Reflections on the Dawn of Consciousness: Julian Jaynes's Bicameral Mind Theory Revisited

by Marcel Kuijsten (Editor)

Why are gods and idols ubiquitous throughout the ancient world? What is the relationship of consciousness and language? How is it that oracles came to influence entire nations such as Greece? If consciousness arose far back in human evolution, how can it so easily be altered in hypnosis and "possession"? Is modern schizophrenia a vestige of an earlier mentality? These are just some of the difficult questions addressed by Julian Jaynes's influential theory of the origin of subjective consciousness or the "modern mind." This book includes an in-depth biography of Julian Jaynes, essays by Jaynes, and the discussion and analysis of Jaynes's theory from a variety of perspectives such as clinical psychology, philosophy, neuroscience, anthropology, linguistics, and ancient history.

Genres: Philosophy, Psychology, Nonfiction, Science, Neuroscience, History, Anthropology

446 pages, Hardcover

First published January 15, 2006

About the author

Marcel Kuijsten is Founder and Executive Director of the Julian Jaynes Society. He has published four book on Julian Jaynes's theory of the origin of consciousness and the bicameral mind (recently featured on the HBO hit series Westworld):
Conversations on Consciousness and the Bicameral Mind; Gods, Voices, and the Bicameral Mind; The Julian Jaynes Collection; and Reflections on the Dawn of Consciousness.

Join the Julian Jaynes Society or sign up for our mailing list at www.julianjaynes.org and connect on Facebook and Twitter.

Reviews

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

This and Jaynes' "The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind" are two of my favorite books. Jaynes' theory is perhaps the most important, and certainly the most original, since Darwin's theory of evolution. This book expands on Jaynes' ideas and I enjoyed the broad range of perspectives. "Reflections on the Dawn of Consciousness" will have you rethinking your ideas on a wide range of topics — from the history of the mind, to the origin of mental illness and the origin of religion.

The book starts out with an interesting Foreword by the neuroscientist Michael Persinger, who has done related research on the right temporal lobe, followed by a nice Introduction by the editor of the volume. Chapter 1 is an in depth biography of Julian Jaynes, which contains a great deal of information about Jaynes that I was previously unfamiliar with. There are four chapters by Jaynes himself – little know essays on Egypt, ancient China, the voices of William Blake, and a longer chapter on Jaynes’s own continuing research into the prevalence of auditory hallucinations in society. John Hamilton discusses bicameral-like auditory hallucinations in a group of quadriplegics, further supporting the idea that they are more common than was previously known. Marcel Kuijsten’s chapter provides an update on all of the new research that has emerged since the publication of Jaynes’s book that further supports the theory. Psychologist John Limber provides an interesting discussion of the relationship between language and consciousness, an idea still hotly debated and central to Jaynes’s theory. The anthropologist Brian McVeigh discusses hypnosis and spirit possession in Jaynesian terms and makes a strong case for the idea that the self is a social construction. The psychologist Scott Greer describes the possible influence of Aristotle on Jaynes’s thinking. In one of my favorite chapters, the philosopher David Stove describes how Jaynes’s theory is the best he’s come across in terms of explaining the origin of religion. In a chapter titled “Greek Zombies,” the philosopher Jan Sleutels, a brilliant critical thinker, methodically breaks down the criticisms of Jaynes’s theory by the philosopher Ned Block, showing how Block’s arguments don’t hold up under close scrutiny. This chapter in my view was long overdue, as unfortunately Jaynes did not seem to spend much time countering the arguments against his theory. Finally, Michael Carr describes the fascinating evidence for bicameralism in ancient China.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent book -- big picture history of science, philosophy, neuroscience, archeology, cross-cultural anthropology, the nature of discovery, evolution, consciousness, and critical thinking. I highly recommend it both for those already familiar with Jaynes as well as readers that are new to his theory.

I first read Jaynes’ book, “The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind,” about 10 years ago. Jaynes puts forth the theory that consciousness (as he carefully defines it) does not extend far back into human evolution, but is a more recent development in ancient history. Jaynes argues that consciousness, which he roughly defines as “introspectable mind-space” is not a product of biological evolution but a learned process based in part on language development and writing. According to Jaynes, prior to the development of consciousness, humans functioned in a different mental mode called the bicameral mind. The vestiges of this previous way of thinking have profound implications for modern society.

