This book probes the relationship between individual members and the collective, providing fresh insights into such destructive characteristics as mind control, propaganda, hypnotic influence, loss of identity, and much more. The authorexplores innovative ways to harness the creative potential of groups without sacrificing personal autonomy. In our modern, often impersonal culture, we need to better understand our urge to merge and the destructive control that can be exercised when the group becomes more important than its individual members.