Analyzing the Impact of Mass Psychosis Post U.S Election: A Personal Perspective

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Have you ever wondered why societies sometimes seem to lose their collective minds? Why do seemingly rational people suddenly embrace irrational beliefs in masses? These phenomena have puzzled thinkers and historians for centuries. This dangerous social phenomenon is called mass psychosis. But before we discuss this, consider this quote from the renowned psychologist Gustaf Le Bon: "The masses have never thirsted after truth. They turn aside from evidence that is not to their taste, preferring to deify error if error seduces them." Illusions easily master them; whoever attempts to destroy their illusions is always their victim. This sobering observation sets the stage for our exploration of how entire societies can descend into madness. You probably think that the greatest threats to civilization are natural disasters, diseases, or external conflicts, but what if I told you that according to the famous psychologist Carl Yung the greatest danger lies within our own minds.

Yung argued that our inability to deal with the forces of our own psyche poses the most significant threat to our civilization. It's as if we're our own worst enemies, or as the Latin proverb puts it, "man is Wolf to man." Yung considered this a sad yet eternal truism, but when does this wolf-like nature come to the forefront? Yung observed that it's most prominent during those dark periods of history when mental illness becomes the norm rather than the exception in a society. He termed this disturbing phenomenon a psychic epidemic. In his work "The Symbolic Life," Yung writes, "Indeed, it is becoming ever more obvious that it is not famine, not earthquakes, not microbes, not cancer, but man himself who is man's greatest danger to man, for the simple reason that there is no adequate protection against psychic epidemics, which are infinitely more devastating than the worst of natural catastrophes." It's a chilling thought, isn't it? So what exactly is a mass psychosis?

Simply put, it's an epidemic of madness. It occurs when a large portion of society loses touch with reality and descends into delusions. Now you might be tempted to dismiss this as mere fiction, but history provides us with all too real examples. Consider the witch hunts that swept through America and Europe in the 16th and 17th centuries. During this period, thousands of individuals, mostly women, were killed not for any crimes they actually committed but because they became scapegoats in societies gripped by Collective Madness. Francis Hill, in her book, "A Delusion of Satan," she writes that in some Swiss villages, there were scarcely any women left alive after the frenzy had finally burned itself out.

Think about the rise of totalitarianism in the 20th century; millions of people embraced ideologies that, in hindsight, seem obviously destructive and delusional. Yet, at the time, entire nations fell under their spell. The results of a mass psychosis are nothing short of devastating. Yung studied this phenomenon extensively and observed that when a society succumbs to madness, its members become morally and spiritually inferior.

"Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed." - M.L.K

They sink unconsciously to an inferior intellectual level, becoming more unreasonable, irresponsible, emotional, erratic, and unreliable. But perhaps most terrifying of all, Yung noted that crimes the individual alone could never stand are freely committed by the group. This explains how ordinarily moral people can participate in atrocities during times of mass psychosis. What makes this phenomenon even more insidious is that those caught in its grip are often unaware of what's happening, just as an individual experiencing psychosis can't step outside their own mind to recognize their delusions.

There's no Archimedean point from which those living through a mass psychosis can observe their collective madness. So, what causes a mass psychosis? To answer this, we need to first understand what drives an individual to madness. While there are many potential triggers, such as drug abuse, brain injuries, or other physical ailments, we are particularly interested in psychological or psychogenic causes. These are the most common culprits behind mass psychosis. The most prevalent psychogenic cause of psychosis is a flood of negative emotions, particularly fear or anxiety, that drives an individual into a state of panic. Now, imagine this panic spreading through a population like a contagious disease. That's the starting point of a mass psychosis.

When in a state of panic, it's natural to seek relief. It's mentally and physically exhausting to remain in such a hyper-emotional state. While there are healthy ways to cope with panic, such as facing and overcoming the fear-inducing threat, another escape route is a psychotic break. Now, contrary to popular belief, a psychotic break isn't a descent into greater disorder. Instead, it's a reordering of one's experiential world. It blends fact and fiction, reality and delusions in a way that helps alleviate the feelings of panic. It's a coping mechanism, albeit a maladaptive one. Silvano Arieti, one of the 20th century's foremost authorities on schizophrenia, outlined the psychogenic steps that lead to madness. First, there's the phase of panic, where the individual starts perceiving things differently, becomes frightened, appears confused, and can't explain the strange occurrences they're experiencing. This is followed by what Arieti calls the phase of psychotic insight.

