The preferred terminology refers to the topic as Indian spiritual life and spiritual beliefs. This representation may bring clarity to many, but for others it can bring alienation. A person may not be able grasp a concept of the whole. Some of the subdivisions go beyond people's personal experiences and may not mean anything to them. Many individuals get locked into seeing the world only from the perspective of one or two of the subdivisions.
Indian peoples describe their societies as a circle or an integrated whole.
Everything has a place. When new things come into the circle, it expands. This idea is represented by the Medicine Wheel. The Medicine Wheel best illustrates the Indian spiritual philosophy. In Western society things are more compartmentalized, making integration more difficult.