My mom and I got into a debate on selflessness the other day - before the topic came up here (collective consciousness?). He thoughts were that much of human suffering - racism, hate crimes, war, etc. - is based on personal and group identities. She contended that if we could cease identifying with X group/race/whatever we would be more whole as humans and less inclined to fight amongst ourselves.
I agree with the point, but I do not believe that humans have reached a point yet that we can give up our identifying boxes. It is comfortable to be able to say "I am here in my middle-class, hetero, white, female box...and over there is a middle-class, gay, african-american male...and over there is..." It may not be the best thing for humanity or inter-personal communication, but that is where we are right now. I think that people through out time have looked for identity as a point to create contact with each other (Oh! We have similar shaped rocks! We must be friends...) and to take that away, or even to live outside of the concept of self, might make it very hard to connect with other people...or it might make it easier...
How do we know?