Indigenous religions, full of vibrancy and color, are often misunderstood or dismissed as primitive. Examples include: Animism, a belief system that dates back to early humans and is still in practice today. It is believed to be a dangerous shamanistic religious practice, viewed negatively. Buddhism, a religion that people believe is practiced only by the environmentalists and “hippies” of the world. The reality is that it is practiced by most of East Asia. It has a powerful spiritual leader who has done much to raise awareness of the suffering in his country. And Vodou, which is misinterpreted as a dangerous and violent religion in which people participate in sacrificial rituals and wild sexual orgies. It is actually a religion that helps the people of Haiti survive and thrive. The world's indigenous religions are extremely important to the people who participate in them and must be understood and respected. Animism is the root of most religions. The concept or idea that all things have a soul is inherent in most religions. This fundamental belief combined with the practice of shamanism has been misunderstood. The belief that all things have a soul is linked to occultism and magic. Shamanism is mistakenly considered dangerous and ritual violence. Ignorance of how these indigenous beliefs and rituals are practiced in animism has led to fear and rejection of animism as a cultural belief system. Animism has a lot to do with death and the afterlife. It shares with many religions the belief that spirits move from the physical body to some other location at death. If you were a good person and were buried in your village or city, you would go to a place where all crops are always fertile and be reunited with your… middle of paper… Wisdom. " My Web Space File. January 12, 2009. Bunson, Matthew. Wisdom Teachings of the Dalai Lama. New York: Penguin Group (USA) Incorporated, 1998. Burtt, Edwin Arthur. Teachings of the Compassionate Buddha: The First Discourses, the Dhammapada and Later Basic Writing. New York: NAL Trade, 2000. Koller, John M. Oriental Philosophies New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1970. “The China-Tibet Conflict: The Need for Historical Decisions – www.phayul.com.” .com - Tibet News and Views. January 12, 2009. "The Eightfold Path" Boloji.com - A Study in Diversity - News, Views, Analysis, Literature, Poetry, Features - Express Yourself. 2009 .