The psychology of collective consciousness

Abstract

Collective consciousness is “baked into” the architecture of the human mind—it is at the foundation of a uniquely human psychology, wherein homo sapiens have the intent and the capacity to cooperate with beings that are living and dead, human and otherwise. I discuss the psychological contours of collective consciousness and its effects on human cognition, affect, motivation, and behavior. Integrating across three major theoretical papers and dozens of empirical papers, I argue that the psychological structure and function of collective consciousness are intertwined; the former giving rise to the latter. I also discuss two varieties of collective consciousness—collective reality and collective psychology—that enable individual and group success in human society. I will end by describing how the psychology of collective consciousness can enhance our understanding of mutual trust and cooperation.