oracoli
Egregore
The egregore (from the Greek egregoros, "watchful, awake") is, in Western esotericism, a "collective entity" that would form from the psychic energies and intentions of a group. The term was introduced by Eliphas Lévi in the 19th century and taken up by Stanislas de Guaita, Papus and the Martinist tradition.
What it is said to be
According to esoteric tradition, every cohesive group (family, organisation, religion, party, sports team) generates a collective psychic field that would acquire "a life of its own" and influence its members in turn. The notion informally anticipates some intuitions of 20th-century social psychology (Le Bon, Freud, Bion) about "group psyche".
Critique and re-reading
Scientifically, the egregore does not exist as an autonomous entity. What we call an egregore poetically describes the real fact that groups develop their own dynamics, implicit norms and collective culture which act on members. It is a useful metaphor for those who study organisations or the sociology of religion.
FAQ
Do egregores exist?
Not as autonomous entities. As a "collective psychic field" they describe in esoteric key the real dynamics of groups.
Can I "create" an egregore?
In an esoteric sense, yes: every cohesive group would generate one. In a secular sense, any organisational culture is an "egregore" seen through this lens.
Is it linked to magic?
In Western ritual magic, yes: some currents work "with" egregores of tradition (kabbalistic, hermetic, rosicrucian).