"Reflections on the Dawn of Consciousness" contains chapters by professors and scholars from a variety of disciplines. Not only does the book offer insights into Jaynes’ theory from various fields of study, it also demonstrates how relevant Jaynes’ theory is to a broad range of disciplines. The contributors to this book provide new evidence and discussion both supporting and expanding on Jaynes’ important ideas. The information contained in “Reflections on the Dawn of Consciousness” should help to reignite the debate about Jaynes' theory.

I found "Reflections on the Dawn of Consciousness" to be a long overdue, intensely thought-provoking and valuable contribution to the study of Jaynes' theory. Thankfully, “Reflections on the Dawn of Consciousness” is highly substantive and not dumbed down to the lowest common denominator, as so many science books geared toward a non-academic audience tend to be these days. Given the fact that Jaynes’ theory remains somewhat controversial, I think it is especially important that any new book on the theory be as well researched and well documented as this one is.

If you like to be challenged by new ideas, you read at a college level, and are at all interested in Jaynes’ theory (or would like to learn more about it), you will find much of interest in this thought-provoking book. I couldn’t put it down and plan to read it again.

[Ted · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reflections on the Dawn of Consciousness explains, extends, and expands many of Julian Jaynes's most provocative ideas. For readers who finished The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind and wondered 'What comes next?', this collection provides answers. Gathering together both additional writings by Jaynes himself, along with thoughtful essays by scholars from a wide range of disciplines, the book both explores ways in which Jaynes's thought can be applied in specific fields of study and serves as a testimony to the centrality of the issue of consciousness to all fields of intellectual endeavor. This worthy sequel to Jaynes's original book has been a long time coming, but the wait has been worth it

[Richard · Rating 2 out of 5]

This isn't a sequel to, but a book about, The Origins of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind by Julian Jaynes, published by the Julian Jaynes Society and consisting of essays (some by Jaynes himself), and a short biography. Contrary to what some reviewers have written, if you were to read this one first I think it would give you a half-decent overview of Jaynes' theory of consciousness.

What you won't get though is any idea of how well written the original is - there's some fairly turgid stuff in this one. The exception is an essay which sticks out a mile from the rest: The Oracles and their Cessation by David Stove, about the origin and existence of religion, is written in a style so lively and clear it's worth borrowing the book just to read it.

[David Coleman · Rating 5 out of 5]

quite disappointing, actually, compared to the original Jaynes text THE DAWN OF CONSCIOUSNESS AND THE BREAKDOWN OF THE BICAMERAL MIND.

if you're not a Jaynes fan, this will be tough, sluggish going. it's mostly recap. and while the glimmers and gleamings of various tech and philosophic writings grant a lot of credibility to Jayne's ideas almost 30 years after their initial and oft controversial debuts, REFLECTIONS ON THE DAWN OF CONSCIOUSNESS is actually, well... less reflective and more like a distillation, a compendium, a companion volume.

and a poorer cousin down the literary roads it remains, alas.

i credit the Julian Jaynes Foundation for attempting to keep Jaynes alive and his theories' impact fresh. from showing how brain scan technologies have largely validated much of what Jayne's argued in the left vs right brain field, to the less satisfying concluding chapter that shows how ancient chinese pre-conscious societies buried their dead but kept them eternally alive through visitation/hallucination rituals that eventually (like bicameral mind itself) broke down into consciousness, REFLECTIONS does offer some good tidbits for we die-hard fans.

but what's needed is a next leap level in the Jaynes school of thought, not collected short works that merely empiracally echo his initial 'cosmic bang' of an idea. it's not that these works aren't valuable; they are.

but they don't transcend the 'left brain' approach. they're overall dry, pendantic, and feel as trapped in academia as the very constrictive voices Jaynes rebelled against while imprisoned in those Hallowed Halls and fought tenure, PhD requirements, etc., himself.

if there were an Arthur Clarke or someone of equally passionate yet clearer voice who could come along, eloquently expand not echo, Jayne's now silent voice?

then bicameral theory would be much closer to bicameral fact.

still, if you're into Jaynes, this is a must-read, if only because so little else is ever published about this often misunderstood genius who will -- imho -- be remembered as a giant by future generations while we believed the world was still flat... at least the worlds of the inner minds (and that plural for minds is deliberate).

but... i'd swap this for a well-read but intact copy of Jayne's original tome; mine was lost in my recent move and i miss it. ;(

[A]

For those fascinated by Jaynes's original book, there is a complete self-study course to further your information in all areas of his thought here: https://www.julianjaynes.org/resource...