During this phase, the individual engages in putting things together by creating a pathological way of seeing reality. This allows them to explain their abnormal experiences. Arieti calls it insight because the patient finally sees meaning in their experiences, but it's psychotic because it's based on delusions rather than a realistic understanding of the situation. In essence, the delusions allow the panic-stricken individual to escape from the flood of negative emotions but at the cost of losing touch with reality.

As Arietti puts it, a psychotic break can be viewed as an abnormal way of dealing with an extreme state of anxiety. Now, let's scale this up to a societal level. If a flood of negative emotions can trigger a psychotic break in a vulnerable individual, then a mass psychosis can result when a population of vulnerable individuals is driven into a state of panic by threats, real, imagined, or fabricated. But here's where it gets interesting; delusions can take many forms and madness can manifest in countless ways. The specific manner in which a mass psychosis unfolds will differ based on the historical and cultural context of the affected society

In our modern era, one form of mass psychosis stands out as particularly threatening: The psychosis of totalitarianism. Arthur Vers Lewis defines totalitarianism as the modern phenomenon of total centralized state power coupled with the obliteration of individual human rights. In the totalized state, there are those in power and they, the objectified masses, the victims. In a totalitarian society, a disturbing transformation occurs: the population is divided into two groups, the rulers and the ruled. Both groups undergo a pathological change. The rulers are elevated to an almost godlike status, which stands in stark contrast to our nature as imperfect beings who are easily corrupted by power. The masses, on the other hand, are reduced to dependent subjects of these pathological rulers, taking on a psychologically regressed, childlike status.

Hannah Arendt, one of the 20th Century's preeminent scholars of totalitarianism, described it as an attempted transformation of human nature itself. But this transformation doesn't create a Utopia; it turns sound minds into sick ones. As a Dutch medical doctor who studied the mental effects of totalitarianism observed, there is, in fact, much that is comparable between the strange reactions of the citizens of totalitarianism and their culture as a whole, on the one hand, and the reactions of the sick schizophrenic on the other. The social transformation that unfolds under totalitarianism is built upon and sustained by delusions. Think about it: only deluded individuals would regress to the childlike status of obedient and submissive subjects, handing over complete control of their lives to politicians and bureaucrats.

Only a deluded ruling class would believe they possess the knowledge, wisdom, and acumen to completely control society in a top-down manner. Only under the spell of delusions would anyone believe that a society composed of power-hungry rulers and a psychologically regressed population could lead to anything other than mass suffering and social ruin. The mass psychosis of totalitarianism has been induced many times throughout history, as Joost A. M. Meerloo explains in his book "The Rape of the Mind." It is simply a question of reorganizing and manipulating collective feelings in the proper way. The method by which the ruling elite accomplishes this is called menticide, which literally means the killing of the mind.

Miru describes it as an organized system of psychological intervention and judicial perversion through which a ruling class can imprint their opportunistic thoughts upon the minds of those they plan to use and destroy. So, how does this process of menticide unfold? It begins with the sowing of fear, placing the population in a state of panic that primes them to descend into delusionary beliefs. One particularly effective technique is the use of waves of terror. Under this method, periods of intense fear-mongering are interspersed with periods of calm, but each period of calm is followed by an even more intense spell of fear, and on and on the process goes.

Miru explains the psychological impact: each wave of terrorizing creates its effects more easily after a breathing spell than the one that preceded it because people are still disturbed by their previous experience. Morality becomes lower and lower, and the psychological effects of each new propaganda campaign become stronger. It reaches a public already softened up. While fear primes a population for menticide, the use of propaganda to spread misinformation and promote confusion regarding the source of threats and the nature of the crisis helps break down the minds of the masses. Government officials and their lackeys in the media can use contradictory reports, nonsensical information, and even blatant lies. The more they confuse, the less capable.

"The only real prison is fear, and the only real freedom is freedom from fear." --Aung San Suu Kyi

A population becomes capable of coping with the crisis and diminishing their fear in a rational and adaptive manner. Confusion, in other words, heightens the susceptibility to descend into the delusions of totalitarianism. As Miru puts it, logic can be met with logic, while illogic cannot. It confuses those who think straight. The big lie and monotonously repeated nonsense have more emotional appeal than logic and reason. While the people are still searching for a reasonable counterargument to the first lie, the totalitarians can assault them with another. In our modern world, the means to manipulate society into the psychosis of totalitarianism have never been more effective.

