Animism is Normative Consciousness (Re-mixed, Re-musicked, and Re-released)
May 9, 2023
01:02:33
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Quick takeaways
Animism, the belief in an animate world, was the normative consciousness for the majority of human history, and its loss has led to a disconnection from nature and a belief in our ability to control and dominate the world.
Recovering the animate vision requires a conscious reshaping of our lives and communities, prioritizing rituals, slow growth, heightened states of perception, and a deep sense of interdependence to rediscover and reclaim the lived experience of animism.
Deep dives
Animism as a Normative Way of Seeing
Animism, the belief that the world is filled with living, animate beings, was the normative way of seeing for the majority of human history. Our ancestors, for 99.9% of our existence, experienced the world as imbued with life force and inhabited by forces with which they had ongoing relations. This animate vision was not an abstract belief or idea, but a lived experience felt in their bones and bloodstreams. From Paleolithic times until about 500 years ago, animism was the dominant worldview until major urban centers and large-scale agriculture began dismantling this animacy. However, animism persists today, seen in children's cartoons, folklore, and religious practices around the world. Animism is not just a belief system; it is a way of experiencing reality, where every part of nature is recognized as a person.
The Loss of the Animist Vision
The animist vision gradually diminished in the modern world due to various factors. The development of written language shifted our focus from direct experiences and confluences to abstract concepts and ideas. The impact of wars and technological advancements led to a disconnection from nature and a belief in our ability to control and dominate the world. The loss of animism coincided with the rise of rationalism and industrialized civilization. As cities grew, interactions with nature diminished, and the context that fostered animacy faded away. However, this loss is not irreversible, as we can make deliberate choices to prioritize presence, relationality, and ritual reconnection, allowing the animate vision to shine through once again.
Rediscovering the Animate Vision
Recovering the animist vision requires a conscious reshaping of our lives and communities to prioritize the elements that foster presence and relationship with the natural world. By valuing rituals, slow growth, heightened states of perception, and a deep sense of interdependence, we can reconnect with the animate vision. It is through these deliberate choices that we can awaken our dormant abilities to see the presence of nymphs, angels, and animate beings around us. Animism is not an abstract belief; it is a lived experience that can be rediscovered and reclaimed, leading to a deeper appreciation of the interconnectedness of all things.
The Urgency to Restore the Animate Vision
Restoring the animate vision is crucial for the wellbeing of both humans and the natural world. If we perceive the world as dead or void of agency, we lose our motivation to protect and care for it. By reestablishing our connection with the animate vision, we can rekindle a sense of awe and wonder, recognizing the living presence in all things. This shift in perception can inspire us to act in harmony with nature, recognizing the intrinsic value and personhood of every being. Restoring the animate vision is not only a personal choice but a necessary response to the environmental and societal challenges we face today.
For 98% of human history — over 10,000 generations — our ancestors lived, breathed, and interacted with a world that they saw and felt to be animate — imbued with life force, inhabited by and permeated with beings with which we exist in ongoing relation. This animate vision was the water in which we swam, it was consciousness in its natural dwelling place, the normative way of seeing the world and our place in it. It wasn’t a theory, a philosophy, or an idea. It wasn’t, actually, an "-ism." It was direct, felt experience. It was, simply, how things were. Which is why it has been commonly understood across the entire world for all of time. In this musically reimagined reissue of a classic episode of The Emerald, we explore how foundational the animate worldview is to the human experience and to human consciousness, and what we lose when it starts to fade. Listen on a good sound system when you have time to devote your full attention.
