its proximity to heaven may carry implications that are chiefly religious (pagoda, temple mount, minaret, church) or secular (obelisk, lighthouse, rocket, skyscraper). the image appears in religious and secular contexts. the "axis mundi" symbol may be found in cultures utilizing shamanic practices or animist belief systems, in major world religions, and in technologically advanced "urban centers". in mircea eliade's opinion, "every microcosm, every inhabited region, has a centre; that is to say, a place that is sacred above all." the axis mundi is often associated with mandalas.