Full Version: Do creatures other than humans understand death?
Unexplained Mysteries Discussion Forums > Unexplained Mysteries > Metaphysics, Psychology & Psychic Phenomena
Do you guys think animals other than us have a clear understanding that one day they will die? what do you guys think?
yeah ofcourse they do. ever seen a sucidial animal? if they did not understand death they would all be extinct right now
i dont see how its possible if they havent seen death. im thinking more of like house pets. like a gerbil? how could one understand? i could understnd maybe wild animals ecause they witness deatha ll the time. but i just dont buy it for house pets ect
QUOTE(IamFS @ Jan 3 2005, 12:21 PM)
Do you guys think animals other than us have a clear understanding that one day they will die? what do you guys think?
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I recall reading that elephants understand it. They are one of the few species that get alarmed if they see their own kind's bones.
just a strange situation. lets say a cat meets a hungry lion or a gerbil bumps into a crocodile. they will try to flee from them because those creatures will eat them. so yeah i think every animal understands death
if there is such thing as an "elephant's graveyard", then i believe some animals do. heck, they were able to escape the tsunami, they'd probably be able to understand it.
yes i understrand somehting would try to escape the other animal. i.e crocidile and gerbil, but i mean that basically insticnt. regardless of what the situation is, they are goign to run. the simplest thing i cn think of is that animals havent been inflenced my religion and what not, so they in some wy have a more realistic understanfding of how the world works. they are born into earth and return to the earth. plain, simple, and true.
I believe all animals do. They are not stupid, just function and think slower then us humans. Dogs have been known to run away to a nearby place right before they die. I think it may be because they don't want us to see them dead? Gorillas understand it, and even have "wakes" and mourn there dead. Animals understand it, we just don't necessarily understand them
i kinda agree. i at no means think animals are stuipid jsut i think its harder to grasp for certain animals. I.e household fish and ect.
yes, I do agree that its harder for some animals to grasp. but, in one way or another.. they have some kind of understand that they will not last forever
I've always wondered the same thing. I'm under the opinion that they don't necessarily understand death, but they avoid actions that can cause pain.
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but they avoid actions that can cause pain
i think that is because some animals havent lost their common sense like us
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I recall reading that elephants understand it. They are one of the few species that get alarmed if they see their own kind's bones.
I've heard they actually cry and put leaves over their dead
you all are talking about the fight or flight response. Elementary. Stay and defend yourself, or run from the danger. And I have seen my dog mourn for my cat over her dead body. They understand. Some with smaller brains might not, however. Their smaller brains mean lack of areas within the brain to deal with such things and are purly functional only.
man i wonder what jellyfish think of death!
Interesting thread, I Believe that they do understand death in as much as they will leave that specific body and return to the earth in the form of something else, they know they are never 'destroyed' because they know they are earth, we dont know that anymore 
see i think that things always come back as the same thing.. i think of it like water. water has a cycle jsut liek life, and it always comes back in pretty much the same thing. water, ice, snow, ect, but its always water. i think its jsut like life.
Ya I was also gonna say what QueenoftheNight said about animals going to somewhat hidden or remote places (like under a porch) to die. Maybe they care for us, like if I was dying, I would not want to slump over next to a friend, I would rather be in a place all to myself, in peace. Very interesting about the elephants, I must learn more of the subject!
I think animals (and plants to an extent) have the capacity to understand survival. And what is survival besides staying alive? If they understand how to survive then they most likely understand that: without survival comes death.
I agree that some animals don't recognize the source of death whether it be from a passing car or unstable terrain. But they know a predator when they see one. They understand peril and fear. and that is how the species that walked the earth 3000 years ago, save a few, still thrive.
I agree that some animals don't recognize the source of death whether it be from a passing car or unstable terrain. But they know a predator when they see one. They understand peril and fear. and that is how the species that walked the earth 3000 years ago, save a few, still thrive.
Im really not sure on this 1.
I understand the points people are making, They obviously do not wont be be hurt or be killed. But does that mean they think.
