EBENEZER Scrooge would probably have dismissed it as humbug, but Christmas shopping madness could be more important than any of us think.

Far from being simply an annual orgy of spending, the traditional battle through the festive crowds may have a purpose that goes right to our soul.

The frantic running through the shops could actually be part of a profound and fundamental search to discover the "real me" and convince ourselves that we really do exist.

York University sociologist Professor Colin Campbell reckons shopping is one of the most important ways in which people discover their individuality.

Our pursuit of fashion, he said, was part of our need for regular exposure to fresh stimuli if boredom is to be avoided.

And the phrase "retail therapy" is an accurate expression, directly comparable with something like participation in an encounter group.

In his academic paper I shop, therefore know that I am, Prof Campbell claims modern consumerism is defined by the prevalence of wants and desires over needs.

He also suggests that we discover who we really are through our tastes and preferences, such as liking red wine, rather than white, or Lord of The Rings rather than Harry Potter.

But in order to know that we like these things, we first have to consume them.

He added: "I'm not saying we 'buy' our identity through what we purchase, but that we discover what we are like by exposing ourselves to a wide range of products and services.

"It is justifiable to claim not simply that we live in a consumer society, or are socialised into a consumer culture, but that ours is, in a very fundamental sense, a consumer civilisation."