In religion, the term "Animism" is used in a number of ways. Animism (from animus, or anima, mind or soul), originally means the doctrine of spiritual beings. It is often extended to include the belief that personalized, supernatural beings (or souls) endowed with reason, intelligence and volition inhabit ordinary objects as well as animate beings, and govern their existence (pantheism or animatism). More simply, the belief is that "everything is alive", "everything is conscious" or "everything has ...

Including:

Animism - Overview Animism - Origins Animism - Plant souls Animism - Object souls Animism - Animism and death Animism - Evil spirits Animism - Differences between animism and religion Animism - Animism and the origin of religion Animism - Animism and mythology Animism - Animism in philosophy Animism - Tylor Animism - List of phenomena believed to lead to animism Animism - The new animism

Read more here: » Animism: Encyclopedia - Animism

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Animism, Animism - Overview, Animism - Origins, Animism - Plant souls, Animism - Object souls, Animism - Animism and death, Animism - Evil spirits, Animism - Differences between animism and religion, Animism - Animism and the origin of religion, Animism - Animism and mythology, Animism - Animism in philosophy, Animism - Tylor, Animism - List of phenomena believed to lead to animism, Animism - The new animism

Read more here: » Animism: Encyclopedia II - Animism - Object souls

Early ideas on the subject of the soul, and at the same time the origin of them, can be illustrated by analysis of the terms applied to them. Readers of Dante know the idea that the dead have no shadows. This was no invention of the poet's but a piece of traditional lore. Among the Basutus it is held that a man walking by the brink of a river may lose his life if his shadow falls on the water, for a croc ...

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Animism, Animism - Overview, Animism - Origins, Animism - Plant souls, Animism - Object souls, Animism - Animism and death, Animism - Evil spirits, Animism - Differences between animism and religion, Animism - Animism and the origin of religion, Animism - Animism and mythology, Animism - Animism in philosophy, Animism - Tylor, Animism - List of phenomena believed to lead to animism, Animism - The new animism

Read more here: » Animism: Encyclopedia II - Animism - Origins

Religion (see etymology below) —sometimes used interchangeably with faith or belief system—is commonly defined as belief concerning the supernatural, sacred, or divine; and the moral codes, practices, values, institutions and rituals associated with such belief. In its broadest sense some have defined it as the sum total of answers given to explain humankind's relationship with the universe. In the course of the development of religion, it has taken ...

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Religion - Etymology
Religion - Religion and science Religion - Philosophy and metaphysics Religion - Esotericism and mysticism Religion - Spirituality Religion - Myth
Religion - Approaches to the study of individual religions
Religion - Methods of studying religion subjectively in relation to one's own beliefs Religion - Methods of studying religion objectively in a scientific and religiously neutral fashion
Religion - Development of religion
Religion - Religion today
Religion - Approaches to relating to the beliefs of others
Religion - Exclusivism Religion - Inclusivism Religion - Pluralism Religion - Syncretism Religion - Universalism Religion - Systemization
Religion - Religion and other approaches to forming beliefs about the nature of the universe
Religion - Related philosophical stances
Religion - Compare with

Read more here: » Religion: Encyclopedia - Religion

The origins of the word "religion" have been debated for centuries. Some explanations for the origin of the word are: re-reading--from Latin re (again) + legio (read), referring to the repetition of scripture. treating carefully--from Latin relegere (Cicero's interpretation) re-connection to the divine--from Latin re (again) + ligare (to connect, as in English ligament). This interpretation is favoured by modern scholars such as Tom Harpur, but prob ...

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Religion, Religion - Etymology, Religion - Religion and science, Religion - Philosophy and metaphysics, Religion - Esotericism and mysticism, Religion - Spirituality, Religion - Myth, Religion - Approaches to the study of individual religions, Religion - Methods of studying religion subjectively in relation to one's own beliefs, Religion - Methods of studying religion objectively in a scientific and religiously neutral fashion, Religion - Development of religion, Religion - Religion today, Religion - Approaches to relating to the beliefs of others, Religion - Exclusivism, Religion - Inclusivism, Religion - Pluralism, Religion - Syncretism, Religion - Universalism, Religion - Systemization, Religion - Religion and other approaches to forming beliefs about the nature of the universe, Religion - Related philosophical stances, Religion - Compare with

Read more here: » Religion: Encyclopedia II - Religion - Etymology

Religion - Methods of studying religion subjectively in relation to one's own beliefs. These include efforts to determine the meaning and application of "sacred" texts and beliefs in the context of the student's personal worldview. This generally takes one of three forms: one's own — efforts by believers to ascertain the meaning of their own sacred text or other traditions, and to conform their thoughts and actions to the principles enunciated in those traditions. For most believers, this involves ...