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

As the full title, Reflections on the Dawn of Consciousness: Julian Jaynes's Bicameral Mind Theory Revisited, intimates, before beginning this book some prior reading, namely Julian Jaynes, is advisable if not precisely necessary. Jaynes was a gifted and sincere academic who distrusted the strictures institutions place on human thought. In keeping with this attitude, he crafted his referenced opus by accessing a half dozen academic disciplines and paying little professional attention to the reception his theories might receive. Jaynes, exceedingly rare among academics, wrote what he thought and not simply what he thought would bring him professional success (which, incidentally, he eschewed in favor of pursuing the studies he wished to pursue, as opposed to the studies that would secure his career - he taught at Harvard, but never pursued tenure). He was a unique man who developed a unique theory worth revisiting. You can read a dozen people summarize Jaynes' ideas about consciousness and his bicameral mind theory, but nothing replaces reading Jaynes himself. Not only is he a clear and engaging writer, but it helps to read his own lucid and unfailingly sane authorial voice in order to take seriously his ideas that many consider "out there".

In 1976, Julian Jaynes published the strange and daring The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind. In this work, Jaynes blends historical, linguistic, literary, neurological and psychological research in order to propose his unique theory of human consciousness. I find the preponderance of Jaynes' evidence in support of his thesis (or, more appropriately, theses) compelling, but cannot recreate his wealth of evidence here. Rather, I will sketch his arguments. To believe or to intelligently disbelieve his arguments, one really needs to read this book for oneself. As elucidated broadly by Marcel Kuijsten and only reordered slightly by me, Jaynes' theories can be separated into four main hypotheses which may stand more or less alone*: (1) Consciousness Based on Language; (2) The Dating of Consciousness; (3) The Bicameral Mind Theory; and (4) Jaynes' Neurological Model.** I will use these same categories in discussing Jaynes' theories.

(1) Consciousness Based on Language

Jaynes argues that "consciousness" is a linguistic space created by metaphorical language in which a person introspects upon an analog "I". In other words, consciousness pertains only to the act of regarding one's interiorized self via introspection. For Jaynes consciousness is a linguistic game, one centered around the metaphorical selves we create in order to evaluate hypothetical situations without having to act in real world situations. Much cognition we habitually attribute to consciousness actually occurs outside of consciousness by Jaynes' definition. He believes that learning and even reasoning do not necessarily involve consciousness. He provides many examples of activities we generally assume require consciousness (bike riding, piano playing, etc.), but establishes that, in fact, consciousness often hinders performance of these complex tasks. He observes that mindstate vocabulary and other words used to describe interior mental states actually derive from real physical-world vocabulary and are only applied metaphorically to mental states. E.g., To see, to grasp, and to apprehend all refer initially to actions we take in the physical world with our bodies. They only metaphorically refer to mental activity -- or more precisely, to our subjective introspected experience of some portion of our mental activity.

Now, this idea of consciousness as a linguistic metaphor, or metaphorical activity, is difficult enough for many to accept. As experiencers of consciousness, we use it to mediate all aspects of our relationship to the physical world. It seems so natural and ubiquitous that we usually categorize consciousness alongside capacities like our senses of sight or smell - things hardwired into our biology. Neurobiologists seek consciousness by studying the brain. Jaynes himself began looking for signs of consciousness by studying animal behavior before he alit on the idea that consciouness had more to do with language than it did with physiology or cognition. To accept Jaynes' idea of consciousness as a metaphorically crafted mindspace, we must also accept that the seat of our very sense of self is a cultural adaptation and not innate to us. We are taught consciousness and achieve this weird feat only through recourse to our highly complex language systems. That is, consciousness is cultural.

(2) The Dating of Consciousness

Jaynes argues that consciousness developed only 3,000 to 2,500 years ago. He arrived at this general timeframe by studying a variety of classical period writings and religious practices. As an armchair student of history familiar with the literature and practices he mentions, I found this portion of his argument most compelling. I guess biologists have a hard time believing such sweeping behavioral change could have occurred among biologically modern humans so recently, but again, if consciousness is cultural and not physiological, this shift would not seem quite so unbelievably drastic. Moreover, if the development of consciousness did occur when Jaynes says it did, many religious practices and changes in literature would be instantly explained. But why religious practices? Well, the answer to that question leads to the final pill so many cannot swallow with regard to Jaynes' theory, namely the mindstate which Jaynes asserts predated consciousness.

