Shared Psychosis

“It is naively assumed that the fact that the majority of people share certain ideas or feelings proves the validity of these ideas and feelings. Nothing is further from the truth. Consensual validation as such has no bearing whatsoever on reason or mental health. Just as there is a folie à deux there is a folie à millions. The fact that millions of people share the same vices does not make these vices virtues, the fact that they share so many errors does not make the errors to be truths, and the fact that millions of people share the same mental pathology does not make these people sane.” -- The Sane Society (1955) by Erich Fromm (p. 14)

Are you completely baffled by the irrational behavior and bizarre ideas evidenced by millions of our fellow citizens? Does it seem like they have all lost their minds? It would be easy to think that this is a new phenomenon, but it isn’t.  History is full of incidents in which nations have embraced delusional thinking to justify what would normally be considered inappropriate behavior. Social psychosis, mass psychosis, shared psychosis, folie à millions or psychic epidemic are all terms that refer to this manifestation.

Consider the era of European colonialism.  The underlying belief was that their superior intellect and ‘civilization’ justified the conquest and subjugation of indigenous people the world over.  Nowhere is this more evident than in the savage brutality of Spanish conquistadors or the wholesale capture, transport and enslavement of Africans in the pursuit of wealth.

Shared psychosis is clearly evident in the witch trials that took place in Europe and colonial New England. Fear of witchcraft contributed to mass hysteria resulting in the execution of innocent individuals.  In the Americas, the deaths were measured in dozens.  In Europe, the condition was so widespread that it is estimated that as many as 60,000 died at the hands of their delusional neighbors.  In some villages, nearly the entire female population was wiped out.

In hindsight, we recognize the audacity of taking possession of land in North America that was already inhabited and forcing native Americans to continually relocate into progressively harsher regions.  When they chose to defend themselves, they were labeled “savages” and ruthlessly slaughtered.  The delusional thinking that prevailed at the time is evident in a quote by the future president of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt, during a January 1886 speech in New York, “I don’t go so far as to think that the only good Indians are the dead Indians, but I believe nine out of every 10 are, and I shouldn’t like to inquire too closely into the case of the tenth.”

When considering the events of WWII, Carl Jung introduced the term psychic epidemic to explain the absolute devotion of the German people to Hitler. Who can doubt that those involved in the extermination camps were not sharing a common delusion regarding the Jews and other populations that suffered their same fate?  It is hard to imagine how this insidious perception could be embraced by such a substantial portion of the population.

We have yet to see the extent of the offenses attributable to the delusion of white supremacy in our nation.  The atrocities of slavery were augmented by those perpetrated during the Jim Crow era in southern states. The federal civil rights legislation of the mid 1960’s may have delegitimized the formal systemic racial statutes, but the source of that pathological mindset is still shared by many.

It would be nice to believe that our nation has advanced to a level of rational thinking that can propel us into a more progressive social order.  Sadly, the acceptance of Trump’s assertion that the 2020 election was stolen, the attack on the Capital on January 6, 2021, the denial of the reality of the Corona pandemic, the resistance to mask wearing and social distancing and the extensive refusal to receive Covid-19 vaccinations make it quite evident that this is not the case.  A critical challenge currently facing our society is how to overcome the delusional precepts flooding the mass communication networks that perpetuate these distortions.

It is difficult not to become angry when our fellow citizens engage in what is plainly irresponsible behavior and hold such irrational beliefs, but the direct confrontation is clearly ineffectual.  This was wisely expressed in an ancient Chinese proverb, “Opinions are like nails.  The more often you hit them, the deeper they go.”  The reality is that people who appear to be rational in every other manner may still hold completely illogical views and will resist every effort to present evidence that contradicts their position.  Consequently, there is little point in trying to reason with those who are politically or ideologically entrenched. 

The situation is by no means hopeless. The future of our nation will depend on the ability of moderates and progressives to work together in a spirit of genuine cooperation to establish a coalition that can minimize radical influence.  Perhaps the greatest threat to realizing this collective political power is allowing ourselves to engage in divisive factionalism.

Ultimately, I suppose that the most effective approach to dealing with those who suffer from social psychosis is to engage with them the same way we would deal with someone with an individual mental illness:  be compassionate, redirect delusional dialogue whenever possible, tactfully and assertively confront personal assaults in a calm manner, and avoid contact with the individual if social interaction with them is too disturbing.  Above all, keep in mind that they are not necessarily bad people, merely misguided.  Whenever possible try to develop or maintain positive relationships and build bridges of communication that may promote nonthreatening dialogue about areas of disagreement.

For more information on this subject, view the links below.

The 'Shared Psychosis' of Donald Trump and His Loyalists - Scientific American

An interview with Forensic psychiatrist Bandy X. Lee, editor of “The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump” and author of “Profile of a Nation”. 

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-shared-psychosis-of-donald-trump-and-his-loyalists/

Mass Psychosis: How an Entire Population Becomes Mentally Ill

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09maaUaRT4M