While doing Anna Breytenbach class in 2015, in Switzerland, someone had asked her if an animal can “occupy” a body of another animal for different reasons. Immediately, she answered yes, and that it was called Chimera (from ancient Greek).
A chimera refers to something composed of disparate, mismatched parts. The term originates from Greek mythology (Χίμαιρα / Chímaira), describing a fire-breathing monster—typically with the head of a lion, the body of a goat, and a snake’s tail.
In ancient Greece, there were many “creatures”. According to the book: “Prolegomena to the study of Greek Religion” by Jane Ellen Harrison, there were many rituals during the Festivals, in ancient Greece: Anthesteria, Lupercalia, Thargelia, Kallynteria, Plynteria, Nephalia, Charila, Bouphonia, Vestalia, Thesmophoria, Arrephoria, Skirophoria, Stenia, Haloa, the Eleusinian Mysteries, Kernophoria; those happened according to the season of the year, based on the arrival of the spring, planting, harvesting, winter time, etc… In all these rituals, there were offerings or sacrifices to demons or other creatures.
It is noteworthy to say that demons do not equal to the Christian Satan/demon or supreme badness- The concepts of the time were based in Hermeticism, where there is the principle of Polarity- everything is dual ( good and bad).
https://www.animalcommunication.gr/natural-law-is-universal-law/
In chapter five and along her book, the writer mentions the “demonology of ghosts, sprites (spirits) and bogeys” (ancient English from where the word Bogey-man came from) with an extensive list of beings which the Greeks of the time believed existed: the Ker/Keres who had different roles: as an evil Sprite, as a Ghost, as Bacillus (therefore the scientific name of Bacillus), as old age and death, as Harpy and wind demons, as Fate, as Gorgon, as Siren, as Sphinx, as Erinys, etc.. The Erinys themselves are another category of creatures: Erinys as Poinae, as Snake, etc… The Semnai Theai, the Eumenides, Satyrs, Centaurs, etc… All these creatures present a mix of humans and animals, demonstrating that they considered the possibility of a mixed “soul” although they did not explained it this way, at the time.
According to Wikipedia,(2)“the Chimera, Chímaira, Chimæra, or Chímaira; Ancient Greek: Χίμαιρα, lit. ’she-goat’- was a monstrous fire-breathing hybrid creature in Greek mythology, said to be from Lycia, Asia Minor, and composed of different animal parts. Typically, it is depicted as a lion with a goat’s head protruding from its back and a tail ending with a snake’s head. Some representations also include dragon’s wings. It was an offspring of Typhon and Echidna and a sibling of monsters like Cerberus and the Lernaean Hydra.
The term “chimera” has come to describe any mythical or fictional creature with parts taken from various animals.”
“Homer described the Chimera in the Iliad, saying that “she was of divine stock not of men, in the fore part a lion, in the hinder a serpent, and in the midst a goat, breathing forth in terrible wise the might of blazing fire.”Hesiod and Apollodorus gave similar descriptions: a three-headed creature with a lion in front, a fire-breathing goat in the middle, and a serpent in the rear”.
Interesting to see how Homer categorizes the Chimera, of divine stock, which brings us back to my class in 2015, when Anna Breytenbach told us that some animals can take the body of others for some reason. Where does the decision of coming back in another body originate? It is not a case of possession, so praised by the church, but a divine possibility of being present in a new life, not to extend its own life but to fulfill a mission not finished. In many cases observed in clients, it is the case: the human, suffering immensely with the loss of the beloved animal, is rewarded, again, with its presence mostly based in a loving relationship. But what happens with the animal who “lends” its body to the spirit of the diceased? Simply saying, animals accept divine intervention, ghosts, death and lending their body for a higher reason; in other words, whatever they can do to help their human to develop higher conscience, in his time in the material matrix, and be able to learn and be compassionate, giving what he receives, to the Universe population of beings.
In 2026, I was confronted to two cases of Chimera, one in my mentoring program, where both deceased dogs of a student came into the new puppy that she adopted. It was extremely interesting as, whichever conversation a new student had with the puppy; they would see old images of scenes lived by both dogs inhabiting the puppy.
As with any phenomena, Chimera is not a possession, therefore, the original animal still exists and lives happily. If we take different theories of different bodies (by Daskalos (3), ancient Occultism, Dion Fortune, etc…), this can be understood as just different bodies inhabiting a material one, with the acceptance of the animal having the material body. In none of the cases, the animal involved is suffering.
In a second case, most common, one of the two dogs of a client passed and immediately the other dog started presenting behaviors of the previous dog (what he liked to eat, the way he walked, barked, etc…). This is very common and based in the friendship that animals have in life and death (after-life), also explained by Quantum entanglement and “at-onement” as explained by Daskalos (Mr. Atteshlis- although he never accepted animal consciousness).(3)
In both cases, the tutor of the animal has the possibility of recovering faster from the loss of the animal who passed, the animal which passed can continue his or her work with the human in question and even guide the animal who is supplying the body, protecting the puppy and acting like a “mentor”; it is a divine “win win “situation.
The fact that humans cannot, yet, accept death as a passage, obliges divine law to find mechanisms for the humans to cope with the loss. I believe, with the upgrading of human consciousness, if it ever occurs, this phenomena will stop or there will e a complete At-one-ment with all beings, as predicted by Daskalos (3). Again, our future depends on our own behavior and thought.
https://www.animalcommunication.gr/know-thyself/
Our work with ourselves is endless and we must strive to be better, everyday and help our own animals to guide us in our betterment. That saying, my animal is waiting for me, right now.
Bibliography:
1 -“Prolegomena to the study of Greek Religion” Jane Ellen Harrison
2- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chimera_(mythology)
3- “Fire in the heart” Kyriakos Markides