(3) The Bicameral Mind Theory

Jaynes argues that prior to consciousness, human beings inhabited a bicameral mindstate. Instead of using consciousness to introspect during stressful situations and, in this metaphorical mindspace, to decide what action to take, bicameral human beings solved problems and performed other types of cognition without consciousness of doing so. Their decisions and solutions issued from the brain's right hemisphere in a manner experienced by the left hemisphere as auditory hallucinations. Bicameral men and women interpreted these voices as those of gods and ancestors telling them what to do. They obeyed the voices without question. In strictly hierarchical societies like Homeric Greece, each individual's "voices" did not likely conflict with any other's. Authority was obvious and agreed upon (think of an ant colony). Interestingly, even in modern, conscious humans who experience auditory hallucinations, hallucinated voices are usually hortatory, difficult to disobey and are often interpreted as belonging to authority figures, dead relatives or to god. If auditory hallucinations tend to take this form in humans, little wonder bicameral people would tend to hear the same voices as one another, tend to attribute them to the same authority figures and, in essence, to create religion.

(4) Jaynes' Neurological Model

In 1976, neuroscience was a young field and Jaynes had only a few studies with which to work. My understanding of neurology and the brain is much weaker than my understanding of language or history, so I will not attempt to explain his thoughts. However, in the last 30 years, according to Kuijsten and several of the other authors in Reflections, neurological research has tended to support Jaynes' predictions about how the two hemispheres of the brain work and interact, such that the brain could function bicamerally, i.e., could create the hallucinated voices he postulated in The Origin of Consciousness.

In general, Reflections offers much to bolster support for Jaynes. The contributing authors come from a variety of fields, study vastly different topics, and some only adopt Jaynes' theories in part, but each and every one finds something inspiring if not rather nagging in his research - something that will not leave them alone with regard to their own studies. They must contend with Jaynes.

John Hamilton explores the experience of auditory hallucinations among quadriplegics who cannot speak. He supports Jaynes' hypothesis concerning how hallucinations function. He also supports Jaynes' belief that a broader section of humans experience auditory hallucinations than was previously thought.*** Jan Sleutels logically dissects counter arguments to Jaynes' bicameral mind theory to demonstrate that it is possible. (This sounds small, but so many scholars will not even do Jaynes the respect of properly grappling with his theories.) Brian J. McVeigh evaluates what Jaynsean theory can say about problems of the self, volition and agency. Michael Carr examines Chinese paleography of specific words relating to an ancient religious ritual and finds that changes in the words and ritual, over time, corroborate not only bicamerality itself, but the dating of Jaynes' bicameral-consciousness shift.

Reflections, like The Origin of Consciousness, makes for intensely fascinating reading. However, many questions remain unanswered. If related to language and writing, how exactly did the bicameral-consciousness shift occur? What risk do we run of dehumanizing those who do not share our mindstate if ancient people truly behaved more like ants or automata -- or, conversely, how can we use this knowledge to expand our idea of what it means to be human? What is the connection between the shift to consciousness and written language (for Jaynes asserts there is one)? If consciousness is cultural and the shift to it from bicamerality only gradual, as Jaynes describes, are there not still bicameral or partially bicameral peoples living today - say, any group that did not develop a written language, an uncontacted tribe in the Amazon or elsewhere?

And this seems to me the most important concern - that, if bicamerality really existed (and still exists), we must fight our very human urge to hierarchize "stages" of human "development" such that bicamerality falls unfailingly beneath consciousness on a progressive ladder of mindstates, in much the same way some misunderstand evolution to represent progress as opposed to adaptive change. Jaynes places no such valuations on these mindstates, but many of his detractors treat his theories as though prejudice and a sense of superiority inhere in them. I believe they are criticizing what they bring to the table rather than what Jaynes does. They presume consciousness has been some great gift to humanity and is clearly a superior state of being. I, for one, am not so convinced.


*Although if placed side by side and read with some credulity, it is hard not to feel as though Julian Jaynes were explaining to you the most intractable mysteries of human history in one fell swoop. This is partially why he is so compelling - if he is even half correct, so many various and sundry historical questions are answered.
**These are Kuijsten's section headings in his essay contribution to Reflections, "Consciousness, Hallucinations and the Bicameral Mind: Three Decades of New Research".
***Which vestigal evidence of bicamerality one would expect if it were a mindstate persisting up until a couple of thousand years ago.

