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Presence as Performance: the mystique of digital participation

Introduction: The Idea and the Method Elsewhere, we have discussed perceptually-seductive technology interactive media designed to engage relatively direct perception rather than thoughtful reflection (Waterworth, 2001). Our Focus, Locus and Sensus (FLS) model of experience suggests that digital media that have this effect also generate a strong sense of presence (Waterworth and Waterworth, 2001). At Presence 2001 we described experimental results providing some confirmation of this idea, based on an interactive production called The Illusion of Being (Waterworth et al., 2001). In the present paper, we describe the use of interactive technology to seduce people to become performers – not mere “audience participation” but more “participation mystique” (Levy-Bruhl, 1926). Our suggestion is that we can understand and maximise social presence in virtual environments in this way. Further, we suggest that viewing presence as the result of participation removes the distinction between social and individual presence.