The Journal of Animal Consciousness Vol 1, Issue 2 Vol 1 Issue 2 | Page 27

suggestion that often through anecdotal evidence,

potentially more realistic understanding of

such as this, we find the most compelling questions

phenomenon would result.

that stir the cauldrons of scientific hypothesis

detail is required and potentially more time,

formulation. Indeed, the question is, can awareness

however, more naturalist information would be

be completely isolated? Furthermore, if we are

available. Essentially this is what ethnologists do.

Rigorous attention to

unable to do so how can it be removed as a
potentially confounding factor in experimentation?

Non-for-profit organizations the world over use

Science does not have a definitive answer. Professor

anecdotal evidence to pull at your purse strings,

William Tiller has some compelling research on

however, science denies its true validity, reinforcing

intention and it’s effects on experimentation but that

the notion that this type of evidence is not

is for another article all to itself!

informative. However, behavior tells us a great deal
about the state of any being. It is only the limitations

I am a proponent of science and the scientific

of our own belief system that hold humans in a

method, however, I cannot deny that for me to type

perpetual sense of mis-understanding or half-

these words requires more than mechanistic

understanding with veritable chunks of knowledge

programming. It requires a creative flair. A facet of

missing.

human activity that science has yet been unable to

myopic view of the self and others, resulting in the

explain.

idea of separation.

Although science frowns upon

Indeed, these limitations create a rather

This idea that humans are

anthropomorphism it is conducted within scientific

separate from animals and the natural world creates

circles unconsciously.

the illusion that the effects of humans on animals and

Indeed, cognitive

comparisons testing primate abilities against those of

their eco-system is unimportant.

However, the

humans is the gold standard for assessing animal

opposite is true.

intelligence and awareness.

It seems rather ironic

synergistically. This means that each part of the eco-

don’t you think? We are basing our comparisons on

system has a role to play and if tampered with

our limited view of what intelligence means to us

creates a ripple effect throughout the entire system.

and what awareness we are able to tap into. Perhaps

Therefore clearing the virgin forest in Borneo to

a more appropriate method would be to compare

make way for palm oil trees, for example, not only

behavior between and within species, on their level

destroys the natural balance of the Bornean forest, it

based on their environmental specificities as opposed

displaces species (plant and animal) from all parts of

to an isolated laboratory env