Intermediaries and Awareness

— Michael Crichton wrote in ‘The Lost World’ —

“Human beings never think for themselves, they find it too uncomfortable. For the most part, members of our species simply repeat what they are told–and become upset if they are exposed to any different view. The characteristic human trait is not awareness but conformity, and the characteristic result is religious warfare. Other animals fight for territory or food; but, uniquely in the animal kingdom, human beings fight for their ‘beliefs. The reason is that beliefs guide behavior, which has evolutionary importance among human beings. But at a time when our behavior may well lead us to extinction, I see no reason to assume we have any awareness at all. We are stubborn, self-destructive conformists. Any other view of our species is just a self-congratulatory delusion.”

— To which I reply —

I believe Michael was overstating his point a bit. There are among us people who are not only aware, but have unique senses of their own, and our collective being. I know some of these people from an elastic group with a name reminiscent of a trail mix.

Allow our artists rather than religious and political leaders to give us views of the greater picture, and let us take the responsibility of interpreting and accepting or denying these vistas, in whole or whatever aspects ring true with our hearts and minds.

I don’t believe I need intermediaries, intercessors or interpreters getting between my mind or heart and the true facts, the whole truth or whatever my conception of a godhead, supreme being, collective intelligence or universal designer.

© H. Doc Burns, PhD, 2009

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Therapeutic Cats and Dogs

Some years back, I wrote an article on the therapeutic value of cats and dogs in the treatment of cancer, chronic pain and other chronic illnesses, the elderly and in hospice and palliative care.  The results are irrefutable.  Just ask someone with chronic pain how their dog or cat acts around them when having a bad pain day.  Cats and small dogs will often curl up in a comfortable place, (for both the client and themselves) and radiate love while the client will quietly pet them, feeling the comfort of repetitive movement and the soft warmth of the animal, while larger dogs frequently come quietly over and rest their muzzle on the client’s lap, just to be close.  Within a few visits to the common rooms of nursing and elderly care facilities, or hospice centres, once the respective parties ‘introduce themselves’ to each other, the same behaviour becomes apparent while client’s anxiety and blood pressure lowers while their comfort level rizes.  Hyperactive and hyper anxious clients calm while withdrawn, nonreactive and especially depressed clients are often soon interacting and even playing with their visitors.

Small domestic animals, like cats and dogs, can be amazing care providers with a little common sense along with a minimum of panic and over control from nursing staff, ie: not just plopping a cat into someone’s lap but allowing them to find each other, (with a little encouragement if necessary, but only after the first visit, at least…reticence at first is to be expected with such a radical–preferably not sudden–change in their environment).

I’ve borne witness to the phenomenon myself and have had my chronic pain lessened dramatically with a kind word and a little love from a dog or cat.  I even thought seriously about writing another PhD dissertation on the subject.  For example, a woman with advancing Alzheimer’s who spent all her non sleeping time in a chair staring out a window, though usually not aware of what was outside, brushed away a cat that gently jumped onto her lap the first two times, then just ignored it as the cat persisted.  Checking back half an hour later, she hadn’t moved nor shifted her gaze, but she almost imperceptibly stroked the cat and, with the first bit of facial expression, other than alarm and confusion, there was a hint of a smile as she spoke to “Norman” in a whisper with an occasional tear.  It was a huge step back into a life losing everything slowly.

I’ve had the same kind of reaction with my chronic pain.  On very bad pain days while at a friend’s, his Border Collie would lean against my outstretched legs, looking at me with the most understanding expression I’ve seen, enjoying my scritching him behind the ears as my pain would go from an 8-9 out of 10 to 4 or 5.

If more care centres would allow volunteers to bring in their pets, it would make for much happier, calmer and less medicated clients, not only for the visits but having something to anticipate…visitors that demand nothing but reciprocated attention rather than fussing about while counting the minutes before leaving.

© H. Doc Burns, PhD, 2009

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