, then centuries, then millennia to come?
Unlike MICA’s sweet perspective, which is mainly about her subjective beliefs, here’s my invitation to you. As you read what follows, and as you respond, emphasize your perspective about objective reality in this world.
Having established the objective truth in your mind, then this next question can be productive:
What might be the spiritual significance of objective reality for humans on Earth?
Feel free to share your thoughts about this.
Will Your Pet Dog or Cat Go to Heaven? #6.
Humans Have Sovereignty Over All Life Forms on Earth
We humans have consciousness. Humans have individuated souls. (More on that to come.)
Earth School is structured so that humans can evolve spiritually.
Any adult human with normal mental health has over 1,000 chakra databanks. Each one includes a Divine-level Gift of the Soul. Helping each of us to navigate “My Personal Path.”
We humans have free will. Our brains benefit from neuroplaciticity. By contrast, animals have instincts. Each species of animal has some degree cumulative learning. Squirrels, for instance, are exceedingly clever. Witness the ingenious and incredibly entertaining Ninja Warrior Course for squirrels designed by Mark Roper.
BIG QUESTION
Can you still love your pet if you accept that your human intelligence, including how your spiritual consciousness works, goes far beyond what is available to your pet, that sweet furry animal with a tail?
Feel free to share your thoughts about this.
Will Your Pet Dog or Cat Go to Heaven? #7
Our Planet Is Structured as Animal, Vegetable, OR Mineral
Look around you right now. Whatever you see, yes! It belongs to one of these three categories.
For humans to evolve spiritually, we have been given ANIMAL bodies.
As human animals, we can move and talk. Innumerable possibilities exist for our spiritual learning, free will, etc. Let’s not even elaborate, for now, on how much learning each adult does . . . simply related to sex!
Regarding non-human animals on Earth, like mammals for instance; like cats and dogs, hey! They don’t have human consciousness. Pets sure can look cute, with their soft fur and adorable eyes. That’s how they’re built in objective reality.
BIG QUESTION
Inwardly, do dogs or cats possess a vast subjective reality?
“Don’t kid yourself,” says Rose.
Feel free to share your thoughts about this.
Will Your Pet Dog or Cat Go to Heaven? #8.
We Can Easily Project Our Feelings and Ideas onto Animals
But that doesn’t make it true. I wonder if one of the main reasons people say, “I like animals better than people” is this sequence:
- We humans can make up whatever we like.
- Then we can project our personal whatever onto our pet.
- In objective reality, that pet cannot contradict us.
- With other humans, we don’t have that magical power, do we?
BIG QUESTION
Are non-human animals capable of learning about spirituality, to the degree that humans can?
Feel free to share your thoughts about this.
Will Your Pet Dog or Cat Go to Heaven? #9.
Humans Have Eternal Souls. Dogs and Cats Don’t
Again, it’s so easy to imagine or believe whatever we make up regarding the inner life of our pet. However, subjective intensity — like MICA’s quote — doesn’t translate into objective reality.
Incidentally, you can learn more about your Eternal Soul at our monthly series of blogposts on Living with Soul in the Age of Awakening. Start at the link just provided.
To Be Clear
The love we feel for our pets is real. So is the learning we gain from that relationship. All subjectively true!
Also true, seems to me, is all the good karma we can gain from treating our pets with respect.
But that’s it, folks.
Baby souls and very young souls often feel great commonality with animals. So can babies and young children. Maybe that’s because they’re still new to the amazingness of Earth School’s animal-vegetable-mineral reality.
As kids mature they can start learning what it means to become a human adult, to evolve spiritually, to grow emotionally. To a surprising extent, each person’s path is shaped by free will.
BIG QUESTION
Do you yearn to believe that every life form on this planet must be as spiritual as you? (Why or why not?)
Feel free to share your thoughts about this.
Will Your Pet Dog or Cat Go to Heaven? #10
Finally, Do Pets Go to Heaven Or Not?
Some of you readers have been taught to believe in one Heaven. Your religion taught you to believe in one Hell. To this day, you may believe that Heaven is exactly like the best of your human life, so of course your pets must go there. Maybe also your favorite living room sofa? And a big bowl of buttery popcorn that is perpetually self-renewing?
Don’t change your beliefs one iota just to please me. However, according to my beliefs (and not mine alone):
- There are innumerable heavens, or lokas.
- There is no official Hell. There is no Satan, no Devil.
- Karma is certainly real, both the karma we create and the Returning Karma we receive.
- In order to receive an individuated soul, it takes many thousands of lifetimes. At least, according to traditional teachings of Eastern religions. Receiving a Life Contract for a human life on Earth is a huge opportunity for spiritual evolution.
- Every species of animal has its own consciousness. Learning develops for that specie’s collective consciousness. A great example is The Hundredth Monkey Effect.
Otherwise? Although beloved Fido doesn’t continue past death, guess what? On a very abstract level, Fido has contributed to the consciousness of his specie of dog. For Fido, that would mean the consciousness of Dalmatians.
All Dalmatians continue to learn, with evolving consciousness. Expect that to continue until-and-unless that specie goes extinct.
By comparision, human life doesn’t end with death. Not unless we have a subjective belief, as many do, that life ends with death. Even then, what happens regardless?
Once you become an eternal soul, then you’re an eternal soul forever. After each incarnation, you have a Life Review. Then you’re sent to the heaven you deserve, given your current consciousness, karma, and evolution.
BIG QUESTION
MICA was so wise to ask for my input over whether or not to use “Saying Goodbye After a Death” for her dead cat.
What do you think would happen if MICA didn’t bother to ask? What if she just went ahead and used that Energy Spirituality technique, breaking the rules, because she wanted to, regardless of my recommendation?
Feel free to share your thoughts about this.
In Conclusion
Thank you for reading, everyone. This topic is so sensitive, so personal.
I wonder if any of you have learned something, informed by spirituality, that you didn’t know before.
Of course, I look forward to reading all your contributions as you respond to this article, my questions included.
Here’s the one thought I’ll add in conclusion — at least as controversial as anything else you’ve read in this article.
Saddens, Worries, or Annoys
What really saddens me, annoys me, worries me? (My particular emotional reaction depends upon what a particular person, on one particular occasion, has said.)
As you know, Blog-Buddies, many beliefs exist about spirituality. Seems to me, people are drawn to a level of truth value that is comparable with their current development of consciousness. All that is fine with me.
What bothers me is when people express sentimental ideas about life . . . like maudlin conversations at a bar . . . as though these ideas qualified as spirituality. Or a teaching that could possibly help anyone. Not so. This sentimental version of spirituality is one of my least favorite aspects of our culture.
One reason why I have taken all this time to respond to MICA’s questions is that, to me, she didn’t cross that line. In her original comment at the Energy Spirituality® Blog, she showed remarkable wisdom and restraint. Especially how she asked this teacher directly about what would, or wouldn’t, work with the technique I published about “Spiritually Saying Goodbye After a Death.”
Whether or not she comments here further, whether she agrees with me or not, I respect what MICA has done. I respect her for asking important questions at a platform that was new to her.
