Collective Conciousness,does it exsist??

Question

It's a term that get's bandied about,crops up here and there as some sort of explanation for more esoteric experiences;phrophecies,spiritual experiences,the ouija board even - does anyone believe it's a real phenomenon,what's and how does it function,is it accessible by will,are we all connected to it and therefore each other??

Also the 3rd level of conciousness - the super concious,what it's purpose and how does it effect our daily experiences

Answer 1

I believe in a collective consciousness but not in the supernatural way most people do. I believe in a collective consciousness as dictated by society. There are two types of consciousness identified by Durkheim. One is the type of consciousness relevant only to the individual personality. The other type of consciousness is the collective, representing society as a whole.Customs and beliefs common to a society form a distinctive reality which does not change with every generation but is passed on and forms the basis of a collective consciousness and links generations together.

These customs and beliefs of a society underline that society's system of laws and punishment. This is because one of the best ways to create the cohesion in society necessary for a collective consciousness is to use the definition of 'crime' as a moral tool which is validated by punishment of these crimes. Therefore, a criminal act is not dependent on the act itself but on whether that act is in opposition with the collective consciousness.

Religion is another example of how a collective consciousness is manifested because religion is formed on collective representations of society due to co-operation where people unite their ideas which is then passed down the generations. Religion is a system of belief where conceptions and ritual attitudes have objective significance and fulfill the same functions between individuals in spite of their diversity. Thus, religions reinforces group identity and morality which represents a strong collective consciousness.

In this way I believe we have no control over being connected to it i.e. it is not accessible by will but it's function is clear, it keeps the majority of people together. Those who go against the conscious collective are usually branded 'criminals' or delinquents. For example, when religion was much more respected in western society, s*x before marriage was 'promiscuous' and sinful.

When the collective consciousness determines an individual's behaviour, collective ends are being followed.

However, one of Durkheim's most famous examples of when people are not so closely linked to the collective consciousness is his study on suicide. He maintains that a person commits suicide when they are not as strongly linked to the society they belong to via a collective consciousness. For the most part, people commit suicide for individualistic reasons. A society with a less strong collective consciousness allows this to happen more often. Individuals have the capacity for unattainable desires and so these desires need to be limited externally by an authority they respect in the form of morals and justice: maintaining social solidarity. When an individual respects the regulations set by society and is passively compliant to a collective authority, the collective consciousness is more effective, reducing suicide rates.

In light of this, a collective consciousness has a much more serious and dark side to it. Without it, as social beings, we are alone and therefore unable to strive.

We are all connected to it and therefore to each other but it should not be used as explanation for paranormal events.

Durkheim states that "the totality of beliefs and sentiments common to the average members of society forms a determinate system with a life of its own. It can be termed the collective or common consciousness."

Answer 2

There is no collective conciousness. Theres just collective wishful thinking. Coupled with our pathetic desire to 'belong', to 'understand'.

Answer 3

There was an experiment carried out using the New York Times's cross-word which seemed to indicate that there is indeed some kind of collective consciousness.

A group of 100 people were asked to try and do the puzzle the morning before it was published, then a different group (who had not read the NYT) did the same puzzle the day after it was published. The second group were significantly more successful than the first group, presumably because they were able to tap into the collective consciousness of several million people who had done the puzzle before them.