I am certain that animals pick up on feelings/emotions and intentions. The stereotypical image of St. Francis of Assisi surrounded by animals has much truth in it, and I have a theory on this...I've noticed that when I have either been meditating or surrounded in nature for some time, wild animals have not been afraid of me...they can feel that I am peaceful and/or at one with nature. Our stressful busy lives in the west often means that we don't transmit this peaceful 'vibe', but when we do, you can notice the difference. When I am my 'usual' self, trifled with anxieties and concerns, animals do not respond in this way.

Once I stayed in a forest for about a month and when I afterwards went to visit my friend, all the animals in her house literally surrounded me when I walked into the kitchen. It was like they could feel it. And no, it wasn't just a smell or something like that, I had travelled some distance to get there.

But also I love animals..if I harboured hateful or violent thoughts towards them, I do not think they would have approached.

We have such powerful energy fields! Many people assume that if a wild animal shows disinterest in people, it must be because they lack curiosity or intelligence...on the contrary, they are showing great discernment of another species, which is quite a feat, as we can be so changeable and confusing, even to ourselves!