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Anyone who lives with pets has probably witnessed a strange moment: the dog that growls at "nothing", the cat that stares intently at a corner of the room where there is no movement. Are they just distracted... or are they seeing something we can't?
This type of behavior raises a fascinating question: can animals see or sense spiritual presences, such as ghosts?
Sixth sense:
Our faithful companions have senses that are much more acute than ours. Science confirms it: dogs hear frequencies between 15,000 and 40,000 hertz, and cats even more so — up to 65,000 hertz. For comparison, the human ear only picks up between 20 and 20,000 hertz. This means that many sounds that are "silent" to us are, in fact, perfectly audible to them.
But it's not just hearing that animals surpass us. A 2014 study from City University London, published by Live Science, suggests that dogs, cats, and other animals can see spectrums of light that are invisible to the human eye—such as ultraviolet light. This ability may explain why they react to seemingly invisible stimuli.
Spirits or repetitive memory?
Imagine this scenario: Your pet frequently stops at a specific chair, the one where a deceased loved one used to sit. Is this just a repeated behavior out of habit, or could there be something more to it?
This is where the esoteric debate comes in. Many believe that animals have a “sixth sense,” a natural openness to the unseen, free from the cultural and rational blocks that shape the human mind. For them, sensing the presence of something—or someone—that has passed away may be as natural to us as turning on a light in a dark room.
Intuition or Spiritual Connection?
Unlike humans, animals do not instinctively dismiss subtle perceptions as imagination. They live in the present, with their senses awake and without conceptual filters. This makes them, according to many spiritual traditions, true “sentinels” between worlds.
We may never know for sure whether our pets really see ghosts. But perhaps we don’t need proof. Perhaps it is enough to observe with an open heart — and pay attention to what they are already trying to show us.
Silvio Guerrinha
