animism is a belief common in many different religions and philosophies. an animist is a person who believes or practices animism. animism is the belief that there is more in nature than the physical things that can be seen and touched. the part that is not physical can be called a soul, life force, or spirit. physical things come in two types: things that are alive and things that are not alive. animals and plants are alive. most animists believe animals and plants have a spirit. some animists also believe some non-living parts of nature have spirits. these non-living parts of nature include the wind, the rain, and geographic features like mountains and rivers.