Egregors are also mentioned in psychology, but they have different names. Although it should be the most important topic in psychology, it is unfortunately only a marginal topic for psychologists. For most psychologists, it is practically a completely unknown topic.
Egregor
The term egregore (from the Greek egrḗgoros – vigilant, guardian) represents in esotericism and occult philosophy a collective thought form that has acquired a certain degree of autonomy.
An egregore is essentially a “super-elemental” created by a large group of people. It is a psychic entity that arises when a group of people unite in the same belief, emotion, or goal.
How does an egregore arise and function?
The relationship between people and the egregore is symbiotic (often even parasitic). It works in a closed cycle:
- Creation: A group of people (religious sect, political party, sports club fans) shares the same ideas and emotions.
- Condensation: This mental energy accumulates in the astral space and creates an “energy formation” – an egregore.
- Autonomy: When an egregore reaches a critical size, it begins to live its own life. It is no longer just the result of thoughts, but begins to retroactively influence its members.
- Power supply: For its survival, an egregore needs a constant supply of attention and emotions. If people stop believing in a given idea, the egregore “starves” and gradually disappears.
Examples of egregors in everyday life
Esotericists claim that almost every larger organization is an egregore. It doesn’t have to be anything magical:
- Religious egregors: Probably the strongest. They have been nourished by the prayers and rituals of millions of people for centuries.
- National egregors: The “spirit of the nation”, which is activated especially during wars or major social changes.
- Corporate egregors: Strong corporate cultures (e.g., Apple, Tesla), where employees and customers share a specific worldview and devotion to the brand.
- Egregors of fear: They arise during global crises when millions of people feel the same anxiety, thus further amplifying this anxiety in space.
Freedom and Egregor
In practical esotericism, it is often emphasized that an egregore is neither “good” nor “bad” – it is simply accumulated energy. The problem arises when the egregore begins to control a person to such an extent that they lose their own critical thinking (fanaticism).
” An egregore is a good servant but a bad master.” > If a person consciously uses the power of an egregore (e.g., a feeling of power during a joint meditation), it can elevate them. However, if they become its unconscious tool, the egregore will only drain their energy for its survival.
How to “disconnect”?
According to esoteric teachings, the only way to break free from the influence of a negative egregore is to withdraw attention . Since the egregore feeds on emotions (including anger or hatred towards it), pure indifference weakens it the most.
Elemental
In esoteric philosophy, the term elemental refers to beings or energetic forces that are the essence of the four basic elements: Earth, Water, Air, and Fire . This concept was popularized in the 16th century by the famous physician and alchemist Paracelsus , who believed that just as humans inhabit the visible world, these invisible beings inhabit their own elemental realms.
Natural vs. Artificial Elementals
In more modern esotericism (for example, in the works of Franz Bardon or in Theosophy), a distinction is made between elementals that are part of nature and those created by humans:
Natural Elementals (Spirits of Nature)
They are the “building blocks” of the astral world. They do not have an immortal soul like humans, but they have intelligence and consciousness. Their role is to manage processes in nature (plant growth, water cycle, tectonic plate movements).
Artificial Elementals (Thought Forms)
This is a key concept in practical magic. An elemental here is not a fairy tale creature, but an energy formation created by human thought and emotion .
- If you think about something intensely and repeatedly, you create a “cluster” of energy in the astral space – an elemental.
- This formation tends to survive and retroactively influence its creator (e.g., the elemental of fear makes you feel even more threatened).
- Mages learn to consciously create elementals for specific tasks (e.g., protecting a space).
Egregor – another definition
Comprehensive analysis of mass manipulation mechanisms: From esoteric egregors to scientific theories of collective consciousness, neurobiology, and memetics
The concept of egregors, although historically linked to Western esotericism and occult traditions, represents in the modern context a phenomenological framework for understanding deep socio-psychological processes. An egregore is defined as a non-physical entity or thought-form that arises from the collective thoughts, emotions, and will of a specific group of individuals, and after its creation, it acquires a certain degree of autonomy and retrospectively influences the behavior and perception of its creators. In the environment of religious fundamentalism, political propaganda, and media influence, this phenomenon acts as a mechanism that suppresses individual critical reflection in favor of collective uniformity, which often leads to radicalization and loss of free will. Although academic psychology does not commonly use the term “egregor”, it has a robust set of theories, such as collective consciousness, social representations, memetics, and superorganism theory, which accurately describe the same mechanisms of manipulation and transmission of influence.
