III. Slash and Burn Farming Slash and Burn farming is a widely used method of growing crops in usually temperate or tropical regions. It is the process in which forested land is clear-cut and all remaining vegetation is burned. The ash remains contain nutrient-rich top soil that helps fertilize crops. After years of cultivation, soil fertility decreases and weeds increase, forcing farmers to move to a new plot. Traditionally the old plot was left fallow, turning into a secondary bush forest and within a decade could be reused. At the beginning of the 21st century the plot is usually kept in a permanent state of deforestation, forcing farmers to move to new plots and contributing to the destruction of the Earth's resources. Animism is used in the anthropology of religion, which involves the study of religious institutions in relation to other institutions. While each culture each has its own unique mythology or belief, animism is said to describe the underlying thread of "spiritual" or "supernatural" perspectives. Animism can be seen as a religion in itself or refers to a broad religious belief. In animism the fundamental belief is that souls exist in all animate and inanimate things and there is no separation between spiritual and material. It can be seen in multiple religions such as Catholic, Shamanism, Judaism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Taoism and Buddhism. name a few. As you can see, animism has helped shape multiple religions and ideologies, providing a sense of comfort in explaining the inexplicable. Animism, like other religions, helps bring a community together; provide a sense of comfort and uniformity, as well as providing a basis for other religions. Although belief in souls is still a common concept today, it paved the way for great philosophers such as Plato, Socrates, Aristotle, Thomas Aquinas, and James Hillman. Without animism, soul theory and the basis of early religions likely would not have emerged until later in history, paving the way for other forms of belief such as polytheism and polytheism.