What Can Be Done About Mass Formation?
For those intrigued with the notion of mass formation, it’s hard not to ponder the question: “What can be done about it?” My previous article about mass formation closed with a rather firm assertion: the ‘“real” reason individuals follow a particular narrative of a mass formation is because it meets their needs.
If you follow along with this line of reasoning, then you’ll want to consider what could be a root-cause solution. A solution assisting others in meeting their needs. Which is a large task, and only part of the equation. Helping others meet their needs acts as a preventative measure to assure a lower likelihood of hypnotization by a mass formation.
Another part of the equation is determining what’s to be done when others are already amidst a mass formation? What actions are to be taken by those who find themselves witnessing the mass formation? How overt must the actions be? Or are the actions to be more nuanced and subtle than you might think?
Witnessing Mass Formation
Let’s go over a few quick points about mass formation before exploring what can be done. In order to look through the lens of this phenomenon, you must be outside of the particular mass formation hypnosis in question. So, if you have a mass formation scenario in mind right now, you are currently set apart from the grouping of individuals being hypnotized.
From your vantage point, you can see that an individual may attach to a mass formation narrative. Clearly, it’s serving them on some level. It can lead to a sensation that new social bonds are being met, even if the attachment isn’t actually supplying someone one-to-one personal bonds. In addition, attaching to the mass formation narrative can offer a renewed sense of meaning for the individual, along with a sense of relief from free-floating anxiety.
Those who are not in the grip of the mass formation — the ones that can see and describe the mass formation — will appear as dissonant voices to others who are within the mass formation. Relative to the mass formation phenomenon, there are 3 general categories in which an individual can be ascribed.
One category consists of individuals who fall within a strong grip of the mass formation. With these individuals, it appears there’s a blind faith to the narrative of the mass formation, to which rational argumentation will not sway them to consider otherwise. Another category of individuals consists of those who follow along with the mass formation for some reason or another. With these individuals, it may be a choice as to not appear dissident and to appear as going with the flow.
The third category of individuals are those who aren’t in the grip of the mass formation, nor are these individuals following along with it. This category tends to consist of believers in sovereignty; those who champion individual freedom over aggregated enforcement mechanisms. These individuals are characteristic of being more of a “free-thinker” and less inclined to attach oneself to a collective ideology. These attributes inherently make this category less cohesive as a group comparative to the other categories.
Vantage Point from Outside the Mass Formation
The perspective I just shared, regarding these categories, is from the lens of the mass formation concept. When taking the perspective of individuals from the third category, they consider themselves unchanged. Relative to these individuals, those directly affected by the mass formation are the ones who’ve changed.
Those unaffected by the mass formation usually have a minority number of individuals in this category. This puts them at a disadvantage of being labeled as “dissidents” by the proponents of the dominant grouping, which is a combination of the other two categories of individuals supporting the narrative of the mass formation.
Objectively, the individuals of the third category are maintaining a previously natural way of living prior to the mass formation. This category of individuals not within the grip of the mass formation are less inclined to participate with the behavioral directives of the new narrative. These individuals are more consistent with their existing beliefs and feel confident going along with life as usual.
Due to the dynamics involved with the occurrence of the mass formation, perceptions of behavior (reinforced through the articulation of narratives) becomes inverse. It begins to appear that the third category of individuals is doing something against those following the mass formation, who now form the majority. The majority can espouse that they are proceeding rightfully, and fighting in the name of protecting others. Although it’s the individuals following a more natural course of living, who are more psychologically sound.
Influencing the Course of a Mass Formation
According to Dr. Mattias Desmet, the first category of individuals will get psychologically weaker over time, and the third category of individuals will get stronger. He suggests that there’s an inevitable course with the phenomenon of mass formation; that those within its grips will soon turn on each other, and the mass will eventually fall apart.
I feel this is an important consideration about the long-term trajectory. As this alludes to the idea that even if there are less non-hypnotized individuals in ratio to the number of individuals in accordance to the mass formation, the smaller category of individuals can still prevail. These individuals can have a strong influence in regaining natural perspective again as the mass formation plays out. Although there’s no certain way of knowing how long it will take to play out.
Within the minority category, there will be individuals who continue to speak in alignment to the principals of humanity. These individuals will become more and more humane, and will speak out against ideas and behaviors that are dehumanizing. The main factor isn’t so much about how many people have withstood hypnotization by the mass formation, rather it’s about what those people do.
Any percentage of individuals that are not hypnotized can help overcome the mass formation. Well, that depends on what they choose to do….
What To Do When Witnessing Mass Formation
What does one do when they’re able to see a mass formation configuration?
What are those who are outside the grip of a mass formation meant to do?
Are they supposed to keep to themselves and maintain their position? Are they supposed to pull others out of the mass formation and get them to “wake up” from it?
I get the impression that many individuals outside of the mass formation feel inclined to facilitate the “waking up” of other individuals. If you feel inclined to do this, I think it would be extremely beneficial to meditate on why you feel this is needed. Reflect on what you believe your role is in that process.
Personally, I don’t think anyone is meant to wake up another individual. This is where my opinion differs from others I know who are outside of the mass formation. I don’t wish to make any judgment on anyone who does feel they are meant to wake up another. I simply wish that any individual with such desire allows time and focus to explore what is at the core of wanting this.
