animatism
/ˈænɪməˌtɪzəm/
noun
- A belief that natural objects, forces, and phenomena (like rivers, storms, or rocks) have a life or spirit, but not necessarily a personal soul or consciousness.
- Animatism is different from animism because it does not attribute a personal soul to each object.
- Some early cultures practiced animatism, believing that the wind itself was alive.
- The anthropologist studied animatism among tribes who thought thunder was a living force.