Animism, also called Panpsychism, is a basic belief in spiritual beings. It is primarily associated with the primitive belief in the origins of religion and with anthropology. The human mind is seen as a non-material entity that interacts with the body by the nervous system and brain.
Due to the fact that they believed in a multitude of spiritual forces, Animism was not a monotheistic practice. Many of these forces were seen as localized and limited in their powers but still more powerful than humans in everyday life.
Every religion even the simplest to the most complex, is interwoven with certain degrees of Animism. Animism is also associated with the causes of death, dreams, sleep and trances.
Primitive people worshipped their ancestors and nature and believed in some sort of spiritual existance.
Early people believed that the spiritual world consisted of "good and evil." And it appeared to them that the spirit world dominated all areas of nature. |