[Randy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having read "Dawn of Consciousness" in the 70s, I have spent 40 years wondering whether Jaynes was a crackpot (Mary Baker Eddy), or a dismissed genius (Galileo).

Frequently, when we read masterpieces in fields not our own, we are tortured by suspicion... are we overlooking the obvious clues this is a gigantic fraud? Or is it a wonderwork? Or is it both?

This collection of essays takes the "wonderwork" position. It's a one-sided review, so we should take care in reaching grand conclusions about Jaynes after reading the two books. But it's a gratifying support of Jaynes' key hypotheses.

As you can tell, I'm a babe in the woods on Jaynes. I wondered many times during the intervening years "What ever happened to Jaynes?" Where is the sequel? This tome answers those questions.

I'm still unsure whether Jaynes' theory is anything but. Where are the MRI studies? The inter-species comparisons? We need much more on the links between speech, writing, and consciousness...

But it was a fun, diverting, and nostalgic return to a fascinating tour de force.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mostly fascinating but occasionally a little scattershot 30-years-on followup to Julian Jaynes work. This is a great check-in, especially if, while you were reading The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind, you were wondering about what neuroscience and more recent cultural/anthropological research might have revealed. Turns out there's still plenty to think about and good chunks of Jaynes' big idea still in play.

[Liedzeit Liedzeit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Essays on Jaynes 30 years after. He was not fortunate. No one seems to really care. At least the essays prove that there are a couple of guys taking him seriously. This is, I am happy to see, not the work of nuts.

[David Scherer · Rating 5 out of 5]

one of the most interesting books i've ever opened. a book for both sides of the brain

[Vagabond of Letters, DLitt · Rating 3 out of 5]

6/10

A mixed bag of essays which doesn't stand well on its own and can not touch the heights of the original (Julian Jaynes's 'Origin of Consciousness').

[Carolina Liechtenstein · Rating 4 out of 5]

Difficult for most people to read. But is worthwhile to read. It gives volcanic explosion credit for the demise of a left brain dominant civilization - the Create civilization.

[Dan · Rating 2 out of 5]

As a Jaynes fanboy, I was disappointed that most of this seemed to be written by other fanboys and not by specialists weighing in on his, let's face it, bizarre theory about early religion. The last piece, though, about Chinese bone oracles, was the sort of thing I was looking for.

[Sushil · Rating 4 out of 5]

I, probably like many other first-time readers of Jaynes's classic 'The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind', was left wondering whatever happened to Jayne's beautiful theory. How come I don't hear about it in the mainstream press? Could it be that like many other beautiful theories of the past, this too didn't stand up to the deeper, harsher scrutiny that inevitably follows. Marcel's book does a wonderful job of giving the reader at once a review, an update, and a look back. The book is a collection of articles by leading researchers and thinkers in the areas of consciousness, religion, and psychology. What I gathered from this book is that Jaynes's theories, despite not finding a proper place in the towers of academia, are still alive and well and continue to inspire iconoclastic researchers across the globe. The sense I got is that the scholars of religion find the Jaynes's framework the most useful in tying up disparate rituals and practices into a single whole. On the consciousness front, even though the possibility that strong consciosuness may be a socially-constructed concept, like Jaynes argued, is considered a real one now, the bicameral aspect of Jaynes's theory remains a largely neglected one.

[Meeg · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the unpublished essays by Jaynes, Kuijsten's overview and about half of the other chapters. Sometimes I judged by the title that it wouldn't interest me (auditory hallucinations in nonverbal quadriplegics), other times I couldn't get through it. I have to mention Chapter 11 "Greek Zombies" by Sleutels which starts out sounding like a reasonable discussions of the arguments for and against Jaynes' theory but devolves into an overly-complicated series of formal logic propositions whose underlying bases (in my opinion) are flawed. Chapter 7 by McVeigh on Agency and Volition might have actually been the most enlightening. One take away for me from the book was that you can characterize Jaynes' theory as proposing that consciousness is a cultural construct. It occurred to me that just as academics analyze cultural artifacts through Freud, Marx, Derrida, Gramsci, etc. I'd like to see analyses from a Jaynesian perspective.

