The Art of Interspecies Communication by Jim Nollman
By Montana McLeod (05/05/14 09:24:28)
The Turkey Trot was a rather interesting piece regarding a man’s ability to facilitate both his admiration for animals and his artistic outlet. Nollman comments on anthropomorphism, the projection of human attributes to an animal. And really, so many of us are guilty of doing it. It’s a form of comical relief and recognizing your pet as an individual. But really we should question why we assume that they must carry human qualities. We automatically assume that they are created with the ability to express emotion and intellect, although that’s not always the case. Jellyfish are brainless, spineless, and heartless. They do not have the capabilities of expressing emotion or intellect, yet we may still project characteristics on them when we see their intraspecific relationships in an aquarium full of jellyfish.
I think this made me question if our pets saw us as only capable of certain emotions. Maybe that’s why they can only respond to certain situations.
Nollman wishes to avert this “dead view” and finds that he can learn from different animals through his artistic abilities. At one point he is told to “ride the turkey’s energy.” This was relatable due to the work we have done with Janelle. To see how he was able to establish a bond and channel the energy was incredible. He acknowledges that the animals may already have their own form of communication, moreover, we who possess the upper hand in knowledge and research, should try to acclimate to theirs. It’s a wonderful idea to be able to communicate with your pet or any animal, however, I do believe that it won’t be obtainable in the way we have since pursued it. He says “language reflects perception” and if we cannot balance the understanding of our perception and their perception, we will not be able to communicate collectively.
The animals must need to be in their own environment, under stable circumstances, and comfortable in the place of human company. By working with the animal and not just by observing the animal he was able to truly gain a better understanding of the animal’s perspective.
These newly developed understandings of mutualistic/ symbiotic relationships provides so much more knowledge for the understanding of the relationships that make up our world, and provides for many necessary functions of life.


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