The deepest layers of our psyche still have animal characters.
Quote from C.G. Jung as reported by Ladson Hinton, M.D.
from an essay, A Return to Animal Soul,
Psychological Perspectives Magazine: 28th issue (1993)
“The possibility of being present in the world in a whole undivided way can be the gift of the animals. Our first bond with animals is profound and enduring. 80% of children’s dreams are about animals. As children we naturally commune with other animals, our pets, and our imaginary friends. We easily shapeshift to imagine our lives as wolves, or bears, or birds, or dinosaurs. We have long ago left the green world, yet the green world and all her animals has never left us. Empathy with animals is not just about saving species. It’s about becoming other species, reclaiming those deepest layers of our animal selves, being present to more than our own lives, embracing all the astonishing beings who share this planet with us.”
Brenda Peterson, nature writer and author of
Wild Chorus: Finding Harmony with Whales,
Wolves and Other Animals
