group mind
a hypothetical explanation for the apparent uniformity of individuals’ emotional, cognitive, and behavioral reactions when in large crowds and collectives; it supposes that a crowd of people can, in certain instances, become a unified entity that acts as if guided by a single consciousness created by the fusion of the individual minds in a collective. This controversial idea, often seen as a prime example of the group fallacy, assumes that the group mind is greater than the sum of the psychological experiences of the individuals and that it can become so powerful that it can overwhelm the will of the individual. Also called collective consciousness; collective mind; group consciousness. See also folk soul.