Pantheists don't necessarily see that such a thing as spirit, soul or even deity exists in the conventional sense - Shaker has a thread here about pantheism from a non-theist point of view - and even a pantheist that does see the universe as deity might not see a 'mind' in that or that individual parts of the whole have a distinct 'personality' or spirit. I'm not sure that I think that there a 'mind' of deity either - 'energy' expresses it much better and it is this that I see manifest in individuals (rocks, stars and creatures as well as people).
A non-theist pantheist, at first glance, seems like a blatant contradiction in terms: it isn't, but only because the term pantheism is a special case or subset of theism - the only one that I can currently call to mind, in fact - and is a curious word and concept not easily slotted into the rather rigid categories that we tend to like to make complex things simple for ourselves.
Nevertheless, it's a fact that for a great many people their personal take on paganism is pantheistic and also non-theistic in the tradition sense of being theistic. Someone of whom I'm very fond and who I follow, both on her website and on YouTube, is Áine Órga, a lovely young Irish lady (currently resident in Edinburgh: Google her if interested, she's easily found) who talks often, knowledgeably and well about following a technically non-theist but pantheist pagan spiritual path, treating the earth specifically and the universe generally as divine - not in any supernatural/paranormal sense, but in the minimal sense of these things being sacred, as in inspiring feelings of awe and worthy of being treated with reverence, which I think comes down to love and care -
this is important;
this means something special above the ordinary run of everyday life and getting and spending;
this has value.
Im not sure that there is anything that exists beyond death - on a good day I believe in the hope of an afterlife and nothing more, and if my immortality is only to become a kind of decomposing ecosystem that boosts other life then that is rather lovely.
Edvard "The Scream" Munch said it for me: "From my rotting body, flowers shall grow and I am in them and that is eternity." OK, given that I intend to be cremated it'll be ashes, but even ash is still the same caboodle of carbon, nitrogen, potassium and all the other goodies that the flowers and the trees need to grow and flourish - especially given my plan to have my ashes interred in a natural burial ground. I find that I'm rather happy about that - each to their own but I'd much rather see a tree than a headstone, and especially lots of trees over lots of headstones.
I wonder too if animism is our default setting in some way.
Sounds like a perfectly plausible hypothesis to me, though I can't currently think of a way in which that hypothesis could be tested. Putting on my scientific hat for a moment, it may well be an outgrowth of what psychologists such as Justin Barrett have called an HADD - a hyperactive agency detection device - which some have said is also responsible for the human belief in gods. We never have access to anything other than the contents of our own consciousness from moment to moment to moment - and yet we extrapolate from ourselves to others and regard others as having consciousness too just like ourselves. We can't
know this, but we assume it - and we call it theory of mind. It's also a theory of agency; we regard ourselves as having agency so we extrapolate from 'I' to 'you' - based upon your behaviour I assume that you have broadly the same inner workings and processes as I do, though I can't actually know this. We seem to have a natural tendency to attribute agency not only to those things which we can be reasonably sure possess it, but also to those things that probably don't - perhaps animism has its roots in this.
A big problem it seems to me is that we have forgotten that we are of the earth and view 'earthiness' with suspicion or as dangerous in some way ...maybe because of the various religions' fear of our desire for pleasures. Maybe we don't like being reminded of the fact that we are animals and like to see ourselves as separate and 'better'.
I can think of at least one member of this forum to whom that applies
perfectly.
Herbert Spencer - rock star philosopher in his nineteenth century day, all but unknown now - once said: "The secret of success in life is to learn how to be a good animal." I'm 100% behind this, and I think we forget this at our peril. Unlike the poster of whom I'm thinking, I'm not embarrassed by earthiness and not ashamed of animality. Being a member of an animal species isn't a source of shame to me. But that's just me, not being arrogant.
A few years ago there was an article (I think on Edge.org, though I may be wrong) which asked leading scientists/philosophers/thinkers generally about which idea or concept they think should be retired - should be consigned to the dustbin of history. Of course, the luminaries gave their various and several answers. Certainly I can think of a small handful of responses to that question which would transform the world for the better, in my opinion. Organised religion, for one. Capitalism, for another. But not the least of these is anthropocentrism, or human exceptionalism, or speciesism - you can logic-chop the fine distinctions and definitions but essentially they all boil down to precisely the same thing: the delusion that the human species stands not only apart from but
above the rest of the animal kingdom; that the world is divided into basically two kinds of living things - (1) humans; (2) everything else, in that particular and specific order. If I could wave my magic wand and rid the world of that, it would be gone. The usual suspects would be butthurt over it, but then they are already and don't they show it: the rest of the animal kingdom would be immeasurably better off.
I fear with that as technology advances we will lose even our ability to relate to each other' let alone relate to our place in the natural world, although I also think that we will be so damaged by it that at some point it will all fall away because reconnection will be essential for our survival. Maybe.
I don't want to think that it will be bad enough to get to that point, but - humans being what they are - I suspect that it will be. That's not faith, even a negative faith, that's simple experience. As Philip Larkin said in his utterly dismal and as far as I can see entirely realistic poem "Going, Going": "... greeds / And garbage are too thick-strewn / To be swept up now, or invent / Excuses that make them all needs." It may not be the case that all humans in all places at all times are necessarily this way, but the ones who hold the reins of power - which means the ones with the money - certainly are. See the news any day for details.
It may be that the ongoing rape and pillage of the planet, the fouling of the nest, will lead to a renewed and universal commitment to nurturing and cherishing our only home. I hope so; I want it to be so. But I don't do faith and I don't see it. Those in power are too selfish, short-sighted, greedy and stupid to allow for this, and so I can't buy into that sort of optimism. Let's hope I'm wrong, and that I'm a cynical anti-humanist pessimist unnecessarily. Let's hope that if the reconnection comes, it won't come too late. Enjoy your hope, because you'll find that it's about the last thing you have to keep you warm when the shit really hits the environmental fan far beyond anything we've ever seen to date.
Time may prove me wrong, but at the moment reality is showing otherwise.
