Collective Effervescence

When I hear effervescence, I first think of refreshing carbonated beverages or someone with a lively personality. Bubbly and cheerful. A positive quality. Collective effervescence takes it further. I heard this term for the first time a few weeks ago and have been intrigued by it ever since.

Collective effervescence is the powerful feeling of unity, excitement, energy, and connection that people experience when they come together as a group and share an experience that brings heightened emotions or a common sense of purpose. And it doesn’t matter if they know each other. Human beings being inspired together.

Here are some examples that may resonate: fans cheering together at a World Cup soccer game, people singing along at a Bruce Springsteen concert, or a crowd gathered at dusk to watch fireworks and celebrate our nation’s birthday.

The term was introduced by the French sociologist Émile Durkheim in 1912. He believed these shared experiences help strengthen social bonds and create a sense of community. Sounds like something we could use more of today. I wonder what he would make of the modern world that has taken shape over the last 100 years?

Here’s an original piece that I wrote and shared at an open mic event earlier this week:

In this time of isolation and division, collective effervescence connects us, and builds the framework for unity. It’s a convergence of concert-goers swaying in time to music. Fans jumping joyously at a jumbotron replay. An underdog upsetting a dynasty, a new dynasty beginning. Collective oohing and aahing at newborns–human and other critters.

Collective effervescence is taking in the natural world around us. The world we are part of when we step outside, embrace the vastness and accept our own smallness. Majestic mountain views, waves of water, waves of grain, waves of wonder. Settling in, even for a few seconds, to see a sunrise or sunset. Goosebumps of gratefulness at the graceful Orion spacecraft landing. Awe arrives and we realize it never left, we just stopped looking.

Collective effervescence is the deep compassion and unconditional love we are meant to give to one another. Sometimes we lose sight and sense of it when life gets loud in the ways that hurt our ears and hearts. Deafness and denial set in.

Let the goodness gain a foothold once again.

See droves of disaster relief workers and donations streaming in. Faith communities forging friendships across boundaries, real and imagined. Helpful helpings of humanity giving hope to struggling others. Kindergarten kids knocking kindness out of the park. A proliferation of patience in a snowstorm traffic jam. Tides of tenderness. Everyone everywhere creating energy through smiles and tears. The time is now

Collective effervescence is calling us. Let’s answer the call.

Yesterday, we were in Duluth, Minnesota, at Canal Park. The shipping canal and massive lift bridge let traffic in and out of the harbor area and offer views of Lake Superior. The view was very muted yesterday. Hazy and smoky air from wildfires burning in Canada and the BWCA (Boundary Waters Canoe Area) of northern Minnesota. It was disappointing, but brought perspective. Prayers and thanks to those most directly impacted by the fires and those working so hard to contain them.

We were still standing in a stunning area and watching stunning activity. Many gathered to watch a huge freighter (over 700 feet long) loaded with taconite from the Iron Range head out of the harbor. The captain, several stories above us, got out his bullhorn and asked who wanted to hear the horn. We cheered, the horn blew several times, we cheered some more. Collective effervescence.

Then, this morning I heard a poem on the Ritual app. Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer is one of my favorite poets and does the “Poetic Path” practice with listeners. Her poem “You belong to this world with” brought another example of collective effervescence. She was writing about wildfire smoke and dancing to music at an outdoor venue. It gives new meaning to rising from the ashes.

I know I am taking some liberty with the term, but consider how we each can add effervescent energy to the collective today. The odds are in our favor when more of us bubble up with contagious and liberating good.

Here is that massive freighter heading out into Lake Superior, after wowing the crowd that had gathered.