Animism
Chapter 1: Reason of Origin 01/07
Different eras and cultures each have their own worldviews that reflect those specific times and cultures. Whatever form these worldviews may take, they invariably have a corresponding theoretical framework, which is utilized in some way. It is safe to say that no worldview exists without a theoretical framework. If such a neglected worldview were to exist, it would be absorbed by another worldview—either when a worldview with a solid theoretical framework emerges or when it comes into contact with other worldviews—and would not survive.
So, what is the most primitive element within a worldview that possesses a certain degree of theoretical structure? What is it that has survived to the present day, having absorbed and fused various elements over the course of a long history?
It is the various forms of “magic” rooted in animism or shamanism.
Animism refers to the belief held by people who recognize the widespread existence of spirits and souls in the natural world, regardless of whether they are living or non-living things; shamanism, on the other hand, refers to a social structure centered on the shaman—a priest or sorcerer who performs trances, divination, prophecies, curses, and healing. In other words, it is a social structure based on humans (shamans) who possess special abilities not found in ordinary people.
What kind of theoretical framework (that is, “reason”) underlies animism and shamanism?
So, what is the most primitive element within a worldview that possesses a certain degree of theoretical structure? What is it that has survived to the present day, having absorbed and fused various elements over the course of a long history?
It is the various forms of “magic” rooted in animism or shamanism.
Animism refers to the belief held by people who recognize the widespread existence of spirits and souls in the natural world, regardless of whether they are living or non-living things; shamanism, on the other hand, refers to a social structure centered on the shaman—a priest or sorcerer who performs trances, divination, prophecies, curses, and healing. In other words, it is a social structure based on humans (shamans) who possess special abilities not found in ordinary people.
What kind of theoretical framework (that is, “reason”) underlies animism and shamanism?
Animism
Animism is found in various primitive cultures. Today, it is primarily found in regions where civilization is still developing.
Given its nature—which involves recognizing spirits and souls throughout the natural world—animism can be said to strongly reflect the physical and geographical characteristics of a culture. This is because, in their primitive state, humans must first and foremost contend with nothing other than their surrounding natural environment; furthermore, for cultures and eras lacking advanced means of transportation, the “world” is limited to the immediate vicinity of their daily lives. Naturally, even in the modern era, geographical conditions should remain a significant factor for people who lack access to advanced transportation systems or who choose not to use them.
For example, the culture of people living in a forest naturally adapts to that “forest,” becoming a culture suited to life in the forest, where the tools and food necessary for daily life are provided by what exists within the forest. The culture of people living in a desert adapts to the desert, becoming a culture suited to life there—one that makes effective use of the intense sunlight and scarce water. Over the course of many years, the surrounding environment even influences the adaptability of humans as living beings. People who have lived under the scorching sun are not fatally affected by a little sunlight or heat. Similarly, it stands to reason that people in cold regions would become resilient to the cold.
In other words, the existence of spirits and souls in animism represents the things closest to humans that cannot be freely controlled by human will—the wonders and embrace of nature that humans first had to confront—and serves as an answer to the question of humanity itself. Now, let’s take a look at what these spirits and souls are like.
Given its nature—which involves recognizing spirits and souls throughout the natural world—animism can be said to strongly reflect the physical and geographical characteristics of a culture. This is because, in their primitive state, humans must first and foremost contend with nothing other than their surrounding natural environment; furthermore, for cultures and eras lacking advanced means of transportation, the “world” is limited to the immediate vicinity of their daily lives. Naturally, even in the modern era, geographical conditions should remain a significant factor for people who lack access to advanced transportation systems or who choose not to use them.
For example, the culture of people living in a forest naturally adapts to that “forest,” becoming a culture suited to life in the forest, where the tools and food necessary for daily life are provided by what exists within the forest. The culture of people living in a desert adapts to the desert, becoming a culture suited to life there—one that makes effective use of the intense sunlight and scarce water. Over the course of many years, the surrounding environment even influences the adaptability of humans as living beings. People who have lived under the scorching sun are not fatally affected by a little sunlight or heat. Similarly, it stands to reason that people in cold regions would become resilient to the cold.
In other words, the existence of spirits and souls in animism represents the things closest to humans that cannot be freely controlled by human will—the wonders and embrace of nature that humans first had to confront—and serves as an answer to the question of humanity itself. Now, let’s take a look at what these spirits and souls are like.