Consciousness, collective

The concept of collective consciousness, "conscience collective" is attributed to the French sociologist Émile Durkheim. The collective consciousness means a mental unity within a society, which is expressed by a common culture, language, values and morals. The collective consciousness of a society is composed of the views and feelings held by the average of its members. Social norms result from the collective consciousness. Behavior that does not conform to the collective consciousness is socially sanctioned. The thesis of collective consciousness is also significant in hypnotherapy. Blockages can arise when certain impulses such as feelings are suppressed. For example, because the client believes they are inappropriate or wrong because they (supposedly) contradict social norms. Hypnosis can uncover and integrate repressed feelings and origins. Thus, hypnosis helps bring causes to light and create new possibilities for dealing with them.