A short article on communicating with animals. Laurie Conrad is the author of "The Spiritual Life of Animals and Plants", a collection of true stories.

People have often asked me about how they can better communicate with their animals. My answer is that clairvoyance is helpful, but not necessary. When I inwardly speak to animals, anyone can see their reaction - whether they are clairvoyant or not. And we all can speak to our pets, or birds or squirrels or rabbits, or any other creature that we should meet during our journey here on earth.

This speaking does not have to be verbal, outward. It can be internal. And often internal communication with animals is best. You might say that inner communication is more heart to heart, soul to soul. To see if you and your pet have this sort of rapport, inwardly say something to them. It can be a piece of information such as "Time for dinner" - or just loving thoughts. In my experience, the animal will pay attention to your inner dialogue, your inner words. For a more concrete example: when I inwardly tell a dog that it’s time for a walk - often they will go to the door. If I tell them about my day or my plans for them later that night, they will be attentive - they will listen. If they are injured, my inner words comfort them. Since I am a Healer, I often send them Healing, pray for them. And when I do they watch me and sit very still - and I can see them absorbing the Healing that I am sending them. Even frightened animals I do not know, and even from across the street. We all can send animals our prayers, one does not have to be a Healer to do this. As I say in my little book: I believe we are all healers.

My first miracle was for a little cat named Nell, and it happened almost by accident, I had never had any lessons in healing. I outline the methods I was taught by my teachers in my little book, so I will not go into them here. But the way is simple. Healing is a form of communication, and it is based on love. In my experience, animals are often easier to heal and communicate with than people.

If we wish to communicate a warning to an animal, rather than send healing - again this can be done inwardly as well as outwardly, and over great distances. I do this with squirrels while walking into town, or cats that are headed towards the street. They will listen, if you mean what you say. Even if they insist on still trying to cross that street - they will be more careful, and I must admit that I have saved many small lives in this way.

Many people have told me that they are worried or heartsick because their animal is injured or very ill or dying - and they cannot be with them. Either the animal is in the hospital or at home while they are at work. My answer is always the same: just talk to them inwardly, as though you were there in the same room with them. All the animals I have ever met are clairvoyant and also capable of this inner communication over distances.

Saints of all religions knew this about animals. The Catholic saints Saint Francis of Assisi, Saint Anthony of Padua and Saint Martin de Porres are probably the best known for their communication with animals. But the Indian saint Sri Ramana Maharshi also communicated with animals, and he even went so far as to say that his favorite cow had reached enlightenment. The saints approached all beings with love, and this is the secret to all communication. Love and the ability to listen. Frankly, I have had deeper communication with dogs and cats I have found in my gardens than most people will ever have with their mother.

And I have found that when the communication is inner, rather than verbal, everyone involved tends to listen more carefully.

Which is another secret to good communication.

Do I hear the exact words an animal is saying to me? Only a few times in my lifetime has this happened. And this was more a mystical, deep soul to soul communication, for the animal used human words. On the whole, their response or their initiated communication is more a shared feeling. In these communications without spoken words, the feelings seem to communicate themselves more easily. And here feelings are not to be confused with emotions; often the emotions we outwardly express are not our true feelings. And just as between humans, often this wordless communication is deeper than words and more is communicated, as though the barriers between beings and personalities had been dropped. Basically: words can get in the way of understanding. Often we will not choose our words well, or will say things we do not mean. This cannot happen in silence.

At other times, it is not as much shared feeling as shared attention. For instance, animals will try to show me that they are listening: they will either turn my way or appear to be listening intently to my words to them. I have found that there can be more respect between species, even between animals of different species, than human to human interaction. This could simply be because everyone is trying harder. For instance, that very scary looking dog who is really frightened, or that tiny wasp. The wasp wants to know his fate just as fervently as the giant human wants to know theirs.

With the wasps that I speak about in my little book, the wasp made it very clear that they would not hurt me. In this communication with animals, we have to also make an effort to read the very obvious physical signs the animals respond with - these are also their way of communicating with us. It is not necessary to always use words. I think humans put far too much emphasis on words and vocal speech - and in this sense, we have much to learn from our animal friends. For the most part, we humans have a very good relationship with the animals around us, we just do not trust it.