tranquilityWould you ever think of worshiping, for example, an oak tree, a hen, or the wind? That is exactly what followers of natural religions do. Recently, more and more people have been turning to them. The reason is simple. In most cases, they don’t require us to visit a shrine, pray, or make sacrifices. Moreover, they stem from an expression of respect for nature, which was here long before us and deserves our admiration.
Tattooed Cannibals
The best-known nature religion and, at the same time, the oldest religion of all is so-called ANIMISM. Its adherents believe that everything has its own “anima,” or “soul,” even after death. A significant percentage of them make no secret of their inclinations toward cannibalism. For this reason, you may encounter them under the label “skull hunters.” Among the controversial adherents are the Konyak and Apatani tribes, whose spirituality, shrouded in mystery, we have not yet fully penetrated. You can recognize their members at first glance by the presence of numerous colorful tattoos and piercings in unusual places.
Healers in a Trance
SHAMANISM is primarily associated with an altered state of consciousness, most often induced by natural substances such as ayahuasca, cannabis, nicotine, cactus, or magic mushrooms. A shaman, that is, a practitioner of shamanism, is then supposedly capable, among other things, of healing, communicating with spirits, predicting the future, or transforming into animals. In modern society, the number of fake shamans is growing rapidly; they demand large sums of money for their “healing” abilities from people who turn to alternative treatments as a last hope for recovery.
Feared Prophets
The Mayans were among the most advanced civilizations of all time. They enriched humanity through their contributions to astronomy, mathematics, architecture, literature, and mythology, among other fields. This is likely why their prophecy of the end of the world in 2012 left no one untouched. Like other nature-based religions, the Maya believed in the power of plants and animals. According to them, simply plucking a leaf could trigger irreversible changes in the world. To resemble animals as closely as possible, they wore all sorts of objects shaped like animals and were reportedly able to transform into them.
Whether we consider nature-based religions to be outside the bounds of normality or not, they are certainly of great benefit to humanity, not only from a mythological and healing perspective.