[Tajsha]

Since I still have not had a chance to get my hands on a copy of this book and had a chance to read it as of yet, I am going to hold off on it for now. I was going to use it in a discussion during an upcoming workshop. I would have liked to have had it read before that event; however, I was not able to... most likely due to the "busy-ness" of my summer with work and such....
I do plan on reading it in the very near future...such as in the next month or two...
What I have learned about this whole situation is to not wait around until "later" to do something because "later" could turn out to be too later or it it may just never come...
Thanks Marcel for the bit of encouragement/nudge.

Review to come.... not "later" but in the very near future...

[Russell Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are a fan of Julian Jaynes' origin of consciousness theory then there are precious few books for you to read beyond the original. This is one of two out there that I recommend. There are several essays by Jaynes and a number of essays that deal with Jaynes' work penned by other scholars. Mr. Kuijsten himself makes a significant contribution to this volume which is a must have for for anyone interested in the bicameral breakdown hypothesis of the origin of consciousness.

[Earl Bayer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was an effective follow up go Jaynes' fascinating work that I read in college. "Origins " was a revelation to me and I have reread it several times since. Reflections adds layers to my understanding. It is not a book though that stands up on its own. if you haven't read Origins what are you waiting for?

[Steven Schneider]

I read The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind in the 70's and it was a unique head-spinning lightening rod paradigm blaster of a book. 40 years later it has only been legitimized and made even more shocking by its premises adding to a new paradigm. Hearing voices? Join the club.

[Gideon]

It's so strange that I found out about this book just now, I had my copy of Jaynes's book in my hand not 15 minutes ago! And I don't generally wander about the house groping the thing.

Will have to pick this up.

[Ann M]

I couldn't get all the way through the Jaynes book, tho I find the theory fascinating. Have to give this one a try.

[Benjamin Julian · Rating 1 out of 5]

I bought this book hoping for concrete evidence, but got mostly ad hominem praise for Jaynes and typographic analysis - not the concrete to build houses of.

[Canard Frère]

Some interesting updates on Jayne's theory and a few critics. Those last ones could have been more developped, otherwise the compilation is a good read if you're already familiar with the subject.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

There was some good additional material here.

[Zo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mixed bag. Many of the essays have exciting and thought-provoking parts, but there is in general too much biography, hagiography, and uncritical acceptance of Jaynes arguments. This book did help me get a better grip on my thinking about Jaynes, but oftentimes not because of the essays actual arguments. I remain convinced that Jaynes articulation of access-consciousness as a type of metaphor is important, and this book does a good job of emphasizing the need for better explanations of ancient religious phenomena than we currently have. The book did not offer much in the way of empirical/critical science on the actual bicamerality hypothesis, and while I am skeptical Jaynes is anywhere close to "right" in that regard, I do think there is more work to be done in explaining the neuro-basis of altered mental states (and how much they can change based on cultural concepts). Some of the info on historical and cross-cultural mental vocab/conceptions is really great. Would like to see a more critical discussion of his work, but one that is not entirely dismissive.

[Isaac]

“Can it be ruled out that consciousness is like a disease? Suffice it to note here that there is no obvious way to block this possibility in a non-ad hoc fashion…What is more, I think there is reason to believe that mental capacities in general are ontogenetically like diseases, consciousness included. The rapid growth and the high mutation rates of pathogen populations structurally resemble the extreme complexity and plasticity of neural tissue, in the sheer number of nerve cells and synaptic connections, in the ability of nerve cells to grow new synaptic connections. The ability of pathogen populations to rapidly adjust to culture-bound conditions and to settle in a new “ontogenetic niche,” may compare to the ability of neural structure to adjust to culture-bound conditions. To continue the analogy, just like the pathogens’ genetic identity is contingent on cultural conditions, so the mind’s neural identity is, hence presumably a fortiori its very structure and capacities.”

[Gee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Incredibly uneven collection of essays. Some real dogs, however the last entry regarding etymology/linguistic evidence of bi-camerality transition from the Shang/Zhou period is alone, worth reading; however it requires interest/knowledge of Chinese. That last essay alone, deserves multiple readings - the rest are a hard pass.

[Martin Metke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Revisits Jaynes's theory with new updates, research, and viewpoints. Fascinating stuff even for the lay-person.

[Bria]

I'm not really sure this brought anything new to the table after Julian Jaynes. A big chunk of many of the essays were just reiterating what Jaynes said. Many had weak arguments, or were just boring. It was kind of hard to get through.