What belief is associated with animism?

The belief associated with animism is that supernatural beings inhabit inanimate objects. Animism is a worldview found in many cultures, which posits that all entities, including animals, plants, and even inanimate objects like rocks and rivers, possess a spiritual essence or life force. This perspective leads to the understanding that these entities can be animated by spirits and should be respected and revered.

In animistic belief systems, the natural world is not just a backdrop for human activity; instead, it is filled with spiritual significance, where every object and being is interconnected through a web of spiritual relationships. This contrasts with views that might consider only humans as having souls or that deny any spirituality in nature. Thus, the acknowledgement of spirits in objects and the emphasis on the interconnectedness of life and the environment is a fundamental aspect of animism.