Animism: Is Everything Alive?

In animism, religion is secondary to the belief that non living things are an illusion, but that everything is alive. Find out how ancient pagan beliefs shaped the view that all things live, and how today’s animists practice their faith.

Animism is something that some of the major world religions don’t talk about much. Some people believe that things like trees, water bodies, and the very wind itself is filled with spirits, just like human beings are. Some assume that it is only Native American traditions and beliefs that embrace the idea of animism, but ancient and modern people all over the world have believed in animism, not just people who belong to an American aboriginal religion. Join SpiritualBlossom to find out what animism is. Find out why it is a belief everyone can embrace and incorporate into their own practices and why it will help make the world a great place to be.

What is Animism?

Animism is a belief about the essence of life and the way the world is. Most simply stated, it is the belief that all things in existence have their own lifeforce. It also states that spirits are just a part of bodies, and spirits continue to live after a body has died. It typically says there is a lifeforce that transcends everything that is always present despite birth, life, and death, and that each thing is a part of that. Some earlier anthropologists thought that all non-modern organized religions were nothing but animism, and it is true that many faiths of antiquity believed that not just humanity has spirits. However, each of these many religions were distinctly different from one another, and certain things like belief in a soul, use of prayer, and giving sacrifice to the divine are universal in religions in general. So just because faiths may share a belief does not make them the same religion.

Not all modern faiths disregard animism. Christianity, for example, focuses on the souls of humanity connecting to their god over anything else, but Hinduism and Buddhism are two major world religions that embrace the belief in animism. The word “animism” itself comes from Latin and it means “ breath, spirit, life.” Animism was defined in 1871 by Sir Edward Burnett Taylor in his book Primitive Culture. He said animism was “ an idea of pervading life and will in nature” and that objects and living creatures besides human beings have souls. Examples of animism are things like thanking an animal for its body to eat after a successful hunt, believing you have a spirit animal, or talking to your plants when you water them. Read about spirit animals here: Which Animal is My Spirit Animal?

What Major Religions Say

Buddhism, Neo Paganism, Hinduism, Shinto, and some First Nations tribal religions believe in animism. Here is what they say about it.

Buddhism

Buddhism believes in spirits in lifeforms besides human beings. One example of this belief is that some Buddhists will not eat meat or any animal products because they believe it harms animals. Mahayana Buddhists eat a vegan diet because they say the Buddha said we should never eat the flesh of any sentient being. They will not even pick meat out of a dish, but the whole dish should be rejected. They also believe due to reincarnation, the souls of all of us have been together, as family in past lives and to eat a member of your family is unacceptable. Theravada Buddhism allows some meat, but if it is seen , heard, or even suspected the creature has specifically been slaughtered for the person to eat, it is forbidden. Theravada Monastic tradition forbids eating meat of certain animals like elephants, dogs, and leopards. Read about the spiritual meaning of tigers here: What is the Spiritual Symbolism of Tigers?

Neo Paganism

“An it harm none, do what thou wilt”, is a commandment many Neo-Pagans follow, and many of them believe there are spirits everywhere. Crystals and oils are believed by many of them to be naturally blessed with magical spiritual energy, and things like the Ogham, the Celtic Tree oracle are used for divination, based on the spirit meaning of each tree. Many Neo Pagans believe in reincarnation, and that the soul leaves the body and can reside in any body it wants, not necessarily just a human one, when it reincarnates. They believe plants, trees, and the very planet itself are alive. Some Neo Pagans worship an earth goddess, believing the planet itself to be a goddess that grants life. Read about Earth Signs of the Zodiac here: What are Earth Signs on the Zodiac?

Hinduism

Hinduism believes in reincarnation, and that when you reincarnate, you won’t necessarily come back as a human being. They believe all life is sacred, and some creatures are so sacred they cannot be eaten. Cows, for example, may be milked, but they cannot be killed or harmed in any way. The banyan is a sacred tree where the god Krishna is believed to rest and it was a banyan tree, called the Bodhi Tree where the Buddha achieved enlightenment. Rivers are sacred to Hindus, and the great River Ganges is believed to be a goddess named Ganja. Ashes of the dead are cast into the river, and prayers are offered to Ganja because it is believed she will send these ashes, and the souls of the departed, closer to breaking the cycle of suffering. Read about gods and goddesses of the sea here: The Folklore, Myths, and Gods of the Sea

Shinto

Shinto is an indigenous Japanese tradition, and those who practice it believe in the kami. There is no exact way to describe what kami are in the English language, but they are spirit beings that animate everything. Living organisms, the dead, and inanimate objects are believed to have the capacity to have kami residing in them. Kami residing in objects can be ceremonially placed in a shrine where people visit for prayers and veneration. Kami are also believed to inhabit natural phenomena like droughts, the wind, and even the sunshine. Kami can be benevolent or malevolent, and people pray to them for help and ask them not to harm them. Read about Samhain, a High Day that venerates the dead here: All About Samhain

First Nations

A lot of modern non Indigenous people talk about American Indian spirituality and how respect for life is a big part of their beliefs. This is the truth. However, before modern times, most people around the world respected the planet because they knew we depended on it to survive. Not taking life unless it is necessary, cohabiting with other species without encroaching on their territories or driving them away, and speaking to the animals are all part of the belief that each being has a spirit and the right to a peaceful life. There is no unified Native American religion. Each tribe has their own beliefs and at one time it is believed there were between 8 and 112 million indigenous people in the Americas before Europeans came. There were countless different tribes, many of which have become extinct.