Conceptual framework and scientific equivalents of the egregore
The term egregore comes from the Greek word egrēgoros , which literally means “vigilant”. It originally referred to angelic beings or “guardians” in the apocryphal Book of Enoch, but during the 19th and 20th centuries, in the works of authors such as Éliphas Lévi and René Guénon, it was transformed to denote a collective psychic force. Guénon described this entity as a “collective entity” that is a simple extension of the individual on both the psychic and physical planes, without possessing true transcendence, but acting as the accumulated energy of past and present members of the community.
In modern psychology and sociology, there are several key concepts that at least partially overlap with the description of egregors. The most important is the concept of collective consciousness ( conscience collective ), introduced by Émile Durkheim. This term refers to a set of shared beliefs, ideas, and moral attitudes that function as a unifying force in society and form a determined system with its own life. Another important equivalent is Jung’s collective unconscious, which contains archetypes – innate symbols and patterns of thinking shared by all humanity, which can acquire autonomy and influence the conscious processes of the individual.
Collective consciousness
The concept of collective consciousness (Latin: conscientia ) in psychology and sociology represents a set of shared beliefs, values, norms, and attitudes that are common to most members of a particular society or group. This phenomenon functions as an “invisible glue” that holds the community together and determines what is considered right, moral, or natural.
Although this concept has its roots in sociology, psychology has developed it mainly in the context of how group thinking affects the behavior of an individual.
Key figures and their contributions
The concept was most shaped by three key figures, each of whom viewed it from a different angle:
Émile Durkheim (Founder of the concept)
The French sociologist Émile Durkheim introduced the term conscience collective in his work On the Division of Social Labor (1893).
- His view: He believed that collective consciousness is an independent force that exists “above” individuals.
- Meaning: He argued that society is not just the sum of people, but has its own psychological reality. If the collective consciousness is strong (in traditional societies), people think and act almost identically. In modern societies, consciousness is individualized, which can lead to a state of anomie (the breakdown of values).
Carl Gustav Jung (Collective Unconscious)
Jung moved the concept deeper into psychology, but technically renamed it the collective unconscious . It is probably the best-known psychological interpretation of this concept.
- His view: Unlike Durkheim, who dealt with learned social norms, Jung believed that there is an innate layer of the psyche common to all mankind.
- Archetypes: The content of this “consciousness” (unconsciousness) are archetypes – universal symbols and patterns of behavior (e.g. the archetype of the Mother, the Shadow or the Hero), which are manifested in myths, dreams and cultures around the world.
Gustave Le Bon (The Psychology of Crowds)
Le Bon focused on how the consciousness of an individual changes in a group. In his book The Psychology of the Crowd (1895), he described the emergence of a ” collective soul” .
- His view: When a person becomes part of the crowd, their individual consciousness and critical thinking recede. The crowd begins to be governed by instincts and emotions, which are contagious.
- Meaning: This concept explains why people in a group are able to do things that they would never do as individuals.
Meme / memeplex
In psychology and evolutionary theory of culture, the meme represents a concept that changes the view of how ideas are spread and how human identity is formed.
What is a meme?
The term meme was defined in 1976 by biologist Richard Dawkins as the basic unit of cultural information that spreads from person to person through the process of imitation .
Just as genes are replicators in the biological world, memes are replicators in the cultural world. A meme can be anything that can be copied:
- The melody of the song you are humming.
- The way you tie a knot on a tie.
- Belief in the afterlife.
- Scientific theory or political slogan.
What is a memeplex (meme complex)?