Well gee. What happens after I die? I think they dont understand it like we do.
I dont think they question death. They just want to survive. Its in their genes I guess
But I find it freaky when I see my DOG dreaming
he goes like... wwoof ...... woof pant pant pant... shakes leg. then I think thats his high point of the dream lol
I understand the points people are making, They obviously do not wont be be hurt or be killed. But does that mean they think.
Well gee. What happens after I die? I think they dont understand it like we do.
I dont think they question death. They just want to survive. Its in their genes I guess
But I find it freaky when I see my DOG dreaming
he goes like... wwoof ...... woof pant pant pant... shakes leg. then I think thats his high point of the dream lol
i believe that animals do not understand death or that they will one day die
what i believe is that all animals including humans have the basic survival instint, we know we must eat, we know we must drink, we know what we need to do to survive, just as all other animals, the only difference is we are intelligent enough to think a head and plan ahead i do not think animals can do this, because of our ability to think a head we can anticipate death and expect it, animals on the other hand will see other animals die but not necesarily understand what being dead means, they avoid pain (fighting, fire, extreme conditions) because pain hurts, they dont understand the reason pain hurts is a traight of survival they just know that it does and that they do not want it, for the animals that morn there dead and cry or whatever, i dont think they know that this can happen to them, they most likely just see that it happend to thier "friend" and are sad about that fact nothing more
what i believe is that all animals including humans have the basic survival instint, we know we must eat, we know we must drink, we know what we need to do to survive, just as all other animals, the only difference is we are intelligent enough to think a head and plan ahead i do not think animals can do this, because of our ability to think a head we can anticipate death and expect it, animals on the other hand will see other animals die but not necesarily understand what being dead means, they avoid pain (fighting, fire, extreme conditions) because pain hurts, they dont understand the reason pain hurts is a traight of survival they just know that it does and that they do not want it, for the animals that morn there dead and cry or whatever, i dont think they know that this can happen to them, they most likely just see that it happend to thier "friend" and are sad about that fact nothing more
QUOTE(seeking @ Jan 4 2005, 09:11 PM)
i believe that animals do not understand death or that they will one day die
what i believe is that all animals including humans have the basic survival instint, we know we must eat, we know we must drink, we know what we need to do to survive, just as all other animals, the only difference is we are intelligent enough to think a head and plan ahead i do not think animals can do this, because of our ability to think a head we can anticipate death and expect it, animals on the other hand will see other animals die but not necesarily understand what being dead means, they avoid pain (fighting, fire, extreme conditions) because pain hurts, they dont understand the reason pain hurts is a traight of survival they just know that it does and that they do not want it, for the animals that morn there dead and cry or whatever, i dont think they know that this can happen to them, they most likely just see that it happend to thier "friend" and are sad about that fact nothing more
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what i believe is that all animals including humans have the basic survival instint, we know we must eat, we know we must drink, we know what we need to do to survive, just as all other animals, the only difference is we are intelligent enough to think a head and plan ahead i do not think animals can do this, because of our ability to think a head we can anticipate death and expect it, animals on the other hand will see other animals die but not necesarily understand what being dead means, they avoid pain (fighting, fire, extreme conditions) because pain hurts, they dont understand the reason pain hurts is a traight of survival they just know that it does and that they do not want it, for the animals that morn there dead and cry or whatever, i dont think they know that this can happen to them, they most likely just see that it happend to thier "friend" and are sad about that fact nothing more
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I totally agree. I feel that animals avoid contact with predators is becasue pain HURTS! seeking is totlly right about this. Just like humans nothing wants to feel pain. And again we dont understand dieing as much as any other creature, but we DO understand that something happens. wheras perhaps an animal would confuse death with a deep, long sleep?