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Religion, Religion - Etymology, Religion - Religion and science, Religion - Philosophy and metaphysics, Religion - Esotericism and mysticism, Religion - Spirituality, Religion - Myth, Religion - Approaches to the study of individual religions, Religion - Methods of studying religion subjectively in relation to one's own beliefs, Religion - Methods of studying religion objectively in a scientific and religiously neutral fashion, Religion - Development of religion, Religion - Religion today, Religion - Approaches to relating to the beliefs of others, Religion - Exclusivism, Religion - Inclusivism, Religion - Pluralism, Religion - Syncretism, Religion - Universalism, Religion - Systemization, Religion - Religion and other approaches to forming beliefs about the nature of the universe, Religion - Related philosophical stances, Religion - Compare with

Read more here: » Religion: Encyclopedia II - Religion - Approaches to the study of individual religions

There are several models for understanding how religions develop. Models which view religion as untrue include: The "Dogma Selection Model," which holds that religions, although untrue in themselves, encode instructions or habits useful for survival, that these ideas "mutate" periodically as they are passed on, and they spread or die out in accord with their effectiveness at improving chances for survival. The "Opium of the Masses Model," in which "Religion in any shape or form is regarded as pernicious and del ...

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Religion, Religion - Etymology, Religion - Religion and science, Religion - Philosophy and metaphysics, Religion - Esotericism and mysticism, Religion - Spirituality, Religion - Myth, Religion - Approaches to the study of individual religions, Religion - Methods of studying religion subjectively in relation to one's own beliefs, Religion - Methods of studying religion objectively in a scientific and religiously neutral fashion, Religion - Development of religion, Religion - Religion today, Religion - Approaches to relating to the beliefs of others, Religion - Exclusivism, Religion - Inclusivism, Religion - Pluralism, Religion - Syncretism, Religion - Universalism, Religion - Systemization, Religion - Religion and other approaches to forming beliefs about the nature of the universe, Religion - Related philosophical stances, Religion - Compare with

Read more here: » Religion: Encyclopedia II - Religion - Development of religion

Adherents of particular religions deal with the differing doctrines and practices espoused by other religions in a variety ways. All strains of thought appear in different segments of all major world religions. Religion - Exclusivism. People with exclusivist beliefs sometimes typically explain other religions as either in error, or as corruptions or counterfeits of the true faith. Examples include: Christian scripture states that Jesus said: "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes ...

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Religion, Religion - Etymology, Religion - Religion and science, Religion - Philosophy and metaphysics, Religion - Esotericism and mysticism, Religion - Spirituality, Religion - Myth, Religion - Approaches to the study of individual religions, Religion - Methods of studying religion subjectively in relation to one's own beliefs, Religion - Methods of studying religion objectively in a scientific and religiously neutral fashion, Religion - Development of religion, Religion - Religion today, Religion - Approaches to relating to the beliefs of others, Religion - Exclusivism, Religion - Inclusivism, Religion - Pluralism, Religion - Syncretism, Religion - Universalism, Religion - Systemization, Religion - Religion and other approaches to forming beliefs about the nature of the universe, Religion - Related philosophical stances, Religion - Compare with

Read more here: » Religion: Encyclopedia II - Religion - Approaches to relating to the beliefs of others

Humans have many different methods which attempt to answer fundamental questions about the nature of the universe and our place in it (cosmology). What is reality? How can we know? Who are we? Why we are here? How should we live? What happens after we die? Religion is only one of the methods for trying to answer one or more of these questions. Other methods include science, philosophy, metaphysics, esotericism, and mysticism. Many people use more than one of these methods. Christianity is the religion with the largest number o ...

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Religion, Religion - Etymology, Religion - Religion and science, Religion - Philosophy and metaphysics, Religion - Esotericism and mysticism, Religion - Spirituality, Religion - Myth, Religion - Approaches to the study of individual religions, Religion - Methods of studying religion subjectively in relation to one's own beliefs, Religion - Methods of studying religion objectively in a scientific and religiously neutral fashion, Religion - Development of religion, Religion - Religion today, Religion - Approaches to relating to the beliefs of others, Religion - Exclusivism, Religion - Inclusivism, Religion - Pluralism, Religion - Syncretism, Religion - Universalism, Religion - Systemization, Religion - Religion and other approaches to forming beliefs about the nature of the universe, Religion - Related philosophical stances, Religion - Compare with

Read more here: » Religion: Encyclopedia II - Religion - Religion and other approaches to forming beliefs about the nature of the universe

The origins of the word "religion" have been debated for centuries. Some explanations for the origin of the word are: re-reading--from Latin re (again) + legio (read), referring to the repetition of scripture. treating carefully--from Latin relegere (Cicero's interpretation) 'to go over again' or to carefully ponder. re-connection to the divine--from Latin re (again) + ligare (to connect, as in English ligament). This interpretation is favoured by m ...

