Why do I feel this way at a festival?

I see everywhere that people love being around other people, when around them, the weaker ones are often influenced by the stronger ones, usually those with the best speaking and storytelling ability. Is it the fact that the strong ones are able to deliver a great mind picture? Or is it something that goes beyond conscious ability? Maybe we really enjoy being in large groups to feel what others are feeling or what a group feeling would be like.

Sure by looking at someone’s external emotional indicators (facial features, verbal expression) we can determine how they are feeling and react accordingly. But in large groups you can’t examine every single person, yet the feeling (or vibe perhaps) is still felt, if enough people feel the same thing. Over the last few months I have seen examples of this and done a small social experiment.

Festivals are a great reason for people to get together and experience this group emotion, they sometimes go to see a lot of their friends in once place, but more commonly go to listen to their favourite music played by their favourite performers. A heap of likeminded people in the one place definitely alters the thoughts of the individual.

Imagine yourself going to one, you get in the gate, perhaps you have to line up for hours or get in instantly, that’s your first personal impression (and a most obvious one). You comment with your friends as you enter, if they agree you find happiness that your view is shared by other people, that happiness then projects your other feeling (wether positive or negative). This is then amplified if others are feeling the same thing, think of adding power to a radio transmitter.

Now with this amplified power another group with no knowledge (or feeling) of what is ‘in the air’ comes with the intention of entering the gates. Their thoughts would be influenced (slightly) by the feelings flying about the air. Our conscious minds are not so much aware of it, but if you sense a change in feeling, maybe you weren’t in such a good mood before you arrived, you might feel your mood change for no apparent reason. People come together in these groups to listen to music they enjoy, and to feel the positive emotions that this type of music gives them. Lots of people in one space feeling happy, it just makes sense.

Even if it’s a negative type of music, the listeners are brought together to appreciate something that they all enjoy. Enjoyment – Happiness.

Other things can make this gathering a positive or a negative one, but it really has to be felt on a large scale which is why the musicians have so much control over the overall emotion of the crowd. Those who strive to make the crowd happy, perhaps with audience involvement or good acting performance will leave with everyone in the crowd feeling refreshed and having a very high regard for the act.

Next time you go to a club, festival, concert whatever, see if you notice your mood change, ask yourself why it does so. “Oh but it was the energy of the crowd/performer”, or “I was drunk with friends”. Almost any ‘conscious’ reason you can give can be attributed to your feelings being suggested by the group emotion.