What do you feel about the spirits in living things other than humans?

Question

we are talking about animals, plants, any living creature.

what do you believe does or does not have a spirit?

what do you feel happens to these spirits after death?

what makes a spirit be a cat or a dragonfly or a rose bush vs a human?

don't worry.. i have my own ideas on this.. i just want to know what other people think

Answer 1

I think it is important, first, to understand your own concept of body, soul and spirit. To understand me, you should try to understand my concepts; but you don't have to accept them. Arguments result from applying your own definitions to the statements of others.

When I use the first person singular, I am referring to the spirit that inhabits this body; I am an immortal spirit; I am not part of the physical universe. I have a body and a soul.

We all know what a body is, but we don't all agree on whether the soul is part of it. While we live, our mind is part of our soul; whether the mind survives death is the great unproven question. Part of the soul certainly survives in the lives of all those we have touch during our life; all of our contributions, both good and bad, to humanity and to life on this planet live on as part of the soul.

It's obvious to me that higher animals have more complex souls. Spirits, on the other hand, are exactly alike, regardless of species. I think an amoeba has the same emotions as a human. Whether it has the same capacity for good or evil depends on whether it has any concept of good or evil. If all it knows is survival, the only evil it can do is not to survive.

I consider myself a pantheist, with a lower case "p". I think any system thru which energy flows may host a spirit. A system in which entropy is decreasing hosts a happy spirit; increasing entropy, unhappy spirit.

My sister once asked me, "How can you believe in reincarnation when the population is increasing exponentially?" That is the typical mindset of organized Christianity; only a human can have a spirit; and this is the only planet in the universe with humans; therefore, you need to reserve a place in heaven, and only OUR Chruch can validate your ticket. You need to be saved, and anything we do to save you OUR way is justified, even if we have to burn your body to save your soul.

All organized religions are the same; they only want to control as many lives as possible to increase the power and wealth of those at the top of the hierarchy.

I better shut up, now.

Answer 2

It's more critical to figure out what you think is important to you in your life. What do you value? How do you want to spend your time? What is driving you -- stuff, cash, family, quality of life? Where does your health fall on this list? So, when I ask how you can be a better human being in 2007, sure, I am trying to slip in eating better and moving with greater frequency, but we are just fit shells if we don't address the spirit within us. My body is only a vehicle, but my spirit is the true essence of who I am. If we can connect the dots, I believe that the ways we can be better are unlimited. Not to mention it can make things a lot more fun while we're here

Answer 3

I believe that eveything has a spirit: plants, animals, humans, even things like rocks.

I think that, say, we're humans, and we if we reincarnate, we may reincarnate back into a human again, to learn more or a different lesson from the previous life; we stay in our own group, reincarnating as humans. So, I think plants and animals, when they die, their spirit goes into the same "group" they are in until they evolve enough to move into the next one.

Like, a dog becomes close with us, humans to share the "human family" experience, causing them to learn more about love, dedication, loyalty, responsibility, and other human-like traits. Eventually certain animals will achieve a great enough amount of "human-ness" to make what could be considered a quantum leap and evolution. They seperate from their group. So, it's liek we're all helping each other evolve into "higher" beings.

But, I think, for what makes us the certain things within our own group is our soul figuring out what experience would teach us certain things, so it's sorta like it's our choice in a way.

But, I wonder, what do we humans evolve into? Hrrrm..

P.S. My thoughts/opinions about these things may change, I'm opened minded for new things I hear

Answer 4

Hi,
Recently I've been doing some research into the Native American belief that on birth an animal's spirit enters into that person. (everyone has a different animal spirit).
Its duties are to keep each person strong and wise as well as to excel in matters of attributes given to that Animal. The following site gives a meditation for getting in touch with your animal spirit:

http://www.artashealing.org/ahfwpofa.htm

This however is slightly different to your question (just an interesting offshoot).
I'm not sure about spirits in plants but there is I am sure an energy there and maybe some form of primitive spirit.
It is hard to distinguish spirit, soul, emotion, intelligence, intuition in humans but we all I think have a sense of what 'spirit' is and I do feel animals and birds have spirits. I had a bond (strange though it might sound) with a budgie and it broke my heart to watch him die. At exactly the time he died, his companion flew around the room, screaching, even though they hadn't been near each other which was really weird. My spirit is completely in tune with my dog's spirit and I feel as if I've known her forever. I also think cats have spirits. After death, maybe all our spirits mingle as one; maybe in spirit we are all 'one'. One huge spiritual mass of energy! It's a thought.

Polly

Answer 5

Everything that is animal, plant, or mineral has a spirit, and when we die, it all cycles back into the collective conscious that is God. How arrogant are people who think only humans have a spirit! Of course, they are often the same people who try to tell you that all of creation is perfect except for humans...which would mean that God is fallible.

I remember spending some serious time in the principal's office of my private school because I got into an argument with my 6th grade teacher over whether animals go to heaven. I can't imagine God wouldn't include all of his beloved creations in heaven, so I told my teacher he was wrong.

I still think he's wrong, and I did eventually get out of the principal's office.

Answer 6

I feel there is a higher quotient of spiritual essence to beings and things as you have mentioned...Human Form I believe have the highest level of spiritual essence....Everything has some form of spirit just in varying amounts...What makes a spirit take varying form I think has a partly to do with choice..
maybe all choice....

Answer 7

I like the Animists' and Buddhists' way of thinking where all living things have a spirit. I suspect that we can never know absolutely but even if its not literally true it would help us take beter care of the planet if we thought that way anyway.

Confining the concept of 'spirit' to humans is just permission to abuse and destroy all the other life forms at our whims. This is clearly a dangerous path.

Answer 8

I think all animals have a spirit. Maybe the more primitive ones like insects, have a sort of collective spirit, but I definitely sense souls in my pets. I believe I'll be with them again after my death.

Answer 9

I don't think spirits can live in inanimate objects, but I do think that everything in life carries energy, including inanimate objects, but they do not have a soul like animals and people do.

I think some spirits go to Heaven, and the ones who are responsible for hauntings don't really know they are dead.

Answer 10

I believe that all things were created by god and that after we die they all return to god.

My girlfriend however does not and says I have to post her reply:

She says all things have a spirit, all living things with liquid (sap, blood, plasma) things have emotions and feelings.(ie: no rocks) All things created by god and evolved or not but have a reason to existence and that when they die they create a circle of energy to which the next living thing is received from, that is why some people have previous life experiences.

My idea on it is much less emotional and just plain faith and biblical fact.