Theory of collective mind.

Theory of collective mind involves the individual's representation of a shared mental perspective, wherein the self and other converge in their experience. It is a mental representation of collective awareness of a common world and/or a common mind. Information that is encoded in relation to a collective mind is psychologically amplified and prioritized in individual cognition. Representing oneself as part of a collective mind strengthens relational bonds and increases cooperation, especially when it functions as both the origin and target of a representation. Theory of mind research has traditionally focused on the ascription of mental states to a single individual. Here, we introduce a theory of collective mind: the ascription of a unified mental state to a group of agents with convergent experiences. Rather than differentiation between one's personal perspective and that of another agent, a theory of collective mind requires perspectival unification across agents. We review recent scholarship across the cognitive sciences concerning the conceptual foundations of collective mind representations and their empirical induction through the synchronous arrival of shared information. Research suggests that representations of a collective mind cause psychological amplification of co-attended stimuli, create relational bonds, and increase cooperation, among co-attendees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]