The Group Psychology of Mass Madness: Jonestown

Abstract

Through a synthesis of the concepts of charisma and collective psychological regression, we construct a theoretical bridge spanning the abyss between the two traditional approaches to leadership studies the study of the personality of the individual charismatic leader versus the study of the characteristics of the members of a mass movement. We argue that neither of these traditional approaches is sufficient to illuminate the underlying but often hidden dynamics that forge the psychological context within which a charismatic leader and members of a mass movement interact. Drawing upon a large body of earlier work from the fields of both psychoanalysis and the social sciences, including our own previous studies, we provide theoretical documentation for the concept of collective pathological regression within a charismatically led mass movement. As an historical example of this phenomenon, we analyze the Reverend Jim Jones and his followers in the People's Temple in an attempt to understand the group psychology triggering the mass madness that engulfed the inhabitants of Jonestown. Our conclusion is that without additional scientific efforts to understand and explain the events of Jonestown, members of the public remain vulnerable to further similar tragedies.