The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 7 letter word ANIMISM
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More clues leading to the result ANIMISM
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The cryptic/wordplay part
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What does ANIMISM mean?
ANIMISM noun- A belief that spirits inhabit some or all classes of natural objects or phenomena.
- A belief that an immaterial force animates the universe.
- A doctrine that animal life is produced by an immaterial spirit.