The Spirituality of Animals
iStock/Byrdyak
If you were to enter the term “spirit animal” into the search bar of a popular retail website, you would find over a dozen card decks to help you identify and get to know the animal especially aligned with your spirit. At least one New Orleans gift shop offers its own spin on the concept, with a refrigerator magnet proclaiming, “Grey Goose is my spirit animal.” But if we think of animal spirituality primarily in this human-centered way, we risk losing sight of a deeper message that can be traced through Scripture, scientific theory, and our own lives: that the flesh-and-blood animals with whom we share the Earth appear to experience their own rich spirituality.
Various sacred texts describe animals worshipping. One familiar story from the Jewish and Christian traditions tells of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego being thrown into the fiery furnace. Worshipping in the midst of the flames, they call on animals to worship as well:
Sea monsters and all water creatures, bless the Lord
All you birds of the air, bless the Lord;
All you beasts, wild and tame, bless the Lord
Praise and exalt God above all forever.
The Quran poses this question: Do you not see that Allah is He who is glorified by all those who are in the heavens and the earth, and the (very) birds who spread their wings? Each one knows its own (mode of) prayer and praise. And Allah knows well all that they do.
Some scientists suggest that animals are spiritual. For example, the late primatologist Jane Goodall observed chimpanzees displaying particular behaviors near a roaring waterfall, sometimes in a group, sometimes individually. The chimpanzees approach the waterfall, throwing rocks and sticks into the falling water. Then they swing into the spray above the waterfall on a vine. Finally, they sit on rocks in the stream, watching the water flow. This behavior is especially notable, given that chimpanzees do not swim and usually avoid flowing water. Goodall remarked, “I can’t help feeling that this waterfall display, or dance, is perhaps triggered by feelings of awe and wonder.” Her conclusion? “I think chimpanzees are as spiritual as we are.”
Studies in neurology have revealed the significant extent to which humans’ spiritual experiences involve the limbic system—a part of the brain also present in non-human animals. Neurologist Kevin Nelson of the University of Kentucky writes that it is “reasonable to conclude that since the most primitive areas of our brain happen to be the spiritual, then we can expect that animals are also capable of spiritual experiences."
Given these indications from science and sacred texts that animals may be spiritual, how might we humans offer support to the animals?
In the case of wild animals, a good first step might be protecting them and their habitats from human interference. Doing so would allow them optimal opportunities to engage in wonder and awe undisturbed. The waterfall where chimpanzees dance may be as hallowed to them as cathedrals, temples, mosques, and sacred groves are to humans, and so it should be inviolate.
The companion animals with whom we share our lives may feel a sense of awe and wonder when they engage in activities that we think of as enrichment. Taking a dog on a long walk, allowing him time to investigate every scent that interests him, gives him a chance to be outside himself, perhaps engaged in the canine version of worship. A cat rolling in catnip could be having an ecstatic religious experience. Even though our knowledge is incomplete, we can make sure our companions have the opportunity for experiences which we sense may be sacred to them.
If animals are spiritual beings, then what of the billions who suffer and die in laboratories, on factory farms, and in slaughterhouses? Deprived of most experiences that could afford them awe and wonder, it is possible they reach out to the sacred only through their own prayers for mercy and cries for justice. Supporting their spiritual lives could begin with the simple step of seeing them. Jesus of Nazareth said, “Aren’t two sparrows sold for only a penny? But your Father knows when any one of them falls to the ground. Honing our awareness of the suffering and death of exploited animals could be a first step toward the answer to their prayers and cries. Anyone with internet access can visit the website of Professor Gary Francione, “Animal Rights: The Abolitionist Approach,” and scroll down to the ticking counter tallying the astounding rate at which land animals are killed for food. Perhaps that is one way to begin seeing them and considering their spirituality: to notice the billions who, like the sparrows, are falling.