Mentalistic

Mentalistic is an adjective related to mentalism or to mental states and processes. In general use, it can describe things pertaining to the mind, or explanations and attributions that emphasize beliefs, desires, intentions, and other mental states rather than purely physical or observable factors.

In the performing arts, mentalistic evidence refers to the style and practice of mentalism, a form of stage magic wherein performers simulate extraordinary mental abilities such as mind reading or clairvoyance. Mentalists typically rely on psychology, suggestion, observation, misdirection, and clever technique to evoke the impression of accessing hidden thoughts. The field is presented as entertainment, and practitioners often distinguish their feats from genuine psychic power.

In psychology, philosophy, and related disciplines, mentalistic explanations attribute behavior to mental states or representations. This approach contrasts with mechanistic explanations that emphasize physical processes and environmental stimuli. Mentalistic reasoning is central to theories of mind and theory of mind, which study how people infer others’ beliefs, desires, and intentions to predict behavior. The term can also appear in linguistics and cognitive science to describe analyses that focus on mental states or inner experiences as opposed to observable data alone.

Overall, mentalistic is a broad, neutral descriptor used across disciplines to denote things connected to the mind, mental states, or the attribution of such states in explaining or presenting phenomena.