The power of animism: John Reid at TEDxQueenstown

In this TEDx talk at TEDx Queenstown - Sense of Place 2014 John Reid, a senior research fellow at the University of Canterbury's Ngai Tahu Research Centre, takes us into the world of animism and explains it's not about belief but experience. John explores the way in which indigenous and western cultures shape their identity and the identity of the world around them.

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)

[Sketcher]

Animism concept states that there is no difference between the physical and the spiritual world..souls and the human body are more or less the same.. this is true in case of birds, animals, humans, mountains, tress, etc.. any living and non living thing including the human beings comes under the category of this concept in Animism.There is a natural force that controls all these forms of life and as a result this must be respected and admired

[NikkiShivaTheGrimReaper]

I have been trying since I was very little to get people to understand why I honor the spirit or as some say "life" in everything around me and everyone who knows me has heard my explanation of why. Finding this video and hearing that this is an ancient way of being made me soo happy and grateful to have had such a strong conviction even when I felt like an "odd ball". It is wonderful to see that the human conscious is expanding to truly honor everything again. . :D

[clairenicoll]

we are not just in this world we are OF this world.

[lorenzomondragon]

This belief system is the last time humans were united. It’s the way back and forward.

[billybillyc.]

My girlfriend is an animist and I never quite understood what it really was until now, thank you

[whatabouttheearth]

"The law of conservation of energy, also known as the first law of thermodynamics, states that the energy of a closed system must remain constant—it can neither increase nor decrease without interference from outside. The universe itself is a closed system, so the total amount of energy in existence has always been the same. The forms that energy takes, however, are constantly changing."

I think there will be a merger one day of animism and science

[mythosandlogos]

I just finished a video on Iroquois Mythology, and this was a great help in truly understanding Animist traditions. Thank you!

[wyattearp]

This is the underlying belief of a great percentage of the world but they don't tell you!
It is what the hearts of living things have.

[khipp]

I liked the first half, but the second half felt like a marketing presentation for a fancy perfume.

[ethereal]

I am he as you are he as you are me
and we are all together.

[arrandavid]

Or...the rivers are my relatives because i am mostly water and the earth and the mountains are my relatives because they contain minerals just like me...mind blown lol

[louragreenlee]

Wow! I have felt this way from a child's way of thinking

[DogofLilith]

When you think about it. Mountains are ancestors because we all came from rock. Back before there was life there were only rocks and mountains. Then, the primordial soup which came from minerals and water and such grew life

[ginoyaaj]

this is what my religion is all about. everything has relation to our peoples belief

[ThatGuiKyle]

I love the idea from Norse perspective about animism, that the human body has many parts of the soul, and everything has a soul but in different parts. For example, we have 4 parts of the soul, the hugr, hamr, hamingja, and fylgja. Whereas a tree may only have 2 parts, and a rock maybe only 1 part. But nevertheless, everything has a soul.

[waxanlohit]

Animism is also there in Arunachal Pradesh India in the Sherdukpen People...
Movie suggested: Crossing bridges...
The first feature in Shertukpen dialect which won National Award.

[tiymsvarin]

Thank you, you just gave me the connections I needed to recognize myself.

[HebertsWorld]

Yes, we are all "related." but what are the odds that life popped up in one place and we all followed? Seems likely that life would've formed in several places around the same time, based on conditions. Then we all followed from those, not that one. Love it!

[bigpump]

He had me all spiritualized only to try to sell me a moana necklace....

[marielaveau]

Before organized western and middle eastern religion arrived, most African nations practiced animism. Many still believe in it, like people in the Bozo village in Mali, but sadly most have forgotten or just abandoned what their ancestors taught them and have embraced Christianity and Islam.