Introduction

Abstract

What is communitas? The characteristics of communitas show it to be almost beyond strict definition, with almost endless variations. Communitas often appears unexpectedly. It has to do with the sense felt by a group of people when their life together takes on full meaning. It could be called a collective satori or unio mystica, but the phenomenon is far more common than the mystical states. Communitas can only be conveyed properly through stories. Because it is the sense felt by a plurality of people without boundaries, there are numberless questions as to its form, provenance, and implications. To answer these, this book explores the findings among many branches of human activity and types of relationships.