Written by Oshri

Hello everyone, internet strangers who came across this post out of curiosity. I introduce myself: yet another internet stranger.

You're probably wondering: what do you mean by “having a superpower”? Before you imagine something amazing like flying or moving things with your mind, let me explain. I don't know if it's really a “superpower”, but it's something that has happened to me throughout my life, and I honestly don't have a logical explanation for it.

I am a person between 20 and 25 years old and I have noticed something peculiar in my life: I dream about the future. I don't mean imagining what the world will be like in 50 years (flying cars, robots, etc.), but dreaming about specific scenarios that end up happening exactly as I dreamed them.

It's not about “predicting the future” in the classic sense. It's more like living little snippets of my future life in my sleep.

For example, I have dreamed of streets I have never visited or seen, and some time later, as I walk through them for the first time, I recognize every detail. I have also dreamed of completely unknown people, and months or years later, I meet them in a context that unfolds just as I dreamed it. Everything: the place, the clothes, the words they say to each other?

There is something that always happens after I live a scenario I dreamed: that same night or the next, I have another similar dream with a new scene from the future. The funny thing is that this seems to be increasing lately. It used to happen to me once or twice a year, but in the last year, I've had five of these dreams.

To give you a better understanding, here's what happened to me just today, which motivated me to write this post:

I work in a store, and today I attended to a customer from the United States. We started talking while I was charging him, and he told me that he was passing by to pick up supplies before continuing his trip to a city 500 km away from here. The funny thing is that I had never seen him before, nor do I think I will ever see him again, but everything at that moment seemed familiar to me and that's when I get the slip of the tongue and remember everything as if it were an old memory.

Why? Because I had already dreamt it, his face, his clothes, even the change he gave me to pay, everything was exactly as I had seen it in my dream. It's not like deja vu, it's something else, but much more vivid, because I knew that I had already experienced this... in a dream.

Is this normal, does it happen to anyone else?

I know this sounds unbelievable, like something out of a movie or just made up. I don't blame you if you think I'm looking for attention or writing a yellowish post. But I'm not. I was encouraged to share it because it intrigues me and because I want to know if there is anyone else out there with similar experiences.

For now, I'm kind of at a crossroads. On the one hand, I'm curious to know what other scenario will come in my dreams. On the other, it's kind of scary, because I don't know if what I'll dream will be something good... or not.

If you've experienced something similar or have any advice, I'd appreciate it if you'd share it. I'm open to questions or comments, and I promise to answer as much as I can.

Has anyone successfully found or created a community of fellow animists in their area? While I find community within the nature around me, and that gives me solace, I sometimes get a bit lonely. I joined a coven for a time, but honestly today's witchcraft smacks of capitalism and its modern practice is exploitative of the Earth. For example, the use crystals without the acknowledgement that the stones were ripped from the Earth so people could have pretty things. I could digress on this topic so I won't. How do you find fellow animists in your area?

Is there a boundry? Does the stone remember it's birth in the boiling earth and cool high mountains wearing down to this moment of wonder in a child's hand? Was I then that memory? Am I now?

I’ve gone back and forth on animism before, unsure if it really personally rings true for me, without really considering myself to be an animist. I wouldn’t say that I exactly believe in like a spirit that lives inside the body. Y’know, the floaty kind?

But I think of the body/spirit as two different names for the same thing. Like a tree wouldn’t have a spirit, but is spirit and spirit is tree. I consider all nature sacred and ‘spiritual’ to me in that sense.

Would that count as animism?

So for years now I've been exploring different spiritual paths and haven't really connected to any specific traditions, however I do feel very inspired by the various diffrent Animiatic views I've found in each tradition. So to be blunt, is this common? Do people typically adopt animism and just practice ritual freely? Or do you need a specific practice like "Voodoo" or "Druidry" in order to explore an animist worldview? "Edit" thank you all for the help!. Sorry Its taken a couple days for me to check on this post but you're all a huge help

Red ochre, a natural clay pigment, has been used throughout human prehistory/history across cultures of an almost incomprehensibly long time, from our earliest modern ancestors in Africa to various Indigenous American and Australian cultures to even the Yamnaya/Proto-Indo-Europeans.

What are your thoughts on using it as a sort of "pan-human" symbol for "new" animism? Does anyone integrate red ochre into any of their ritualistic practices? Or has anyone else thought about using it for ritualistic purposes?

I'm currently reading "A Path Through the Forest: Collected Essays on Druidry" by Luke Eastwood. I find that sometimes it's nice to read something not heavily narrative driven. If anyone has any recommendations regarding anything associated with animism, paganism, or Druidry that's in some kind of essay or short story format it would be much appreciated. Poetry is welcome as well. Thanks!

I've been adopting an increasingly distinct animistic view of the world, very much found in the "we are the universe observing itself" concept. I believe strongly that being kind to nature and offering compassion to every living thing is one of the reasons I exist on this earth. The natural universe gave me a gift of empathy and intelligence and the ability to use it to offer safety and longevity to my fellow living beings.

This is where I'm coming into a bit of an issue, however. For a long time I've kept pets that require living food sources, specifically crickets and wax moths, which I purchase and feed to them. I feel like since I have these pets, it's my moral obligation to continue to keep them well fed and happy. However, I've also begun to recognize that I am actively killing other living things in order to upkeep this obligation.

On one hand, I feel like it's good for me to see this side of life. Rather than treating it like we treat the meat industry and just blindly receiving barely recognizable dead food without consideration for where it came from, I am choosing to take these lives myself in an effort to keep my companions healthy.

