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Animism is considered to be one of the earliest forms of religion, but its’ effects leave people living in fear and not in the hope of Christ. It is a religious belief or system that sees the physical world as filled with spiritual forces or beings, both visible and non-visible, that have a soul or breath of life. Adherents believe these spirits can affect human affairs positively or negatively. Belief in these spirits has intwined itself into the major religions, including Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism. The name “animism” or “animists” was first coined by an English anthropologist, Sir Edward Burnett Tylor, in his work “Primitive Culture” in 1871.