The illusion of a separate individual

We are born without an identity. Soon the pain and pleasure of body and our biological conditioning identifies us with the body. Then one begins to identify with things one owns starting with toys this continues into adulthood. There is identification with ideas and thoughts like a nation, tribe or ideal. Also there is the identification with relationships and people. 

This identification is what defines an individual. But the pattern of identification followed by every human being is the same although the objects might be different. So are we just part of the collective human consciousness or separate units.