Collective mental state
Encyclopedia
Mental state is generally a literary or legal term, and is only used in psychiatry
or psychology
as the mental state examination, where it refers to the condition of someone's mind. Here there is an assessment of thought processes, memory, mood, cognitive state, and energy level. Where a mental state is shared by a large proportion of the members of a group or society, it can be called a collective mental state. Le Bon
proposed that mental states are passed by contagion
, while Freud wrote of war fever
, a perfect example of the collective mental state. Borkenau
wrote of collective madness, while many writers have discussed collective depression. Psychosis
can be passed from one individual to another as induced psychosis or folie a deux, but rarely involves more than two people. Where the mental state involves a large population, it is appropriate to use plain English rather than psychiatric or psychological terminology.
Psychiatry
Psychiatry is the medical specialty devoted to the study and treatment of mental disorders. These mental disorders include various affective, behavioural, cognitive and perceptual abnormalities...
or psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
as the mental state examination, where it refers to the condition of someone's mind. Here there is an assessment of thought processes, memory, mood, cognitive state, and energy level. Where a mental state is shared by a large proportion of the members of a group or society, it can be called a collective mental state. Le Bon
Le Bon
Le Bon may refer to:* Cate Le Bon, Welsh singer* Fulk II of Anjou * Gustave Le Bon, French social psychologist, sociologist, and amateur physicist* John II of France...
proposed that mental states are passed by contagion
Contagion
Contagion may refer to:In medicine:* Infectious disease, also known as contagious disease, with infection, or the infectious agent, also known as contagionIn media* Batman: Contagion, a story arc in the Batman comic book series...
, while Freud wrote of war fever
War Fever
War Fever is a collection of short stories by J. G. Ballard, first published in 1990 by Collins. It includes:* "War Fever"* "The Secret History of World War 3"* "Dream Cargoes"* "The Object of the Attack"* "Love in a Colder Climate"...
, a perfect example of the collective mental state. Borkenau
Borkenau
Borkenau:* Hermann Pollack ∞ Rosalia Preisach** Moritz Borkenau, né Pollack , a Jewish Austrian industrialist, banker*** ?**** Franz Borkenau , a Jewish Austrian writer...
wrote of collective madness, while many writers have discussed collective depression. Psychosis
Psychosis
Psychosis means abnormal condition of the mind, and is a generic psychiatric term for a mental state often described as involving a "loss of contact with reality"...
can be passed from one individual to another as induced psychosis or folie a deux, but rarely involves more than two people. Where the mental state involves a large population, it is appropriate to use plain English rather than psychiatric or psychological terminology.