Smartphones and social media, television, and the internet, all in conjunction with bots that spread propaganda and algorithms that quickly censor unwanted information, allow those in power to easily assault the minds of the masses. What's more, the addictive nature of these technologies means that many people voluntarily subject themselves to the ruling elite's propaganda with alarming frequency. Miru observed this trend even in the early days of modern technology. Modern technology teaches man to take for granted the world he is looking at. He takes no time to retreat and reflect. Technology lures him on, dropping him into its wheels and movements.

No rest, no meditation, no reflection, no conversation. The senses are continually overloaded with stimuli. Man doesn't learn to question his world anymore. The screen offers him readymade answers. But there's a further step that totalitarian rulers can take to increase the chance of a totalitarian psychosis: isolating the victims and disrupting normal social interactions. When alone and lacking normal interactions with friends, family, and co-workers, an individual becomes far more susceptible to delusions for several reasons. Firstly, they lose contact with the corrective force of positive examples. Not everyone is tricked by the machinations of the ruling elite, and individuals who see through the propaganda can help free others from the mental assault.

If, however, isolation is enforced, the power of these positive examples greatly diminishes. Another reason isolation increases the efficacy of menticide is that human beings, like many other species, are more easily conditioned into new patterns of thought and behavior when isolated. Miru explains this in relation to the work of physiologist Ivan Pavlov on behavioral conditioning. Pavlov made another significant discovery: the conditioned reflex could be developed most easily in a quiet laboratory with a minimum of disturbing stimuli. Every trainer of animals knows this from his own experience. Isolation and the patient repetition of stimuli are required to tame wild animals. The totalitarians have followed this rule; they know that they can condition their political victims most quickly if they are kept in isolation, alone, confused, and battered by waves of terror. A population under an attack of menticide descends into a hopeless and vulnerable state. The never-ending stream of propaganda turns minds once capable of rational thought into playhouses of irrational forces, with chaos swirling around them and within them.

The masses crave a return to a more ordered world; this is when the would-be totalitarians can take the decisive step. They can offer a way out, a return to order in a world that seems to be moving rapidly in the opposite direction. But all this comes at a price; the masses must give up their freedom and seed control of all aspects of life to the ruling elite. They must relinquish their capacity to be self-reliant individuals responsible for their own lives and become submissive and obedient subjects. In other words, the masses must descend into the delusions of totalitarian psychosis. Miru describes this descent vividly; the totalitarian systems of the 20th century represent a kind of collective psychosis. Whether gradually or suddenly, reason and common human decency are no longer possible. In such a system, there is only a pervasive atmosphere of terror and a projection of the enemy imagined to be in our midst. Thus, society turns on itself, urged on by the ruling authorities. But the order promised by a totalitarian world is a pathological order, enforcing strict conformity and requiring blind obedience from the citizenry.

Totalitarianism rids the world of the spontaneity that produces many of life's joys and the creativity that drives society forward. The total control of this form of rule, no matter under what name it is branded, be it ruled by scientists and doctors, politicians and bureaucrats, or a dictator, breeds stagnation, destruction, and death on a mass scale. So perhaps the most important question facing our world is how can totalitarianism be prevented, and if a society has been induced into the early stages of this mass psychosis, can the effects be reversed? While one can never be sure of the prognosis of collective madness, there are steps that can be taken to help affect a cure.

This task, however, necessitates many different approaches from many different people. Just as the modal attack is multi-pronged, so must be the counterattack. According to Carl Yung, for those of us who wish to help return sanity to an insane world, the first step is to bring order to our minds and to live in a way that provides inspiration for others to follow. It is not for nothing that our age cries out for the Redeemer personality, for the one who can emancipate himself from the grip of the collective psychosis and save at least his own soul, who lights a beacon of hope for others, proclaiming that here is at least one man who has succeeded in extricating himself from the fatal identity with the group psyche. But assuming one is living in a manner free of the grip of the psychosis, there are further steps that can be taken. Firstly, information that counters the propaganda should be spread as far and as wide as possible.

