Animism is the doctrine which places the source of mental and even physical life in an energy independent of or at least distinct from the body. Animism can be divided into three categories: Worship of the souls of men and animals, manifesting itself above all as worship of the dead(Necolatry); worship of spiritual beings who are not associated in a permanent way with certain bodies or objects(Spiritism) and the worship of spiritual beings who direct the permanent or periodically recurring phenomena of nature (Naturism). According to Sir Edward Tylor people originally envisioned the world as being alive with souls or spirits and on the basis of this understanding of nature, developed religions. He believed that nature is alive with spirits that have feelings and can be communicated with. According to his theory, early people formed their notion of the soul from their own experience of dreams, where people appear in a mysterious and immaterial fashion; from their experience of death, where seemingly the life force departs from the body; from visions and ecstasy, where one is temporarily transported out of one's body. Having got the notion of a soul distinct from th

In many basic religions, like animism people believe that they are not the only spirit - that animals, trees ( Buddha meditated under the bo tree for several weeks and was inspired with the truth), stones, rivers, mountains, the heavenly bodies, the seas and the earth itself have anima (spirit). It is also believed that these spirits communicate when they are flattered or offended by either helping or hurting human beings. These spirits are therefore believed to be personal. Many Christians, Muslims and Buddhists believe that spirits have the ability to bless or curse humans. Christians believe in a supreme spirit, the Holy Spirit, which a part of the godhead. Also, they believe in good and evil spirits, namely angels and demons. In addition, followers of Confucius believe in spirits. However, they should be worshiped and respected but kept at a distance so they do not interfere with one's social duties. On the basis of an animistic understanding of life, basic religions and many advanced religions have revered or openly worshiped nearly everything in nature. Almost any animal one can think of has at some time or another been worshiped; stones have been worshiped or have been the sites where gods have spoken to people or received the blood of their sacrifices (Muslims highly revere the Black Stone which is visited on the pilgrimage to Mecca.); mountains have frequently been the objects of worship or revelation (In Christianity, God revealed the ten commandments to Moses on Mount Sinai.) ; the seas and the creatures in them have been objects of veneration and trees have frequently been the objects of religious cults. The heavenly bodies - the sun, moon and stars play a part in nearly every religion: and fire, water and the earth have become objects of worship or important elements of worship.

One animist characteristic of modern religions is the veneration or worship of deceased member of the family. Some animists believed that spirits of ancestors should be feared because of the evil they might do to the living while others felt that the dead could benefit the living. For this reason, the ones who were fearful ensured that the dead could not return from their graves to harm the living, by burying bodies beneath large stones. On the other hand, those who believed that the dead was not harmful took steps to please the de

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