神霊(しんれい)

Refers to the spirit of a god or sacred being in Japanese religious tradition (both Shinto and Buddhism). Distinguished from ghosts of the dead — this specifically denotes a spirit of divine or holy nature. Commonly encountered in texts about shrines, temples, and Japanese spirituality.

Common collocations

• 神霊(しんれい)を祀(まつ)る: to enshrine a divine spirit
• 神霊(しんれい)が宿(やど)る: a divine spirit dwells (in a place)
• 神霊(しんれい)崇拝(すうはい): worship of divine spirits

Similar words

• 心霊(しんれい): psychic/supernatural — same pronunciation but refers to ghosts and paranormal phenomena rather than divine beings
• 御霊(みたま): spirit of the deceased — honorific term for the soul of a dead person, often used at shrines
• 精霊(せいれい): spirit/fairy — nature spirits or spirits of the dead (in Buddhist context, the Obon spirits)
• 神(かみ): god/deity — the deity itself rather than its spiritual essence