Participate in the study, and take this Survey on Transformation at Lucidity 2018! 

Collective Effervescence is a phrase coined by renowned anthropologist Emile Durkheim to describe a state of communal consciousness, where an entire group of people are able to experience an altered state together. Emile notes that in this state, the group is able to share thoughts, emotions, and an awareness of a greater presence.

The setting for these experiences were ceremonies of a ritualistic nature. The gathering of people through music, dancing, teaching, learning, and sharing provided the context in which made collective effervescence possible.

Victor Turner, another anthropologist who focused on rituals, spoke of these experiences as communitas, where a tribe would go through a process of transformation together. The similarities of Turner and Durkheim’s studies speak to a deeper truth, a fundamental human experience of unified transcendence that stretches back to the beginning.

The traits of those customs are similar to that of Lucidity, where freedom of expression, transformation, and community take center stage. Perhaps, Lucidity provides an opportunity to merge with the mystery of collective effervescence; an experience of thousands joining in a state of heightened awareness. Given the climate of the collective consciousness, it is difficult to conceive of an experience more healing. If there are threads that connect all humans to one another, then imagine the healing that a mutual intention of love can have on the entire web of humanity. This image is inspiring, revealing, and happening. Our vision is to explore this channel and attempt to understand the potential of the collective experience. We are calling on this sacred community to participate in demonstrating the power of communitas.

A group of researchers and I will be present at Lucidity, participating, observing, and connecting with you about your experience of collective effervescence. We hope to return to academia with insights that inspire further exploration into collective transformation and the benefits of coming together, uniting as one.

Read More about Jordan’s project in the other posts in this series: Part Two: Those Who Stopped To Dance and Part Three: Ancient Way: a Poetic Return to Collective Consciousness.

Participate in the study, and take this Survey on Transformation at Lucidity 2018!