Collective Effervescence

There’s a term in sociology, “Collective Effervescence,” that refers to the bubbly sense of unity, belonging, and joy that can arise from engaging in a shared experience with other human beings.

This term was coined by Émile Durkheim as part of his larger theory on religion and religiosity, which among other things posits that humanity incorporates activities that allow us to experience a sense of (what he called) the sacred so that we don’t go crazy living lives primarily consisting of the profane.

In other words, we engage in rituals with our fellow humans—rituals that helps us feel connected to them, and connected to something larger than ourselves—because it helps us persist through all the mundane tasks and routines associated with just getting by.