Animism

 

 

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Animism is the spiritual  idea that the universe, and all natural objects within the universe, have souls or spirits.  Animism is the perception that consciousness or spirit is a quality of the entire world, rather than the exclusive possession of humankind. Everything has the potential ability to communicate with other beings and to bring about change. Nothing, not even a rock, is completely inert, – rather, there is always some element of feeling, understanding, evaluation, and choice present. Sentience and spirit are genuinely perceived to be inherent in potentially anything and everything.

 

Animism perceives that souls or spirits in human and other-than-human

exist, not only in animals, plants, fungi, mountains, stones, metals, fire, bodies of water, spirits of wind and weather, diverse deities, angels, ancestors, star people, nature spirits, and others we don’t have good words for in English. The term 'Animism', or animist, is most commonly applied to hunter-gatherer groups and tribes.

 

fundamental basis of animism. The term 'Animism' is derived from the Latin word "
The idealist teachings concerning the life force is aanima" meaning breath or soul. The belief of animism is probably one of the oldest beliefs of man, with its origins probably dating back to countless indigenous peoples from every geographical area and period of time, from Paleolithic Africa to modern North America.

Our more ancient ancestors were, by necessity, ecologically literate people who maintained conscious dialogues with the spirits of the animals, plants, rivers, stones, weather, and other natural forces upon which their lives depended.