Cultural patterns also tell people how to locate themselves in relation to the spiritual world, nature, and other living things. A world orientation provides answers to questions such as the following:
- Are human beings intrinsically good or evil?
- Are humans different from other animals and plants?
- Are people in control of, subjugated by, or living in harmony with the forces of nature?
- Do spirits of the dead inhabit and affect the human world? (p. 93).