fear of unexpected physical contact

creation of personal boundaries (isolation)

creation of secure spaces

Physical contact avoidance in crowded places

Apologies are common for unintentional contact

dense crowds : fear of touch becomes a sense of freedom

crowd creates a sense of equality

can form suddenly

No boundaries

desire to absorb everyone

Unlimited growth

Defined boundares

Limited growth

Focus on permanence

Crucial moment for its existence

individual differences dissolve

temporary

Often engage in destructive behaviour

Symbolizes a rejection

Provides a sense of freedom from personal burdens

Fire = powerful symbol

Increasingly common

Historical rebellions stem from a desire to break free from ceremonial constraints

transition to a state of collective growth & freedom

modern crowds seek immediate experiences over distant spiritual goals

See themselves as persecuted

Internal threats can be more damaging than external one

Can be strengthened by external attacks

Can be weakened by internal dissent

Often seek to attract crowds

Need for stability

Explosive eruptions of crowd energy

Panic leads to disintegration

Structure of venues can exacerbate panic

Closes off from the outside world

Arrangement of spectators

Desire to grow

Sense of equality

Love for density

Need for direction

Growth

Emotional state

distant goal

prolonged journey

Religious pilgrimages

Historical migrations

Long-held cultural belief

imagined as powerful & influential

active participant in the world in many cultures

imagery as a crowd = connection to ancestry and the afterlife

invisible crowd that influences present actions and decisions

concerns for future generations

Baiting

Flighting

Prohibition

Reversal

Feast

influenced the crowd's behaviour

interaction

existence of second crowd crucial for maintaining the integrity of the first

men vs. women

living vs. dead

friend vs. foe

transforms living crowds into adversarial groups

reflects competition between growing crowds

language surrounding war

conceptualization and representation of the dead shaped by society

heaps of corpse = powerful symbol of the consequences of conflict

declaration of war = unification under a common threat

urgency of survival = drive individuals to join the crowd

crowd = protective unit against perceived external threats

small + cohesive group

participate in larger crowds

promotes unity

sense of belonging among members

religious communities

orchestras

natural phenomena

symbol for crowds

destructive & captivating

ceremonial dances (ex: Navajo)

drops of water powerless alone but gain significance when part of the whole

rivers : controlled movements of crowds

forests : strength and immovability

both : metaphors for dynamics of crowd behaviour & social organization

corn : subjugation & collective fate

wind : invisible force that shape crowd dynamics

both : interconnectedness of individuals within a crowd

smallness & sameness of its parts

significant in large quantities

threat to humanity

symbol of desire for numerous descendants

heaps : collective effort & joy of shared abundance

stone heaps

treasures : tension between desire & secrecy

collective nature of human behaviour

dynamics