Few memes survive alone. A memeplex is a set of memes that support each other and spread together because it is evolutionarily more advantageous for them.
Example of a memeplex: Religion Religion is not a single meme, but a complex of hundreds of memes:
- The meme of faith in God (central meme).
- A meme of ritual (e.g. a prayer that strengthens faith).
- Threatening memes (e.g., hell for those who do not spread the meme further).
- The reward meme (e.g., paradise for faithful meme carriers). Together, they form a strong system (memeplex) that is much more resistant to forgetting than an isolated idea.
Who developed these concepts?
Although the term meme originated in biology, it was introduced into psychology and cognitive science mainly by these three thinkers:
Richard Dawkins
In his book The Selfish Gene (1976), he suggested that evolution is not only governed by genes. He argued that memes are “living structures” that parasitize our brains and use us as machines for their own reproduction.
Susan Blackmore (Psychologist)
She probably developed the psychological aspect the most in the book The Theory of Memes (originally The Meme Machine , 1999).
- Her contribution: She claims that human consciousness and our “self” are essentially just the result of the competition of memes in our heads.
- According to her, we are not the creators of memes, but their hosts . Our ability to imitate (which other animals hardly have) has made us an ideal environment for the evolution of memes.
Daniel Dennett (Cognitive Scientist)
In his work Darwin’s Dangerous Idea, he described memes as “software” running on the “hardware” of our brains. He claims that our brains have been literally transformed by memes – for example, the meme of language has changed the structure of how we think.
Why is this important for psychology?
Memetics explains behavior that does not make sense from a biological point of view. For example, celibacy is a disaster for genes (no offspring will be born), but it is advantageous for the memeplex of the church (a priest has more time to spread religious memes).
From a psychological point of view, this theory tells us that we have many of our beliefs not because they are “true” or “good for us”, but because they are ” good at spreading”.
Archetypes
In analytical psychology, archetypes and the collective unconscious are the pillars of the theory developed by the Swiss psychiatrist Carl Gustav Jung . These concepts explain why people from different cultures and periods share similar dreams, myths, and religious symbols.
Collective unconscious: “The spiritual heritage of mankind”
While Sigmund Freud believed that the unconscious is just a “basket” for our repressed personal memories and traumas, Jung came up with a groundbreaking idea: beneath our personal unconscious lies an even deeper layer that we all share.
- Definition: It is a reservoir of the experience of mankind as a biological species. It is not learned, but inherited .
- Metaphor: If our consciousness is an island and the personal unconscious is the shallows around it, the collective unconscious is the entire ocean that connects all the islands of the world.
Archetypes: “Original patterns” in our minds
Archetypes are the basic building blocks of the collective unconscious. They are universal, innate patterns of perception and behavior. Jung described them as “psychic instincts”.
The archetype itself is not a specific image, but rather a form that our mind fills with specific content (according to the culture in which we live).
Archetypes in Modern Psychology
Understanding archetypes helps in psychotherapy in the so-called individuation – a process where a person tries to get to know their inner self, integrate their “Shadow” and become an authentic being.
Superorganism
The term superorganism comes primarily from biology (where it describes colonies of ants or bees), but in recent decades it has become increasingly established in social and evolutionary psychology .
In a psychological context, it refers to a group of individuals who are so closely linked by cooperation, shared goals, and identity that the entire group begins to behave as a single living organism .
Is this term used in psychology?
Yes, although it is not a term from clinical psychology (psychotherapy), it is key for:
- Evolutionary psychology: It examines how humans have developed the ability to suppress their own selfishness for the benefit of the group.
- Psychology of morality: It examines the mechanisms (rituals, religion) that “switch” us into superorganism mode.
- Organizational psychology: It monitors how teams achieve a state of “flow” and synergy, when they function as a single unit.
Key figures and their contributions
This concept in psychology was most promoted by the following thinkers:
Jonathan Haidt (Moral Foundations Theory)
Haidt is probably the most prominent psychologist who revived this concept. In his book The Righteous Mind , he argues that people are ” 90% chimpanzees and 10% bees” .
