Collective Consciousness
An Avatar.Global Resource
Collective Consciousness
Collective Consciousness refers to the shared set of Archetypes, ideas, memes, assumptions, norms, values, and symbolic structures that circulate within, and define, the collective mental and emotional space of a group, community, society, or planetary civilization. It is the Cognitive-Emotional Field shaped by a society’s dominant Creative Framework, and reinforced through repeated exposure to Creation Templates and the symbols, narratives, and rituals deployed through them by Ideological Institutions.
Collective Consciousness provides the normative and symbolic container within which individuals develop their identity, values, aspirations, and understanding of the world. It defines what is seen as possible, desirable, dangerous, or sacred, and it regulates the distribution of consciousness across the social field.
Concept Map
Key Terms
Human Development Framework >> Creative Framework >
- Collective Consciousness
- Creation Template
- Subjugated Knowledge
- Hyperstition
- Systemic Indoctrination
- System Agent
Collective Consciousness > Cognitive-Emotional Field
Syncretic Terms
Related LP Terms
Collective Consciousness > Symbol
- Creative Framework
- Creation Template
- Symbol Factory
- Archetype System
- Positioning Statement
- Ideological Institution
- Indoctrination
- Subjugated Knowledge
- Fabric of Consciousness
Non-LP Related Terms
- Mass Mind
- Group Mind
- Cultural Hegemony (Gramsci)
- Social Imaginary (Castoriadis)
- Zeitgeist
Key Characteristics
- Emergent and Distributed – Not reducible to individual cognition, but emerges from the symbolic and emotional convergence of many individuals aligned to the same Creative Framework.
- Shaped by Archetypal Infrastructure – Structured by the Archetype System and Positioning Statements embedded in a society’s Creation Template.
- Reinforced through Repetition – Maintained by media, education, religion, and ritual repetition within Ideological Institutions.
- Dynamically Evolving – Although created in Symbol Factories and stabilized by tradition and power, collective consciousness is plastic and subject to transformation during periods of crisis, awakening, or revolutionary intervention.
LP Context
In the Lightning Path cosmology, Collective Consciousness is understood as a field-like phenomenon—partially analogous to the Fabric of Consciousness—that governs the dominant narrative structures, emotional tones, and symbolic reference points of a society. It is:
- The psychological atmosphere created by the dominant Creative Framework.
- The ideological terrain in which Toxic Socialization or healing takes place.
- A target of intervention by either System Architects (Old Energy) or Agents of Consciousness (New Energy) aiming to shift planetary trajectory.
Quotes
"Society is not a mere sum of individuals. Rather, the system formed by their association represents a specific reality which has its own characteristics... The totality of beliefs and sentiments common to the average members of a society forms a determinate system with a life of its own. It can be termed the collective or common consciousness." — Émile Durkheim, *The Division of Labor in Society* (1893)
"By collective consciousness, I mean the body of knowledge, myths, and symbols that guide a culture and allow its members to experience a common identity." — Carl Jung (paraphrased from *The Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious*, 1959)
"Mass media today do not just reflect public opinion, they actively participate in the creation of a collective consciousness through symbolic repetition and emotional framing." — Stuart Hall, *Encoding/Decoding* model (1973)
"Control of collective consciousness is the primary goal of symbolic elites, who use narrative dominance, image control, and ritual authority to shape perception and action." — Mike Sosteric, *From Zoroaster to Star Wars* (2024)
Notes
It is possible to unpack and examine the collective consciousness of a community, nation, or planet by extracting and examining the archetypes and ideas contained in the consciousness of the members of a specific community.
Collective Consciousness may be distinguished from Monadic Consciousness.
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