QUOTE(IamFS @ Jan 5 2005, 05:42 PM)
QUOTE(seeking @ Jan 4 2005, 09:11 PM)
i believe that animals do not understand death or that they will one day die
what i believe is that all animals including humans have the basic survival instint, we know we must eat, we know we must drink, we know what we need to do to survive, just as all other animals, the only difference is we are intelligent enough to think a head and plan ahead i do not think animals can do this, because of our ability to think a head we can anticipate death and expect it, animals on the other hand will see other animals die but not necesarily understand what being dead means, they avoid pain (fighting, fire, extreme conditions) because pain hurts, they dont understand the reason pain hurts is a traight of survival they just know that it does and that they do not want it, for the animals that morn there dead and cry or whatever, i dont think they know that this can happen to them, they most likely just see that it happend to thier "friend" and are sad about that fact nothing more
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what i believe is that all animals including humans have the basic survival instint, we know we must eat, we know we must drink, we know what we need to do to survive, just as all other animals, the only difference is we are intelligent enough to think a head and plan ahead i do not think animals can do this, because of our ability to think a head we can anticipate death and expect it, animals on the other hand will see other animals die but not necesarily understand what being dead means, they avoid pain (fighting, fire, extreme conditions) because pain hurts, they dont understand the reason pain hurts is a traight of survival they just know that it does and that they do not want it, for the animals that morn there dead and cry or whatever, i dont think they know that this can happen to them, they most likely just see that it happend to thier "friend" and are sad about that fact nothing more
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I totally agree. I feel that animals avoid contact with predators is becasue pain HURTS! seeking is totlly right about this. Just like humans nothing wants to feel pain. And again we dont understand dieing as much as any other creature, but we DO understand that something happens. wheras perhaps an animal would confuse death with a deep, long sleep?
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I dont think an animal would even Question death in the first place
well questioning and understanding are totally different things. i mean i can question my exsistance, but thaats a totaly different feeling then understanding...regardelss, they are both super hard to come to grip with!
Well most animals over in Indonesia survived the Tsunami -- sensed the danger, right? I think they do... but that is just a personal opinion.
With animals, their entire lives are purely instinctual. They do not search for random meanings to their existance, nor do they fear dying like humans do.
An animals life is ruled by the desire to breed, afterall that is the purpose of all life from flowers to slugs to, yes us. They breed as much as they can, do whatever that particular species does to care for the young, and once the life cycle of that animal is over, it does. It does not think about it, remorse, worry about afterlives etc, it just dies. This is a natural part of all life.
So, in my opinion, it is humans that don't understand death and choose to fight it, whereas with animals, it's just a regular part of the instinctual part they play in the chain of life.
An animals life is ruled by the desire to breed, afterall that is the purpose of all life from flowers to slugs to, yes us. They breed as much as they can, do whatever that particular species does to care for the young, and once the life cycle of that animal is over, it does. It does not think about it, remorse, worry about afterlives etc, it just dies. This is a natural part of all life.
So, in my opinion, it is humans that don't understand death and choose to fight it, whereas with animals, it's just a regular part of the instinctual part they play in the chain of life.
I think they understand that they feel odd... like my dog wouldn't eat three days before he died.... but i don't think they understand what happens to them.
I would say yeah....because they feel pain they know when they are sick. Also they sence things that can happen like earthquakes. So why would they not understand death?
i think animals do know one day they're going to die, on wild species documentaries i would just watch how urgent and desperately some animals thrive to get away from being caught from a predator. and i do think that fear is a link to death, because a fear of something is based upon what you consider to endanger your life..
Dunno 
its just survival.
NO animal wants to die... THey dont say.. " well gee.. What happens after I die? "
They dont understand or even question it. All they know is the other animal is not moving and responding to them. THey think to themselves " well I wonder if hes gone to heaven " or some human thing like that.
Im not totally 100% sure on this but, if they dont * think * about death...
Or mabey IM totally wrong and they do, how Would I know haha
NO animal wants to die... THey dont say.. " well gee.. What happens after I die? "
They dont understand or even question it. All they know is the other animal is not moving and responding to them. THey think to themselves " well I wonder if hes gone to heaven " or some human thing like that.
Im not totally 100% sure on this but, if they dont * think * about death...
Or mabey IM totally wrong and they do, how Would I know haha
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