What Can We Learn from Animal Dreams?

I believe that many animals are master teachers and/or angels in disguise, and they all have something wonderful to teach us. This certainly includes those precious, wonderful beings we call 'therapy animals.' Our scientists have finally been able to measure some of the remarkable beneficial effects that animals have on the elderly, ill, dis-advantaged and handicapped. The noble ranks of therapy animals include dogs, cats, birds and horses, among many others.

I had the privilege of working with a wonderful therapy dog not long ago. The owner is a professional counselor, and her dog helps her in her practice. My client was increasingly concerned about her beloved companion and partner because, starting last fall, the dog had, for the first time in her life, shown the unmistakable signs of fear of thunder and loud noises.

Her companion had never been a fearful dog, and was remarkably loving with everyone with whom she came in contact. She had never before shown fear of thunderstorms or loud noises. The owner had done what she could to address the problem, but without making a difference.

When I tuned in and 'spoke' with the dog telepathically, I asked her how she was doing. She said it had been difficult during the past few months. She was very nervous and definitely not herself. She had lost her peace and tranquility, and was not interacting with people like she had always loved doing before. I asked her to tell me about thunderstorms and why she was afraid of them or if she could tell me what had happened to make her afraid.

Instead of answering my question directly, she shared with me that she had been having recurring nightmares. I asked her if she could tell me more about that. She was very frightened, but was glad to be able to share these nightly terrors with someone.

She showed me an image of herself standing, watching her human, and then she heard a monstrous, thunderous boom that shook the Earth. Standing wide-eyed, she then watched as great billowing gray clouds swallowed up everything and everyone she loved and about whom she cared.

In the dream, she would frantically run and bark, calling for her owner, trying to get to safety but always losing her human to the ominous clouds as they blanketed everything. Bark! Bark!! She could almost hear her human calling her, but try as she might, she could never find her again. She was lost and helpless, despairing of ever seeing her beloved human again, feeling that she had somehow failed to warn her of this catastrophe. She wanted so desperately to save her loved ones, but always lost them to the noise and that terrifying, all consuming cloud. In her waking hours, she was anxious and fretful, living in the dread of any loud noise that reminder her of the awful nightmare, because somehow she was convinced that the dream was based in truth.

As I watched and listened, I realized that she was describing the events of September 11, 2001 -- the terrorist attacks on New York City! I asked my client if she had been personally affected by the events, and/or if she had counseled others regarding them and she said yes to both questions.

At this point, we both understood how deeply this sweet, telepathic animal had been affected by our nation's tragedy and our reactions to it.

In retrospect, it should come as no surprise to us that our animals are also deeply affected by world events and tragedies, especially when they affect us so profoundly. It is helpful for all of us, humans and our animal companions, to discuss these things openly with each other, to share comfort and hope, as well as sadness, pain, and fear.

This is exactly what we did with this dog, and we also discussed what she should do if something like that should occur. A week later, her owner reported that her dog was acting less fearful and was continuing to improve day by day.

Being able to communicate with our animal friends opens up the avenue for a great many opportunities, for both us and the animals, to heal mentally, emotionally and physically and also to learn from each other. You can learn to communicate with your animal friends yourself. There are many resources available to you, such as free classes, books, and training sessions that will help you bridge the communication gap between you and your animal friends.

Wouldn’t it be an amazing thing if you could clearly and truthfully know exactly what is happening with your animal friends? You can once and for all understand if your animal friend’s issues are emotional, physical or if the issue is really something related to you. You have the untapped ability to get the answers you need. I encourage you to take the next step in learning how to communicate with your animals.