Alexander N. (SEI) about Animals

The world was alive to me. In the village, I could spend entire days watching the life of an anthill. I found it fascinating. But my parents and those around me, with their fears, didn’t allow me to explore the world like that — they placed limits on me.

I remember running with dogs. I had a wonderful relationship with the animal world. Dogs have this instinct to run — they move in massive packs, and I would run among them, even holding two big dogs by their lower jaws as I ran, and they ran alongside me. My parents saw this. Naturally, they panicked, projected their fears onto me, scolded me, spanked me, and implanted the idea that the dogs could bite me. The next day, a dog bit me. I started to fear dogs.

I really loved books about the animal world, about nature.

I really love cats. They are affectionate, gentle, cute, fluffy creatures, yet also strong-willed. They give me a sense of tenderness. What excites me is their ability to switch instantly from total relaxation to full alertness. A cat is lying there, melted like ice cream — then in a flash, it jumps onto the windowsill, and there it is again, lying like melted ice cream. I feel this, I let it pass through my body. I feel what the cat feels — when it stands and stretches, I start to stretch too. I sense the cat very deeply. When I pet it, I can feel when it enjoys it — and then suddenly, I feel the moment it stops enjoying it.