The other day a big spider (two inches plus in diameter) was hanging out in the corner above my bed. I was lying in bed reading a book, and let it sit there for a while, happy that it didn't bother me like spiders always used to. After some time, however, I decided that I didn't want to risk the somewhat nasty surprise of suddenly having it crawl all over me, so I grabbed an empty jam jar to catch it with (I'm not big on touching stuff like that with my hands...), and trapped it in the jar against the wall. My intention was to carry it outside and let it loose in my garden. However, as I was approaching it, it tried to run away and I accidentally caught its head between the edge of the jar and the wall, and it died instantly. And guess what: It left me with a sad, heavy feeling inside that lasted for the rest of the day and is even somewhat coming back to me as we speak. I took it outside and dumped it in the a flower bed.
Call me a wuss or whatever you want, but that spiders life was not something with no value. Sure, I value the life of a human higher than that of a spider, but it's still a life, and hence it should be respected and even loved.
Years ago, I would have thought nothing of killing a spider - I did so on a regular basis, in fact. Not for fun, but because I don't really like spiders all that much. Now, however, I feel sad at having killed one, even if it was by accident. For me personally, I consider that a step in the right direction, and it's brought about by two things: the spiritual work I do on a daily basis, and - yes - going raw. So, Steve, what you're saying about raw food sounds right to me. It does affect your level of consciousness, to a potentially very high degree. I've been mostly raw for about a year now, and won't ever look back. It truly is the best way to eat.
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