The moment it happened, we didn’t see it coming.
Our daughter had just started high school, a transition big enough to rattle any parent, and we came home still buzzing with a mix of pride and low-grade panic. As we collapsed onto the couch, our normally anxious, wood-floor-avoiding, box-terrorized dog Hunter did something startling:
He climbed directly into Karen’s lap, pressed his face right under her chin, and refused to move.
This wasn’t the usual “I want to sit near you” cuddle.
This was a full-bodied, unwavering, I feel you moment.
And it stopped us. Because it was as if Hunter knew, before even we fully acknowledged it, that something inside us was strained. Disrupted. Tender.
Later, as we spoke with intuitive guide and animal communicator Alicia Sweezer, she didn’t hesitate:
“He felt you long before you realized what you were feeling.”
That line became the key to the entire conversation.
We expected to talk about pet behavior and maybe a little intuition.
We did not expect to uncover a full psychological, emotional, and spiritual map for understanding ourselves through the eyes, and energy, of the animals we live with.
And we definitely didn’t expect Hunter to interrupt the interview from miles away, chattering nonstop in Alicia’s intuitive field like a caffeinated narrator.
But he did. Of course he did.
This isn’t just a story about pets.
It’s a story about us; humans who rationalize, suppress, and rush past our emotional internal world, while the animals who love us feel all of it with crystal clarity.
What follows is a breakdown of what we learned from Alicia, through science, psychology, and her years of experience communicating with animals living and passed...about why our pets behave the way they do, what they’re reflecting in us, and how we can use that connection for deeper self-awareness and spiritual growth.
1. ANIMALS FEEL WHAT WE DON’T SAY: THE SCIENCE OF EMOTIONAL MIRRORING
When Alicia told us that animals often know our emotional state before we do, we wondered if this was purely metaphysical intuition… or whether science backed it up.
Turns out: both.
Neuroscience Gives Animals an Advantage
Research in affective neuroscience and social cognition shows that dogs, cats, and even smaller mammals are exquisitely tuned to micro-emotional cues—subtle shifts in voice tone, body tension, facial expression, and respiratory patterns.
Studies published in Animal Cognition and Biology Letters demonstrate that dogs can:
• Differentiate human emotional expressions
• Synchronize stress levels with their owners
• Display “emotional contagion”, absorbing the emotional atmosphere of the home
This mirrors Alicia’s lived experience:
“Animals never lose their connection to energy. They can read how we’re doing before we are even aware.”
Humans, on the other hand, are expert emotional suppressors.
We label, analyze, compartmentalize, and override.
Animals don’t.
They reciprocate.
2. BEHAVIOR AS A MIRROR: WHEN YOUR PET IS ACTUALLY REFLECTING YOU
When Alicia explained that many animal behaviors, especially reactive or anxious behaviors, mirror something happening inside us, we felt… exposed.
Especially when she brought up the rise in reactive dogs:
“Reactive dogs are increasing everywhere. And what are we seeing in humans? Emotional regulation skills are decreasing.”
It made sudden sense.
Our society is overstimulated, under-rested, chronically stressed, and emotionally overloaded.
Of course our pets are responding.
Example from the Episode: The Kidney-Aching Cat
Alicia describes a client whose cat developed sudden kidney and urinary issues. When Alicia tuned in, the message was clear:
“There are things going on in the marriage they’re not dealing with. And it’s showing up in the cat’s health.”
This mirrors a psychological principle:
systems theory — the idea that in families, when one member absorbs an emotion the others refuse to express, symptoms appear through whoever is most sensitive.
In some families, it’s a child.
In others, it’s a spouse.
In many… it’s the animal.
Example: Our Dog, the Floor-Hating Neurotic
When we joked about Hunter’s fear of crossing a narrow strip of floor, Alicia didn’t miss a beat:
“Some of that is his own personality. Some of it is his history. But some of it mirrors your own worry patterns.”
Ouch.
And fair.
Because the truth is, worry is one of our default modes, especially for Will, and hearing that reflected back from our dog was a strange blend of humbling and enlightening.
3. WHY PETS SOMETIMES TAKE ON OUR PAIN (EMOTIONALLY OR PHYSICALLY)
This was one of the most surprising, and grounded, insights from the episode:
“Animals can absolutely take on illnesses or stress from their humans. It’s not ideal, but it happens. And we need to teach them that’s not their job.”
The Empathy Mechanism
Research supports this at a physiological level.
A 2019 study published in Scientific Reports showed that dogs’ cortisol levels synchronize with their owners’, suggesting shared stress states.
In psychology, this is known as empathetic attunement.