On the other hand, I also feel like it's not my place to choose what lives and does not. I come from a place of comfort; this is true, but while that comfort is born of a societal atrocity, I choose to use it for the betterment of the creatures and ecosystems I can impact when given the chance. I do believe that the crickets and wax moths I'm killing are, in their own way, individuals.

It makes me feel hypocritical that I would adopt this mindset when moving a moth off the sidewalk to keep it from getting crushed or bring spiders outside so other humans won't have the chance to hurt them, but at the same time, when it comes to the creatures I call my own and take full responsibility for, I will end those same lives for their sakes. My question is, how do you guys deal with something like this? Is it wrong? Is it a moral gray area? Is it justified?

Hey everyone

I am very new to Animism, and while I have a very good grasp on the core beliefs, I have had less luck when it comes to it's practices. I have read that some spirits can be harmful or dangerous to those who practice, so I was curious if there are certain types of spirits that are known to be helpful/harmful, and how to know the difference?

I would also LOVE to hear any advice you have, your favorite Animism practices, as well as things you wished you knew earlier on in your practice.

Thank you for reading my post and I look forward to hearing your answers!

When holograms are common, what will become of ghosts?

If smart a.i. gains agency to control its finances and hires artists to create smart art to learn from will artists resistance lessen? If a.i. develops low energy manifestation for its existance will environmental resistance lessen?

I'm realizing that because I was trained in animistic practices through the Web of Life Animist Church by Quynn Red Mountain my perceptions of animism are interwoven with my leasons in journeying to rhythm. Quynn specifically uses their drumming and other soundscapes to help us enter other realms to commune with Spirits.

I'm wondering if you personally utilize journeying to rhythm in your type of animism? If yes or no, are there other ways you connect with Spirits? Maybe you don't think of animism as connecting with other beings at all? I'm curious.

I live in the Great Plains, USA. Most land in this world has been subject to misuse. But the land where I live is under merciless overuse for mono cropping. Anyone else in this region? How do you help the land

I am interested in learning more about the landscape of teachers and teachings available on this topic. I'm training to be an Animist Minister from one church and I'd like to know where else I can learn from. My teacher is excellent but everyone has their own personal style and perspective.

The ethereal beings in nature or the memories of your ancestors, how do you honor or worship them?

Hey im pretty new to animism and wanted to know how you guys (those with a harder or "less philosophical" approach to animism) get specific info (names, preferred offerings/rituals, etc) about the spirits you worship. Thanks in advance :)

Thinking of doing it this nov but the price tag is a big consideration - wondering if anyone who has done it and has any feedback?

When it comes to walking a spiritual path, be it shamanism or any other authentic paths or callings, many of us tend jump straight to finding the right teacher. But let's slow down a little – being a true student is about so much more than just aligning with a mentor or mastering a set of practices. And it’s about more than just rituals and techniques. The real work is internal, and it’s far from easy.

Frances Ulman (a friend of mine who, is initiated and works specifically in Mongolian shamanism) dives deep into this topic.

She explains that the real training is about cultivating a strong heart and a disciplined mind – being able to sit with suffering without letting it consume you or pass it on to others. This, as ny friend beautifully points out, is the core of what it means to be a true student on this path, be it in shamanism or in any other authentic spiritual path.

While many people are out there searching for a teacher, abd some complain thst there are too few teacher, the reality on this issue isn’t a lack of teachers, but a lack of true genuine students.

This isn’t a critique but a vital observation: many are so focused on seeking external guidance that they miss the lessons life itself offers.

In Frances view (which I also agree), many people are so focused on finding a teacher that they forget how to truly learn from life itself. The universe is constantly teaching us, offering lessons in every moment – if we are willing to listen.

Her perspective resonates deeply with me, because it emphasizes that the journey isn’t just about finding a teacher. It’s about approaching life with a student’s mindset – embracing every experience, no matter how painful or unexpected, as a lesson.

As Frances says, “The universe is your perfect teacher.” It’s about learning how to be a student of your own heart and mind, preparing yourself for the challenges and responsibilities that come with such paths and it is and understanding that the most profound lessons often come from the least expected places. It’s not about finding someone to teach you but about cultivating the openness, service and humility to learn from everything around you.

Frances also touches on something deeply important: self-worth.

Too many people rush toward becoming sacred healers, spiritual gurus, coaches, etx without first healing and sorting out themselves, snd there's a real danger and risk in doing so..

If you don’t love yourself, you can’t truly serve others. This is a lesson that can’t be skipped, and it’s something I’ve seen time and again in my own journey.

This resonates with me deeply – too many people are eager to lead without first walking the path themselves. It's often a reflection of the pervading sickness of our modern cultures and from ancestors who were out of balance.

Frances also stresses that a true student doesn’t just learn from a mentor.. they learn from every aspect of life.

They listen, observe, and reflect, knowing that wisdom and medicine comes from both within and without. This is the foundation of spiritual maturity – a willingness to embrace all experiences, whether comfortable or not, as opportunities for growth.

If you’re serious about walking a spiritual path, I highly recommend you guys to read and/or listen Frances Ulman’s full essay/audio here.

I think that her insights are not just valuable — they’re essential and deeply fundamental for anyone wanting to understand what it truly means to be a student on this journey for themselves abd for others.

The world doesn’t just need more teachers; it needs more genuine students. Keep your heart open, your mind clear, and stay humble in your learning. That’s how you walk this path with integrity.

Hey I'm new to animism and I wanna learn more about the different kinds of spirits out there. Right now I know Peg Leg Joe as a kind of freedom fighter spirit but could I get a list of or reading recommendations for other spirits of liberation out there? Especially if there from an African diaspora please 🙏 and thank you

I will also take fairies, cryptids, etc that encourage or personified liberation.