Topic: Spirit Offering

The Lenape and other Indigenous American tribes maintain traditions regarding the "recruitment" of humans by the earth and the personhood of trees. A historical account involving Chief Plenty Coup describes a war party encountering an invisible, "greasy-feathered" entity while crossing the Mississippi River. The story emphasizes the importance of leaving wild spirits undisturbed rather than attempting to capture or analyze them.

Thai culture views spirits as mischievous, fickle, and easily bribed, leading to the widespread use of spirit houses at every home and building. These shrines are used to placate land spirits and ask for favors such as protection or good luck. Janks shares an anecdote about the dangers of photographing spirit houses without permission, noting that locals believe offended spirits can cause physical harm.

The 2018 rescue of the Thai youth soccer team from a flooded cave is discussed as an example of spirit interaction, where the death of a diver was viewed by locals as an exchange with the cave spirit. Janks describes caves as powerful sites for prolonged meditation, often guarded by Buddhist shrines or dragon statues to control the resident spirits. He notes that Thai people generally avoid going underground unless for specific spiritual purposes.