The truth is more powerful than the fiction and falsities peddled by would-be totalitarian rulers, so their success is in part contingent on their ability to censor the free flow of information. Another tactic is to use humor and ridicule to delegitimize the ruling elite. As Miru explains, we must learn to treat the demagogue and aspiring dictators in our midst with the weapon of ridicule. The demagogue himself is almost incapable of humor of any sort, and if we treat him with humor, he will begin to collapse. A tactic recommended by Václav Havel, a political dissident under Soviet communist rule who later became president of Czechoslovakia, is the construction of what are called parallel structures. A parallel structure is any form of organization, business, institution, technology, or creative pursuit that exists physically within a totalitarian.

In society, yet morally outside of it in communist Czechoslovakia, Havel noted that these parallel structures were more effective at combating totalitarianism than political action. Furthermore, when enough parallel structures are created, a second culture or parallel society spontaneously forms and functions as an enclave of freedom and sanity within a totalitarian world. Havel explains in his book "The Power of the Powerless," what else are parallel structures than an area where a different life can be lived, a life that is in harmony with its aims and which, in turn, structures itself in harmony with those aims? What else are those initial attempts at social self-organization than the efforts of a certain part of society to rid itself of the self-sustaining aspects of totalitarianism and thus to extricate itself radically from its involvement in the totalitarian system? But above all else, what is required to prevent a full descent into the madness of totalitarianism is action by as many people as possible. Just as the ruling elite do not sit around passively but instead take deliberate steps to increase their power, so too must an active and concerted effort be made to move the world back.

In the direction of freedom, this can be an immense challenge in a world falling prey to the delusions of totalitarianism. But as Thomas Paine noted during another dark period of history, tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered. Yet we have this consolation with us: the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. It's important to remember that the battle against totalitarianism is not just a physical or political one, but a psychological one. The ruling elite understand this, which is why they focus so heavily on controlling the narrative and manipulating emotions. To combat this, we must become aware of our own psychological vulnerabilities and work to strengthen our minds against manipulation. One way to do this is through education, not just formal education but self-education. We must cultivate critical thinking skills, learn to question authority, and develop the ability to recognize propaganda and manipulation when we see it. This includes understanding logical fallacies, being able to fact-check information, and maintaining a healthy skepticism without falling into paranoia. Another crucial aspect is maintaining our humanity and connections with others.

Totalitarian systems thrive on dehumanization and isolation. By fostering genuine human connections, practicing empathy, and refusing to see others as mere abstractions or enemies, we resist the totalitarian mindset. We must also be vigilant about protecting our privacy and personal autonomy. As technology advances, it becomes easier for those in power to monitor and control the population. By being conscious of our digital footprint, supporting privacy-protecting technologies, and resisting the urge to trade privacy for convenience, we can make it harder for would-be totalitarians to exert control. It's also crucial to support and protect free speech and freedom of the press.

These are often the first casualties in a totalitarian takeover. Even if we disagree with what's being said, defending the right to say it is crucial for maintaining a free society. This includes supporting independent journalism and alternative media outlets that challenge the official narrative. Furthermore, we must be wary of the creep of authoritarianism. Totalitarianism rarely appears overnight; it often creeps in gradually, each small step making the next seem less outrageous. We must be willing to draw lines in the sand and say no further to encroachments on our freedoms, even when they're presented as being for our own good. It's worth noting that art and culture play a significant role in this struggle. Totalitarian regimes often seek to control art and suppress creativity because they recognize its power to inspire and unite people.

Supporting art that celebrates freedom, individuality, and human dignity, we can help keep the flame of liberty alive even in dark times. In conclusion, the struggle against the mass psychosis of totalitarianism is one of the most crucial battles of our time. It's a battle fought not just in the halls of power or on the streets, but in the minds and hearts of every individual. The path is not easy, and the outcome is never guaranteed, but as long as there are those who value freedom, who think critically, who maintain their humanity in the face of dehumanizing forces, there is hope. In the words of the philosopher Albert Camus, "The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion." Let us then commit ourselves to this rebellion of freedom, let us be the beacon of sanity in an increasingly insane world. The choice, as always, lies with each of us. Will we succumb to the comfortable delusions offered by would-be totalitarians, or will we embrace the sometimes difficult but ultimately liberating path of freedom and individual responsibility? The future of our societies, and indeed of human civilization itself, may well depend on how we answer this question.