Ghost In folklore, a ghost (sometimes known as an apparition, haunt, phantom, poltergeist, shade, specter or spectre, spirit, spook, and wraith) is the soul or spirit of a dead person or animal that can appear to the living. In ghostlore, descriptions of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or...
West African Vodun This article covers West African Vodun. Vodun (meaning spirit; also spelled Vodon, Vodoun, Vodou, Voudou, Voodoo, etc.) is practiced by the Fon people of Benin, and southern and central Togo; as well in Ghana, and Nigeria. It is distinct from the various traditional African religions in the interiors of these countries and is the main source of...
Manitou Manitou, akin to the Iroquois orenda, is the spiritual and fundamental life force among Algonquian groups in Native American theology. It is omnipresent and manifests everywhere: organisms, the environment, events, etc. Aashaa monetoo means “good spirit“, while otshee monetoo means “bad spirit“. When the world was created, the Great Spirit, Aasha Monetoo, gave the land to...
Shaitan Shaitan or Shayṭān (شَيْطٰان), plural: Shayāṭīn (شياطين; devils or demons), are evil spirits in Islamic belief, inciting humans to sin by whispering to the heart (قَلْب, qalb) via waswasaħ (وَسْوَسَة, “whispering”). As such, they always try to lead humans astray. Although demons are usually spoken of in abstract terms, and more often described by their evil influences only, they are...
Tripartite In Theology In Christian theology, the tripartite view (trichotomy) holds that humankind is a composite of three distinct components: body, spirit, and soul. It is in contrast to the bipartite view (dichotomy), where soul and spirit are taken as different terms for the same entity (the spiritual soul). See also:...
Man In The ‘Spiral’ Of Thoughts This article covers Human beings and thought. Man is a being shaped in mind and spirit, and in character, in accordance with the view of things and the world that he has acquired after years of thinking and consideration. Thought, intention and ambition are...
‘Aql (Reason) ‘Aql (Reason) means understanding, perception, sober-mindedness and prudence, as a term, ‘aql is a Divine light with which a person can perceive the things that cannot be comprehended with external senses. There have been some who view ‘aql as a faculty abstract of matter but which acts in collaboration...
Nafs (The Soul) Nafs (The Soul) is a substance that is essentially free of matter but which is in close connection with it in its acts and functions; it is the origin or essence of something or its self. There have been those who have used it in the sense...
The Diseases Of The Carnal Self Is There a prescription for the diseases of the carnal self? This consists of Five Paragraphs which contain prescriptions for truth to which the rebellious, and arrogant carnal self has to yield. First paragraph Since things exist and have been made with skill, then...
The Spirit And What Follows This article covers the Spirit and the Afterlife. Based on al-Milal wa’n-Nihal (“The True and False Ways of Belief and Thought”) by ash-Shahristani,[1]Tahafut al-Falasifa (“The Incoherence of the Philosophers”) by Imam al-Ghazzali,[2] Mawqif al-‘Aql wa’l-‘Ilm wa’l-‘Alam (“The Place of Reason, Science, and the Created World”) by Mustafa Sabri...
Ruh In Islam, especially Sufism, ruh (rūḥ; روح; plural arwah) is a person’s immortal, essential self — pneuma, i.e. the “spirit” or “soul“. The Quran itself does not describe ruh as the immortal self. Nevertheless, in some contexts, it animates inanimate matter. Further, it appears to be a metaphorical being, such as an angel. In one instance, ruh...
What Is Sufi Philosophy? Sufi philosophy includes the schools of thought unique to Sufism, a mystical branch within Islam, also termed as Tasawwuf or Faqr according to its adherents. Sufism and its philosophical traditions may be associated with both Sunni Islam and Shia Islam. It has been suggested that Sufi thought...
Lessons In Gnani Yoga (The Yoga of Wisdom) This book is titled “A Series of Lessons in Gnani Yoga”, written by Yogi Ramacharaka. THIS BOOK GIVES THE HIGHEST YOGI TEACHINGS REGARDING THE ABSOLUTE AND ITS MANIFESTATIONS. INDEX. LESSON PAGE I. The One 1 II. Omnipresent Life 27 III. The Creative...
What Is Spiritualism? Spiritualism accepts the existence of both the body and the spirit, and while attributing all physiological activities to the body, perceives that the functions of the soul are under the control and disposition of the spirit. According to spiritualists, it is the substance which is called the...
Prayers To The Holy Spirit We have collected some of the best Prayers To The Holy Spirit to use in request to God. May these prayers for safety bring you comfort and peace of mind. May these prayers for strength encourage your spirit and strengthen your faith. For the majority...
Lucifer Lucifer (“light-bringer”) was a Latin name for the planet Venus as the morning star in the ancient Roman era, and is often used for mythological and religious figures associated with the planet. Due to the unique movements and discontinuous appearances of Venus in the sky, mythology surrounding these figures often involved a...
Ātman In Hinduism Ātman (आत्मन्) is a Sanskrit word that means inner self, spirit, or soul. In Hindu philosophy, especially in the Vedanta school of Hinduism, Ātman is the first principle, the true self of an individual beyond identification with phenomena, the essence of an individual. In order to attain Moksha (liberation), a human being must acquire self-knowledge (atma jnana), which is, according to...
Ancient Egyptian Concept Of The Soul This article covers the Ancient Egyptian Concept Of The Soul. The ancient Egyptians believed that a soul (ka/ba) was made up of many parts. In addition to these components of the soul, there was the human body. According to ancient Egyptian creation myths, the god Atum created the world...
History Of The Location Of The Soul This article covers the history of the location of the soul. The search for a hypothetical soul and its location have been a subject of much speculation throughout history. In early medicine and anatomy, the location of the soul was hypothesized to be located within...
Ghosts In Tibetan Culture There is a widespread belief in ghosts in Tibetan culture. Ghosts are explicitly recognized in the Tibetan Buddhist religion as they were in Indian Buddhism, occupying a distinct but overlapping world to the human one, and feature in many traditional legends. When a human dies, after...