Witch Hunts in the 17th Century New England in the Perspective of the Concept of Collective Effervescence by Émile Durkheim

Abstract

The goal of the article is to show how the concept of collective effervescence by Émile Durkheim facilitates the shift in Cognitive Science of Religion (as postulated by Sebastian Schüler) by emphasizing the interrelationships between the human mind, body and social life. The concept is applied in the analysis of the witch trials of 17th century Salem, Massachusetts. Particular emphasis is placed on the bodily dimension of human gatherings – an aspect that interests contemporary scholars of Cognitive Science of Religion who refer to the works of Durkheim and his students. Collective effervescence and its components – i.e. the formation of assemblies, creation of spontaneous rituals, and collective representations – are used to analyse the phenomenon and to answer the question about possible causes of the events that took place in Salem.