I've been asked to clarify. I hate doing that because I see the belief
in animal communication as being a faith type of thing and I do figure
that faiths are personal so I've been tip-toeing.
I can clarify my own beliefs, though. My belief is that an assortment
of people are involved on both sides of the issue. Some animal
communicators, I believe, are well meaning folks who don't realize on
the surface what pieces of info they are putting together from their
observations. Observation is a very powerful tool and it is very easy
to not be able to put into words WHY an observation may result in the
feeling it creates. It is somewhat easier when a person has read
references on the topic. Examples: Take neoteny (also called
juvenilization) where juvenile characteristics persist into adulthood.
Without knowing of the concept and the word a person might have the
feeling that was happening -- and may put together the concept on her or
his own -- but having read of it then the related things come to the fore
and are recognized more easily. Ditto, many medical things. How many
times have we all read of what sounds like classic cases of adrenal
neoplasia or insulinoma but the people involved with those ferrets don't
recognize it because they don't know that the pieces fit a pattern? In
fact, we all also know that each of us gets upset when a ferret is ill
and may not put things together specifically because of that upset, even
when we do know the pattern. I know I've done that. I think that the
well meaning communicators may be very observant individuals who just
don't put together the "why aspects" when they come to certain
conclusions.
Then again, there are the not good people who get involved, whether
for money (using tricks like the ones discussed at a subset of the site
Dr. Kemmerer gave
http://www.randi.org/library/coldreading/index.html
which is a very eye-opening read), but there are also people like the
one Amy ran into who use their claims to harass others, and when they
find someone who is affected enough even come back later to hurt yet
more. Used that way, such a claim of special powers is a mentally ill
power game designed to find people to hurt and nothing more.
Anyway, I have a feeling -- and this is just my belief -- that a number
of folks who figure that they are animal communicators are people who
could make fine behavioral biologists if they read enough to have words
for the "whys" of their observations and began spending more time working
on the whys themselves.
Therefore, to the question of books on animal communication, working from
what I hold as my personal truth, I'd have to answer, "Go to the websites
of some good universities and find out what texts, and other references
if one is very serious, are being used by classes on animal behavior, and
also read about symptoms of diseases and disorders. Get yourself those
sources of info and have fun with them!" I pretty well see those who
don't learn about the "whys" as being folks who could be real assets to
the furthering of bodies of knowledge if they got over that hump so I
feel sadly deprived about them as possible lost resources (hopefully
temporarily only), and that's just me, take it or leave it.
---
Yes, food can make poop seem stinkier if fish is in it, especially if
the people dislike fish, but it is not only a good protein source, but
it is an important nutrient source for specific Omega Fatty Acids. You
will find some excellent posts on aspects of this by the vet Dr. Jerry
Murray at
http://fhl.sonic-weasel.org/browse.php?msg=YG11849
http://fhl.sonic-weasel.org/browse.php?msg=YG10459
http://fhl.sonic-weasel.org/browse.php?msg=YG10399
http://fhl.sonic-weasel.org/browse.php?msg=YG9239
http://fhl.sonic-weasel.org/browse.php?msg=YG4221 (alternative)
http://fhl.sonic-weasel.org/browse.php?msg=YG3330
(kidney disease food with)
[Posted in FML issue 4083]
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