Animism
by Alan G. Hefner and Virgilio Guimaraes
The term animism is derived from the Latin word anima meaning breath or soul. The belief of animism is probably one of man's oldest beliefs, with its origin most likely dating to the Paleolithic age.
Animism
Animists belief that every natural object, both living and nonliving has a spirit or life force, and are endowed with reason and volition identical with that of man.
Animism n : a belief in the existence of individual spirits that inhabit natural objects and all living things, a belief that everything possesses a spiritual essence or soul. The word is derived from the Latin "anima", meaning soul.
Animism
The belief that everything is alive. The Law of Personification taken as a statement of universal reality rather than as one of psychic convenience.
Anthropomancy ...
This animism of nature takes the most diverse directions. This tree is a living being. The birch tree in general--the species is a living being. A birch tree forest is a living being also.
I think it is noteworthy that modern physics seem to have elements of animism. Some physicists today are like animists in that they believe everything which exists is alive.
The savage religions - animism and the rest-are degenerations, the results of decadence, distorted and dwarfed descendants of true religious beliefs.
Representative Paradigms (Religion):Shamanism, Animism, Pantheism, (original) Stoicism, Neo-Paganism, New Age-ism, Creation Spirituality (Matthew Fox), Deep Ecology ...
 See also: Spirit, Ritual, Anima, Occult, Spiritual
|
