Animism

Class of religious beliefs

Animism (from Latin: anima, meaning 'breath', 'spirit', or 'life') is the worldview or perception that various types of natural phenomena, including non-human organisms and often even landforms and inanimate objects, possess distinct spiritual essences, souls, or personhood. Animism assumes a wide view about which entities may be considered animate, thus typically perceiving animals, plants, rivers, weather systems, and other natural entities, plus in some cases human handiwork and words, as all having some degree of agency, life, and will. Animism is used in anthropology of religion as a term for the belief system of many indigenous peoples in contrast to the relatively more recent development of organized religions.

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