When humans fail to process their own emotional load, sensitive companions, human or animal, may absorb some of the tension.
Alicia confirmed this from experience:
“I had to teach my body to stop absorbing other people’s pain. And we can teach animals the same.”
How Animals “Over-Help”
Many animals develop caretaker patterns.
They attempt to regulate the home’s emotional weather.
This is not mystical fantasy; it’s behavioral conditioning combined with emotional bonding and survival instincts.
Our pets want peace.
They want us balanced.
And sometimes, in trying to help, they overload themselves.
4. SOUL CONTRACTS & THE PSYCHOLOGY OF BONDING: A BALANCED VIEW
One of the deepest parts of our conversation was the idea of soul contracts between humans and pets.
Alicia explains:
“People say, ‘I’ve loved all my animals, but this one… this one feels different.’
That’s usually soul family.”
Whether you interpret this spiritually or psychologically, the phenomenon is real.
Psychology’s Take
Certain pets fit our emotional blueprint so precisely that the bond is immediate.
In psychology, this is known as attachment resonance, when an animal’s temperament complements or stabilizes a human’s emotional world so deeply that the relationship feels fated.
Alicia’s Take
Alicia sees these bonds as intentionally chosen, pre-incarnation agreements to support growth, healing, or emotional evolution.
“Some pets come for a lifetime. Some come for a specific period. Some transition quickly because that was their contract.”
We reflected back on Karen’s previous dog, Kira, who passed suddenly but peacefully, and realized the truth in it. That bond was different. Refined. Ancient.
We didn’t expect an animal communicator to turn our conversation into grief counseling and spiritual anthropology.
But that’s exactly what happened.
5. ANIMALS AND THE 5D QUESTION: A GROUNDED INTERPRETATION
When we asked whether animals live more in 5D (expanded consciousness) than humans, Alicia offered this:
“They never forget their connection to universal energy. Humans do.”
We’ll translate this without spiritual exaggeration:
Psychologically:
Animals stay in present-moment awareness.
They aren’t future-tripping or replaying past failures.
Their nervous systems respond to now.
Neurologically:
They lack the cognitive structures for abstract rumination, which frees them from existential tension.
Spiritually (Alicia’s View):
Animals don’t lose touch with the energetic web connecting all living things.
The Bridge Between the Two
Whether you interpret it spiritually or scientifically, the underlying truth is the same:
Animals are deeply attuned, deeply present, and deeply connected.
And humans… are distracted.
6. HOW TO KNOW WHEN YOUR PET IS COMMUNICATING WITH YOU
This might be the part of the conversation our listeners replay the most.
Alicia is not vague about signs.
She is grounded, practical, and specific.
Here are the clearest indicators from the episode:
1. Sudden, repetitive behavior shifts
• Clinging
• Avoidance
• Sitting and staring
• Acting out
• Restlessness
These often mirror something happening internally with you.
2. Physical symptoms with no clear medical cause
A vet visit always comes first.
But emotional or energetic stress can exacerbate underlying sensitivities.
3. “Visitations” from pets who have passed
Alicia offered a precise example:
“Your pet might repeat one of your favorite games or rituals to show it’s them.”
One client’s dog used to “bite” the back of her legs in a playful chase.
After he passed, she felt that sensation again, not imagined, but repeated.
Alicia named it before the woman ever mentioned it.
4. When they place themselves in your path during emotional avoidance
One woman’s dog would sit in front of her, motionless, until she did her spiritual homework.
This isn’t mysticism.
It’s attachment + intuition + learned pattern + emotional attunement.
Our pets know us.
Often better than we know ourselves.
7. WHY IT’S HARD TO COMMUNICATE WITH YOUR OWN PET
This answer made us feel much better about our failed attempts to “talk” to Hunter.
Alicia said:
“It’s hard to talk to your own animals because you’re emotionally attached. It makes the intuitive channel fuzzy.”
This mirrors what therapists experience:
Your own child or partner is the person you’re least objective about.
The Cognitive-Emotional Block
When we want a certain message, the mind fills in the blanks.
When we fear a certain message, the mind blocks it.
This is true in intuition, communication, and even problem-solving.
And then Alicia added:
“Also… some animals are just bratty.”
This checks out.
Scientifically.
Spiritually.
Emotionally.
Empirically.
Especially for Hunter.
8. THE INTUITION BLUEPRINT: HOW TO DEVELOP YOUR OWN ABILITY TO “HEAR” YOUR PET
One of the most actionable parts of our conversation was Alicia’s breakdown of the Clairs—the intuitive channels through which people naturally perceive information.
She insists that anyone wanting to communicate intuitively with animals must start here:
“The first step is knowing how you receive information. That’s your foundation.”
