What term describes a spiritual being that showcases human-like emotions and thoughts?

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Enhance Your Knowledge for UCF's ANT2410 Exam. Prepare with quiz questions on cultural anthropology, explore humanity's rich tapestry, and increase your chances of excelling at the University of Central Florida.

The term that describes a spiritual being exhibiting human-like emotions and thoughts is anthropomorphic. This concept involves attributing human characteristics, emotions, and qualities to non-human entities, such as animals, deities, or inanimate objects. By understanding this term, one recognizes that anthropomorphism plays a significant role in various cultural narratives and religious contexts, where gods or spirits may embody human traits to facilitate connection or understanding with human followers.

Anthropopsychic, while it may seem relevant, typically refers to the attribution of human mental processes or psychology rather than a more general anthropomorphism that includes both emotions and physical characteristics. Naturalistic suggests a focus on the natural world and entities within it, which does not specifically refer to spiritual beings demonstrating human-like traits. Zoomorphic refers specifically to the representation or attribution of animal characteristics to gods or beings, which contrasts with the human-centric perspective implied by anthropomorphic.