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Crowds succumb to the illusion of power, captivated by charismatic leaders who activate unconscious psychological mechanisms. From identification to regression, psychoanalysis sheds light on this fascinating collective alchemy, where reason and free will give way to irrational devotion.
The spectacle of crowds, united in a collective fervor around an idolized leader, raises an intriguing question: how can supposedly mature adults relinquish their free will to merge into an undifferentiated mass, fascinated and subjugated by seductive leaders who masterfully induce regression to infantile stages of development?
Gustave Le Bon was one of the first to highlight the central role of illusion in crowd psychology. In The Crowd: A Study of the Popular Mind, he writes, “Crowds have never thirsted for truth. They turn aside from evidence that is not to their taste, preferring to deify error if error seduces them. Whoever can supply them with illusions is easily their master; whoever attempts to destroy their illusions is always their victim.” In other words, those who skillfully manipulate these illusions gain control over the masses, while those who attempt to enlighten them face resistance and become scapegoats.
Le Bon explains that crowds often favor mirages over reality – not out of mere blindness, but because these illusions fulfill a deep need. This tendency becomes especially pronounced during major crises, when fantasies overshadow facts. An urgent need for idealization emerges as a response to a world perceived as uncertain and anxiety-inducing.
Sigmund Freud deepened Le Bon’s analysis by demonstrating that crowd psychology cannot be understood without considering the libidinal bond that unites individuals both among themselves and with their leader. In Group Psychology and the Analysis of the Ego, he highlights the process of collective identification in these gatherings. This identification operates on two levels:
- Vertically, the bond between the leader and each individual takes on an intense emotional dimension, akin to hypnotic fascination. This connection is not mere admiration or respect – it involves a profound psychological transformation, where the leader becomes incorporated into each individual’s ego ideal.
- Horizontally, members of the group develop a reinforced emotional solidarity among themselves. This dynamic generates a cohesion that transcends individuality in favor of a fusion-like collective identity.
This dual identification produces a particular psychological phenomenon that Freud compares to collective regression. Within the mass, individuals revert to primitive psychic modes, characteristic of early childhood. Critical judgment – a refined function of the mature ego – dissolves in favor of a more undifferentiated, fused relationship with reality. This regression creates ideal conditions for manipulation and indoctrination. Parental figures are then replaced by powerful mythic representations – the Savior of the Nation, the Providential Leader, the Protective Father, the Sanctified Martyr – bestowing upon the leader an aura of power that surpasses their actual qualifications. The leader is idolized because they embody the collective desires and impulses.
The mastery of language and symbols is another crucial aspect of the leader’s power over the masses. Jacques Lacan particularly emphasized this symbolic dimension of leadership. The leader’s discourse is not just a communication tool; it structures the group’s psychic reality, creating a shared universe of meaning that shapes collective perception. More than just communication, speech becomes an instrument of aggregation and control, molding beliefs and perceptions. Through the manipulation of symbols and narratives, the leader shapes collective reality and imposes their unique vision of the world. The greatest charismatic leaders are often masters in the art of manipulating symbols and collective emotions through rhetoric.
The process of collective submission also relies on complex psychological defense mechanisms. Confronted with existential anxieties and uncertainties, the masses perceive the leader as an omnipotent, protective figure. This transfer of responsibility leads individuals to abandon their personal judgment in favor of a collective belief dictated by the leader. Moral prohibitions and critical judgment – ordinarily regulated by the personal superego – are suspended, resulting in passive acceptance of decisions, even when they contradict fundamental ethical principles or basic common sense.
The affective contagion that spreads within the mass further amplifies these mechanisms of submission. In the crowd, emotions circulate with remarkable speed and intensity, creating a kind of short-circuit in rational thinking. This powerful emotional mobility produces what psychoanalysts call the “group illusion” – the euphoric feeling of belonging to an inspired, unified group under the guidance of an idealized leader. One of the most concerning consequences of these collective dynamics is the impoverishment of the individual ego. The psychological boundaries that typically define personal identity become more permeable, facilitating fusion with the mass. This temporary dissolution of the self is accompanied by a dominance of primary thought processes, characterized by immediate gratification of impulses and a weakened reality principle. In turn, the media and digital tools exacerbate the speed of emotional diffusion, making crowds even more receptive to leaders’ messages, influencing discourse, and closing them off from any thoughtful dialogue.
History offers many tragic examples of these mechanisms at work. The case of Adolf Hitler is a paradigmatic example of how a leader can systematically exploit these psychological dynamics to subjugate the masses. His intuitive mastery of propaganda, sophisticated oratory techniques, and ability to mobilize collective emotions created a form of mass hypnosis with devastating consequences. Nazi rallies, meticulously orchestrated, were genuine collective rituals where the regressive fusion of the mass with its leader took place. The repetition of these patterns – especially in our Middle Eastern regions – underscores the persistence of these psychological dynamics, regardless of historical contexts.
In the contemporary world, these dynamics take new and sometimes more subtle forms. Social media and digital media create unprecedented conditions for the formation and manipulation of crowds. The passionate virality characteristic of these new media amplifies affective contagion, as well as mechanisms of identification, dependence and collective regression. Modern leaders have sophisticated communication tools at their disposal; through algorithms, for instance, they pursue their “followers” into the most intimate spaces of their lives, personalizing messages and reinforcing libidinal bonds with them.
Striving to maintain a critical and vigilant mindset in the face of upheavals that generate insecurity is essential for carefully navigating the balance between cohesion, ethics and freedom – between collective engagement and an awakened spirit, between mass seduction and lucidity. This heightened vigilance is all the more necessary as our existence is constantly shaken by contemporary crises – political, ecological, economic, security- and health-related – creating a fertile ground for the emergence of new mass movements and charismatic leaders. The collective anxiety generated by these crises can powerfully reactivate mechanisms of regression and submission to idealized protective figures.
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