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Religion, Religion - Etymology, Religion - Religion and science, Religion - Philosophy and metaphysics, Religion - Esotericism and mysticism, Religion - Spirituality, Religion - Myth, Religion - Approaches to the study of individual religions, Religion - Methods of studying religion subjectively in relation to one's own beliefs, Religion - Methods of studying religion objectively in a scientific and religiously neutral fashion, Religion - Development of religion, Religion - Religion today, Religion - Approaches to relating to the beliefs of others, Religion - Exclusivism, Religion - Inclusivism, Religion - Pluralism, Religion - Syncretism, Religion - Universalism, Religion - Systemization, Religion - Religion and other approaches to forming beliefs about the nature of the universe, Religion - Related philosophical stances, Religion - Compare with

Read more here: » Religion: Encyclopedia II - Religion - Etymology

animism: The belief that everything (including inanimate objects) is alive with soul or spirit, a conviction pervasive among most indigenous (tribal/pagan/shamanistic) faiths, including Hinduism, Shintoism and spiritualism.

(See also: Animism, Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

animism: The belief that everything (including inanimate objects) is alive with soul or spirit, a conviction pervasive among most indigenous (tribal/pagan/shamanistic) faiths, including Hinduism, Shintoism and spiritualism.

(See also: Animism, Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

A Christian theological definition of Animism according to CARM - The Christian Apologetics & Research Ministry:

"

Animism

See also: Animism , Christianity, Body Mind and Soul

ANIMISM (Latin, anima: "air, soul"):

 The belief that all life is produced by a spiritual force separate from matter;

 The belief that natural phenomena and objects are alive and have souls;

 The doctrine of the existence of soul as independent of matter;

 The belief in the existence of spirits, demons, etc.

(See also: ANIMISM, Magickal Traditions, Magickal Paths, Paganism, Pagan Dictionary)

ANIMISM

belief that a spirit or force resides in every animate and inanimate object, every dream and idea, giving individuality to each. The related Polynesian concept of mana holds that the spirit in all things is responsible for good and evil.

(See also: ANIMISM, Alternative Health, Healing, Body Mind and Soul)

ANIMISM: belief that a spirit or force resides in every animate and inanimate object, every dream and idea, giving individuality to each. The related Polynesian concept of mana holds that the spirit in all things is responsible for good and evil.

(See also: Animism, Alternative Health, Body Mind and Soul)

TOTEM

Any natural object, plant or animal, not considered as an individual but as a member of a class. A Totem is chosen by a tribal class or its kin. It is then treated as the outward symbol of a secret relation.

(See also: TOTEM, Magick, Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul, )

Animal Magnetism. While official science calls it a "supposed" agent, and utterly rejects its actuality, the teeming millions of antiquity and of the now living Asiatic nations, Occultists, Theosophists, Spiritualists, and Mystics of every kind and description proclaim it as a well established fact. Animal magnetism is a fluid, an emanation.

Some people can emit it for curative purposes through their eyes and the tips of their fingers, while the rest of all creatures, mankind, animals and even every inanimate object, emanate it either as an aura, or a varying light, and that whether consciously or not. When acted upon by Contact: with a patient or by the will of a human operator it is called "Mesmerism" (q.v.).

(See also: Animal Magnetism, Theosophy, Spirituality, Body mind and Soul, Spiritual Dictionary, )

Animism:

(1) Religious practices based on the belief that all living things and natural objects have their individual spiritual essence or "soul".

(2) The belief that every object found in nature, whether living or non-living, has a spirit or life-force attached to it which is endowed with the same fundamental reasoning and volition of men. In essence, all of nature is endowed with a pure life essence which holds all things in a symbiotic relationship and a spiritual balance within the universe. This is a core belief in many magical philosophies and practices.

(See also: Animism, Psychic, Psychic Dictionary, Parapsychology, Parapsychology Dictionary)

Animism The name given by anthropologists to the attribution of life or mind to inanimate objects, such as trees, mountains, rivers, or images. This belief of the ancients and of many existing peoples was a recognition of the universal sentience of nature.

Also the doctrine of Georg Ernst Stahl (1660-1734) that the soul is the vital principle and responsible for organic functions in the body, and synonymous with Vitalism. This doctrine avoids the logical absurdity of making life at once the cause and the effect of the properties of matter; but it errs in making life something entirely distinct from matter, for such a separation reduces both to mere abstractions.

(See also: Animism, Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Occultism, Occultism Dictionary)