The Four Primary Clairs
Clairvoyance — seeing images
Clairaudience — hearing internal or external messages
Clairsentience — feeling sensations in the body
Claircognizance — immediate knowing, the “download”
Each has scientific parallels in cognitive psychology:
• Visual thinkers
• Auditory processors
• Kinesthetic processors
• Intuitive rapid cognition
Once you know your dominant channel, you can strengthen it.
How to Apply This Today: A 5-Step Starter Exercise
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Identify your primary Clair
Notice how you naturally receive insights.
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Sit with your pet without expectation
No agenda. No forcing.
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Notice your first subtle impression
A feeling, image, phrase, or knowing.
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Validate with observable behavior
Did your pet go to the water bowl after you felt “thirst”?
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Repeat consistently without pressure
Intuitive communication is pattern recognition over time.
Important:
Your pet doesn’t have to “talk back” the same way.
And if they ignore your internal message?
As Alicia reminds us:
“Sometimes animals are just like… yeah, I heard you. I’m not doing that.”
Fair enough.
9. WHAT ANIMALS WANT HUMANS TO KNOW (ACCORDING TO ALICIA)
Toward the end of the conversation, we asked Alicia one simple question:
“If pets could give humans spiritual homework, what would it be?”
What she channeled back was stunningly universal—and psychologically sound:
Lesson 1: Let go of the human ego
“Humans think they’re the best species. They’re not. Every species has intelligence humans can’t do.”
This aligns with ecological science:
every species specializes in something uniquely advanced.
Lesson 2: Reconnect with the present moment
Animals do not dissociate.
They don’t ruminate.
They don’t catastrophize.
Their presence is their power.
Lesson 3: Trust your emotional intelligence
Animals feel truth.
They want humans to feel it too.
Lesson 4: Remember who you are
“We didn’t come here just to grind. Animals want us to remember.”
This is spirituality through the lens of grounded psychology:
Meaning-making is a core human need.
Our pets help us remember it.
10. A PRACTICAL TOOLKIT: HOW TO APPLY WHAT YOU LEARN FROM YOUR PET TODAY
Below is a practical, step-by-step guide blending Alicia’s insights with psychological best practices.
STEP 1: Identify What Your Pet Mirrors for You
Ask yourself:
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What behaviors in my pet frustrate me?
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What emotions do I feel when those behaviors happen?
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Where in my own life do I experience that emotion?
This isn’t blame...it’s awareness.
STEP 2: Strengthen Your Emotional Regulation
Your pet benefits when you:
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Pause before reacting
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Down-regulate stress
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Create predictable routines
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Express emotions clearly
Animals thrive in emotional consistency, not perfection.
STEP 3: Stop Expecting Yourself to Communicate Like a Movie Medium
No glowing messages.
No booming voices.
No Snow White forest choir.
Start with subtle impressions.
STEP 4: Set Boundaries with Your Pet (Compassionately)
Tell your pet—out loud or internally:
“Thank you, but my stress is not yours to carry.”
Repetition matters.
STEP 5: Use Pattern Recognition
Keep a simple journal:
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Note behavior
-
Note your emotional state
-
Note any synchronicities
Patterns reveal communication.
STEP 6: Support Your Pet’s Nervous System
Just like humans, animals benefit from:
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Routines
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Safety cues
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Adequate rest
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Reduced overstimulation
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Ground time outdoors
These are basic nervous system principles—cross-species.
STEP 7: Honor the Relationship
Whether you believe in soul contracts or psychological bonding, the effect is the same:
Your pet is part of your growth.
CONCLUSION — WHAT OUR PETS TEACH US ABOUT AWAKENING
Talking to Alicia shifted something fundamental in the way we see our animals.
We always loved Hunter.
We always believed he was sensitive.
We always sensed he “picked up” on things.
But we never truly understood the depth of the relationship...psychologically, emotionally, spiritually, until this conversation.
It turns out, our pets aren’t just companions.
They’re mirrors, guides, emotional translators, and sometimes the only grounded presence in a chaotic human world.
They don’t cling to their trauma.
They don’t hide their needs.
They don’t pretend everything is fine.
They don’t disconnect from themselves.
They respond.
They feel.
They reflect.
They love with presence.
And maybe that’s the real awakening:
Not becoming more mystical, but becoming more honest, with ourselves and with the animals who already see us clearly.
Where to Learn More About Alicia Sweezer?
If you want to go deeper into animal communication or mediumship
📌 https://www.whoknewhealing.com
📌 Watch or Listen to the full interview on The Skeptic Metaphysicians
📌 Stream the episode video at NewRealityTV.com
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