ABSTRACT
First and foremost a philosopher, it must have seemed natural to Levy-Bruhl to adopt the philosophical concept of participation to try to make sense of mystical mentality. The concept works well to describe the associative experience that sums up a magical attitude of mind. Participation forms its own holistic language of connections that are both social and individual. A form of mental processing that happens through a shift in consciousness, this change in awareness makes associations and connections between things, situations and feelings. The experience of participation, as a feeling of connection, is probably similar in essence for most people, but it is explained in different ways in different contexts. In one culture, it might be mystical, and in another, magical or religious; but the underlying experience is likely to be comparable. The saint is believed to have a special power, an instrumental magic——he can help with ailments, inspiration and business.
