Animism is a form of religious belief and is found in cultures as diverse as those of Native Americans and the Chinese; the gods and goddesses of Western religions before the advent of Christianity probably had their origins as animas similar to those Jaime encounters. An anima is a free-floating spirit. Usually, in an animistic religion, the universe is thought to be inhabited by a multitude of animas, most of which have little or no interest in human beings. In general, human beings are but an insignificant part of a vast spiritual world. Animas are often believed to inhabit animals of all kinds—hence the practice in animistic religions of apologizing to the spirits of animals that have been killed for food. Some animistic beliefs go so far as to say that everything has a spirit, including inanimate objects such as stones or...