This article postulates that the collective consciousness of Western humankind has been enhanced during the 20th century. Three areas of human experience, the group, the reproductive process and mind expanding drugs, are used as models to test this hypothesis. It is concluded that there have been profound changes in human awareness and expectations at the cost of loss of contact with the `building blocks' of the psyche. The importance of the small group as `midwife' to this new phase in human development is considered.
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