I am an animist. I believe that consciousness is a fundamental aspect of reality and that spirits are present throughout the world. These spirits are not limited to living organisms or natural objects. Rather, every aspect of existence can contain countless conscious entities. Objects, processes, relationships, ideas, and even different ways of understanding the world can all reveal spiritual beings. Reality is populated by far more minds and forms of consciousness than are ordinarily recognized.
My beliefs also extend beyond material things to include concepts and frameworks of understanding. However, I do not see concepts as merely imaginary. Concepts often describe real features of the world, and the spirits associated with them may be expressions of those features. Psychology, for example, is not simply an abstract idea. It is a field that studies consciousness, thought, emotion, and behavior, all of which are real aspects of existence. Through spiritual practices such as journeying and astral exploration, I sometimes seek contact with entities associated with these domains.
I approach these experiences as opportunities for exploration rather than unquestionable revelations. Encounters with spirits can provide perspectives, symbols, and insights that suggest new ways of understanding the world. They may highlight patterns that I would not otherwise have considered or encourage me to ask new questions. In this sense, spiritual practice serves as a source of inspiration and hypothesis generation.
At the same time, I value empirical science as a method for evaluating ideas. Spiritual experiences can suggest possibilities, but scientific investigation provides tools for determining whether those possibilities correspond to observable reality. When spiritual exploration leads to a claim about psychology, consciousness, or human behavior, I believe that claim should be tested whenever possible through observation, experimentation, and falsification.
For me, animism and science are not opposing ways of knowing. Spiritual exploration allows me to engage with aspects of reality that may not be easily accessible through ordinary perception, while science provides rigorous methods for examining the ideas that emerge from those encounters. Together they form a cycle of discovery in which spiritual experiences generate questions and scientific inquiry helps evaluate the answers.