In South America, there were huge groups of people in the Incan, Mayan, and Aztec families, and countless scattered tribes throughout all of South and Central America history will never know about. They all had their own beliefs. In North America, today’s tribes have names like Cherokee, Sioux, and Inuit, and in the past tribes like the Secotan, Mayeye, and Avoyels who either absorbed themselves into other tribes or died out. They all had their own beliefs. One faith called the Waashat religion traditionally does not believe in agriculture, because it would be like stabbing their own mother to plow the earth. The Iroquois have a legend that states the earth is on the back of a giant turtle, and our planet is its body- just with soil on its back.

Modern Animism Beliefs

Today’s believers in animism have some unified beliefs although animism is not an organized religion, but a belief. They believe everything is alive , has feelings, and matters. They also believe we are all connected and communicating with other lifeforms is important.

Everything is Alive

Animism teaches that each plant, tree, blade of grass, particle of soil, rock, river, and gust of wind contains life. How this happens is unknown. Some say the creator of all life put a particle of their divinity in every last thing they created. Some believe the life is just there somehow. This is why everything on the planet should be respected- it is a living thing. Inanimate objects do not exist.

Everything Has Feelings

Animism teaches that everything is alive and therefore has feelings. Everything feels love, pain, joy, sadness, excitement, and all the emotional and physical things human beings feel. Vegetables do not react to being cut or pulled, but animists believe they can feel it. They also believe that an insect wants to stay alive when it is being squashed and a flower is happy for rain and sunshine so it can grow.

Everything Matters

Animism says that since everything is alive, all life matters. Some animists say every life is as important as the next life, but a lot of today’s non animists believe human life is the very most important. Animists do not believe humans are superior, but just one form of life.

We Are All Connected

Animism says all life is connected in the world. We are all on the same living planet in the same living solar system which is a part of greater galaxies. Each being is an individual, but what we do affects us all. For example, plowing a field and planting crops destroys the homes of creatures living in the soil, although the people who eat the crops benefit from it.

Communication is Important

Animists often communicate with other life forms besides humans. They will speak aloud to the wind or ask the rain to slack off for a while. They may call the birds to partake of the birdseed they put outside, and they may stop in the forest to attempt telepathy with deer. Such people believe that their spirit can communicate with other spirits without words.

Animism and You

Maybe you don’t identify with any of the groups who incorporate animism into their belief system, but that doesn’t mean you can’t believe that everything has its own spirit. There are some simple things you can do to incorporate animism into your life. You don’t have to make any major changes or follow any religion to do it. All you have to do is behave as if you are aware that there is life in everything. You can protect other lifeforms and show respect to all things, and one great way to do that is to live harmoniously with other lifeforms.

Protect Life

You don’t have to go on a major campaign to shut down all pollution causing emissions and you don’t have to give up things like electricity, or airplane travel. Cutting back on those things can help to reduce air pollution for sure, but things like recycling, buying second hand goods, and going for a walk or riding your bicycle instead of driving a block to pick up one bottle of wine will help immensely. Walking around insects on the sidewalk, wrapping broken glass so an animal will not cut itself with it and using LED light bulbs are other simple things you can do to reduce harm to other creatures, thus protecting life, and it doesn’t even take much time.

Respect All Things

Stepping outside of designated areas to get selfies with wildlife shows a deep disrespect for the rights of animals to live in peace and safety. Saying ‘It’s just a dumb dog” instead of feeding your pet on time also shows disrespect and lack of concern for the animal. Assuming that a plant, animal, or body of water does not contain life that matters just as much as your life or desires shows disrespect also. Assuming that somebody who is poorer than you does not deserve the same rights you have also shows disrespect. Who decides which living thing matters most? Being aware that every living thing has feelings and treating them fairly and with compassion shows respect. It’s not hard to do and it really makes a difference.

Live Harmoniously

Living harmoniously with the planet doesn’t mean living outside instead of in a house. It doesn’t mean dressing with leaves instead of clothes and it doesn’t mean shunning things like sanitation or working a regular job. It means sharing the planet with the attitude that everything else has just as much a right to live comfortably as humans do. It means not throwing your trash out of your car window on a trip or pouring poison that permanently damages the earth on weeds. It means planting pollinator friendly flowers and leaving some berries on the vine for the wildlife to enjoy. Take only pictures and only leave footsteps in nature, allow nature to live as it needs, and be one of many beautiful lifeforms living happily in creation.

The world is teeming with life, and human beings are just a part of the beauty of that. You don’t have to run away from city life and live alone in the woods to embrace the belief that there is a lifeforce in everything. You don’t have to convert to a religion, and you don’t have to be religious at all. All you have to do is honor the feelings and needs of other beings, protect life to the best of your ability, and harmonize with all living things. We can do so much to make this world a great place to live, not only for us, but for everything in existence.

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