To further clarify, I’m not meaning to imply that you or I or anyone can’t be part of a “waking up” process for another individual. Can someone be a catalyst for new perspectives? Indeed, they can be. I think it’s important to take into consideration how one goes about this, and what their intentions are. How we choose to interaction with those in the mass formation is integral on how it progresses. How we interact won’t reverse the an individuals attachment to the mass formation, but It can have an affect on how deep the mass formation can take hold moving forward.
Strategies for Interacting with Varying Individuals
When I consider how to act, I think of having a go-to strategy based on internal, interconnected and external relations. Some imperatives to hold as a guide for how to interact with those falling into these various categories. Every individual relationship will have some variance, but these are some benchmarks if you’re feeling an urge to maintain an energetic balance in deterring the mass formation from taking a deeper hold.
Strategic imperatives may sound a bit ominous, but that’s the language that comes to mind for me to describe this, so bear with me. Internal imperatives refer to what to do for oneself when not part of the mass formation. Interconnected (aligned) imperatives are what to do with others who consider themselves not part of the mass formation (who fall into a similar category as you). Interconnected (misaligned) imperatives are what to do with others who aren’t within full grip of of the mass formation, but follow along with it. External imperatives are what to do with others who appear to fall within the mass formation.
Internal Imperatives
This includes what actions you can take to maintain your own healthy state of well-being. This primarily consists of maintaining your beliefs and life experiences with sincerity and authenticity. Maintain your personal balance to be of healthy mind, body and spirit. If waves of doubt or confusion come your way, do what’s needed to find your center and maintain a resonance of well-being.
Minimize your emotional reactivity. I want to be clear — this doesn’t mean for you to have no emotional response. Having no emotional reactivity toward others espousing the narrative of the mass formation can be very challenging. The key would be for you to notice when you’re getting charged or triggered by what someone else is saying. Take some deep breathes and hold space in those moments. Sense the indications that it likely won’t be a time to share any contradictory opinions with that person. Bring awareness to the emotions and the context of the interaction.
Interconnected (aligned) Imperatives
These are the individuals who you feel you can speak with freely. These are others who aren’t abiding by an external narrative. The action to take here is to continue to hold space with one another. Share your thoughts and experiences, and listen to what the other is sharing with empathy and an open heart. Not only is this beneficial to the individuals sharing, but it’s adding to the morphic resonance that will counter-balance the mass formation.
Be sure that you are maintaining your support system and being of support to others. This will create a natural balance to whatever external components show up from contrasting environments. . Often, we allot more compassion for someone in a similar predicament than we allot for ourselves (that dang inner critic can be strong, ha!). So take note of how to ease compassion for yourself and for others who are feeling ostracized or frustrated for not feeling accepted relative to the mass.
Interconnected (misaligned) Imperatives
Before taking any action with someone who appears misaligned to your perception, you must see those who are within the mass formation for where they are. From their vantage points they are feeling better. They feel like they’re creating new social bonds, even though it’s only a momentary reprieve due to being a bond with a collective ideal rather than with another individual. This isn’t a desirable true intimacy of individual to individual bonding, rather it’s a bond for each individual separately with the collective. For some it may be the only bond they can sustain at a given time.
These individuals also now have a focus on where to direct their anxiety. They feel some relief of anxiety, which can give them some sense of feeling connected again. If you are outside of their mass formation you don’t want to oppose them or have emotional reactivity to what they’re doing, otherwise they will see you as part of the problem. They may then view you as the cause of their anxiety, as you are interfering with what feels to them as an improvement.
External Imperatives
Remember, a core aspect of this phenomenon is that if an individual is connected to the mass formation, they are not doing so rationally. Therefore, rational argumentation is not going to redirect their thinking, even if you propose the most rational sound argument you can muster together. If you refrain for argumentation (albeit rational), then the other individual won’t be triggered into their polarized state or needing to defend their position.
Speak with sincerity and honesty about your own life experiences. Stay true to your own ethical duty of your own opinion. Quell any desire you may have to want to convince anyone. Convincing won’t work anyway. It’s highly likely that your path will cross less with those who are deepest within the mass formation. No need to seek out those externalized individuals. Place more energy and focus on those who are closer to you. Those individuals who there may be some inroad for a natural, authentic conversation.
Stay Hopeful
If there are dissonant voices, then the hypnosis of the leaders and the population will be disturbed a little bit. As described by Gustave LeBon in his book The Psychology of the Crowd, there is a role for you to play. Individuals who articulate a dissonant voice usually are not able to “wake up” the individuals of the mass, but it has an affect on the magnitude of the mass itself.
In his recent interviews, Dr. Mattias Desmet mentions how in past instances of mass formation, the resistance had chosen to stop speaking out. Desmet believes that the choice to stop speaking out was a mistake. He believes it’s better to keep speaking against the thought forms of the mass formation. So continue to ease into sharing your authentic views and experiences about what’s happening for you.
You don’t have to think too much about what to do. Stick to the principals of humanity. Feel this, live this. Every individual has to rediscover the principals and re-articulate them for the present time. Since you cannot fight a mass formation with another mass formation, be sure not to create another one for opposition. In other words, a new group under similar principals as to what makes a mass formation cannot oppose the previous mass formation.
Another group can form outside of the mass formation. A fruitful group, a truly humanizing group, can form as a network of individuals connecting with one another. There can be strong, loving bonds between individuals, rather than connection to the collective ideal. There is much we can do, so stay hopeful and share your resonance.