- ” The Hive Switch”: According to Haidt, we have a special psychological mechanism in our brain that is activated during group rituals, dance, religious ceremonies, or in battle. Then our “ego” dissolves and we become part of a superorganism (a beehive).
- Function: This ability has allowed us to cooperate in groups of thousands, which no other primate can do.
David Sloan Wilson (Evolutionary Theory)
Although he is a biologist, his work has a huge impact on psychology. He advocates the theory of multi-level selection .
- His view: Groups that were able to function as a superorganism (where individuals sacrificed their interests for the whole) survived rather than groups full of selfish individuals. Psychological traits such as altruism, conscience, and patriotism are, according to him, the “organs” of this superorganism.
Howard Bloom (Global Brain)
In his works, he describes humanity as an evolving superorganism interconnected by information.
- His view: Memes (ideas) function as neural impulses in a huge “collective brain”. According to him, the psychology of the individual is only a partial manifestation of this larger system.
How does an individual become part of a superorganism?
Psychology identifies several mechanisms that change us from isolated beings into cells of a superorganism:
Mechanism |
Psychological manifestation |
Synchronicity |
Moving together, dancing, marching, or singing suppresses individuality and increases cohesion. |
Shared Fate |
A sense of common external threat (e.g. war or natural disaster). |
Self-transcendence (Transcendence) |
The feeling that we serve something bigger than ourselves (an idea, a nation, a god). |
Oxytocin |
A hormone that biologically strengthens the bond to “one’s own” group while increasing distrust of strangers. |
The Dark Side of the Superorganism
In psychology, the superorganism is not only associated with positive cooperation. If the group becomes too closed and “one-minded”, dangerous phenomena arise:
- Groupthink: The loss of critical thinking in order to maintain harmony within a group.
- Dehumanization of out-groups: If “we” are one organism, “others” are perceived as parasites or foreign bodies that need to be removed.
Collective unconscious
The concept of the collective unconscious is a central concept of analytical psychology, introduced by the Swiss psychiatrist Carl Gustav Jung . It is the deepest layer of the human psyche, which is not formed by personal experience, but is innate and common to all mankind .
While your personal unconscious contains your forgotten memories or repressed traumas, the collective unconscious is a kind of “psychic gene pool” in which the experiences of our ancestors have been stored since the beginning of time.
The difference between the personal and the collective unconscious
Jung compared the human psyche to the ocean. To understand the collective unconscious, we must see the entire structure:
The layer of the psyche |
Contents |
Origin |
Consciousness (Ego) |
What we are currently aware of; our “self”. |
Current experience. |
Personal unconscious |
Forgotten experiences, repressed feelings, complexes. |
The individual life of a person. |
Collective unconscious |
Archetypes (universal patterns and symbols). |
The evolution of mankind and biological heritage. |
Why did Jung believe it existed?
Jung noticed a fascinating thing: his patients (often uneducated or suffering from psychosis) had dreams and visions that contained complex symbols from the mythology of ancient Egypt, India, or medieval alchemy – although they had never heard of them.
From this, he concluded that there is a universal symbolism that we do not have to study because we have it “pre-installed” in our brains. He called these innate patterns archetypes .
- Example: The fear of darkness or snakes is not just learned, it is an evolutionary deposit in the collective unconscious that has protected us for thousands of years.
- Example: The character of the “Hero” who must overcome an obstacle appears in every culture (from Heracles to Harry Potter) because it is an archetypal pattern of human maturation.
Collective Unconscious vs. Collective Consciousness
- Collective consciousness (Durkheim): It is external and learned. These are the laws, morals, and customs that society instills in us (e.g., “do not steal”, “stand in line”).
- Collective unconscious (Jung): It is internal and innate. These are deep instincts and symbolic images that emerge in our dreams and art, regardless of what we were taught at school.
Significance in psychology and life
According to Jung, the collective unconscious is not just a “dead archive”. It is a living source of energy. If a person ignores these deep layers (e.g. if they completely suppress their archetypal “Shadow”), it can lead to psychological problems or to being uncontrollably dominated by mass psychosis (where the collective unconscious awakens in the whole group at once).
” Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate.” — CG Jung
AI-generated Egregors
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1eja7_tmgoYx-ym8M95cxxS4WyWueLE5x24qR8UhDzEA/edit?usp=sharing
Biology
Oxytocin
Hormonal regulation: Oxytocin is released, which increases trust and the feeling of social bonding within the group, and endorphins, which induce euphoric states.
Oxytocin (The hormone of love and trust)
- Function: Focuses on social ties, relationship building, and empathy.
- When it is released: During physical contact (hugging, sex), during childbirth and breastfeeding, or when spending time with loved ones.
- Effect: It evokes a feeling of safety, peace, and connection with other people. It reduces the level of cortisol (stress).
- Focus: Social and interpersonal.
Amygdala
Propaganda and fundamentalist teachings often use appeals to fear (e.g., fear of eternal damnation or the destruction of the nation), which activates the amygdala. Neurological research suggests that increased emotional arousal temporarily suppresses the critical faculties associated with the prefrontal cortex, making the individual more susceptible to simplistic and authoritarian messages.
Cognitive Science of Religion (CSR) from a biological perspective
In the current cognitive science of religion (CSR) and anthropology, this topic is being very intensively researched. Bio -behavioral synchrony.
Although scientists often use more neutral language than “manipulation”, the results of their studies clearly show how these mechanisms can suppress individual identity in favor of group identity.
Here are the key scientific studies that confirm your points:
A study on the synchrony of heart rhythm (Konvalinka et al., 2011)
One of the most cited studies in this area is a study published in the journal PNAS . A team led by Ivana Konvalinka and Dimitris Xygalatas studied participants in the ritual of walking on hot coals in the Spanish village of San Pedro Manrique.
- Findings: Scientists found that the heart rhythms of the participants (those who walked on coals) and their family members (spectators) synchronized in real time during the ritual.
- Mechanism: This physiological synchrony occurred without them performing the same physical movement. A shared emotional surge and a ritual context were sufficient.
- Consequence: This phenomenon creates a strong sense of “merging” with the collective, which can be exploited for uncritical devotion to the group.
Singing and heart rate coherence (Vickhoff et al., 2013)
The study published in Frontiers in Psychology focused specifically on choral singing, which is an integral part of most liturgies.
- Findings: Researchers found that when people sing together, their heart rhythms speed up and slow down at the same time.
- Cause: This is caused by controlled breathing . Liturgical texts and songs have a specific structure (phrasing) that forces all participants to breathe in the same rhythm.
- Impact on the psyche: Joint breathing activates the vagus nerve ( nervus vagus ), which induces calmness and a sense of security, thereby increasing suggestibility (susceptibility to preaching or ideology).
Rhythmic movements and pro-social behavior (Fischer et al., 2014)
Anthropologist Ronald Fischer conducted experiments that compared rituals with synchronous movement and rituals without it.
- Findings: Synchronous activities (joint worship, dancing, marching) dramatically increase the willingness to sacrifice for the group .
- ” Emerging Unity”: After synchronous exercises, participants showed a higher level of trust in other members, but at the same time a lower degree of critical distance from the leader’s demands.
How do these phenomena lead to manipulation?
From the perspective of neuroscience and psychology, these mechanisms use so-called collective effervescence (a term by sociologist Émile Durkheim):
- Weakening the boundaries of the “Ego”: When your body beats in the same rhythm as the bodies of 200 other people, your brain stops clearly distinguishing between “I” and “them”.
- Endorphin release: Synchronous movement and singing trigger a massive release of endorphins, creating a euphoric state similar to intoxication.
- Bypass of critical thinking: In a state of strong emotional and physiological unity, it is psychologically painful (cognitive dissonance) for an individual to question the dogmas that the group presents at that moment.
Important observation: These mechanisms are not “bad” in themselves (they are also used in team building or in sports), but in a religious context they are often a key tool for creating an individual’s dependence on the community.
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