Ancient World Review

Julian Jaynes - Consciousness & The Voices Of The Mind

Consciousness Began When The Gods Stopped Speaking

"The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind, when it finally came out in 1976, did not look like a best-seller. But sell it did. It was reviewed in science magazines and psychology journals, Time, The New York Times, and the Los Angeles Times. It was nominated for a National Book Award in 1978. New editions continued to come out, as Jaynes went on the lecture circuit. Jaynes died of a stroke in 1997; his book lived on. In 2000, another new edition hit the shelves. It continues to sell today." Source: Nautilus.

Comment: Incredible book. Highly recommended. More information on Julian Jaynes can be found here.

Julian Jaynes And The Bicameral Mind Theory

Hallucinations As The Voices Of The Gods

Note: the idea that the voices of the gods in primitive societies were actually auditory hallucinations was proposed by Julian Jaynes, author of the fantastic book "The Origin Of Consciousness In The Breakdown Of The Bicameral Mind." Whether you accept his ideas or not, Jaynes was one of the most original thinkers in recent history and his book is well-worth reading if you're interested in the development of consciousness and culture. More information and lots of papers about Jaynes can be found at the Julian Jaynes Society web site. Non-psychotic audio hallucinations are apparently more common than generally believed. For instance, see "Hearing Voices In Your Head? You Are Not Alone?" from 774 ABC Melbourne.

New Collection Of Julian Jaynes Papers Released

"Princeton University psychologist Julian Jayne's revolutionary theory on the origin of consciousness or the 'modern mind' remains as relevant and thought-provoking as when it was first proposed. Supported by recent discoveries in neuroscience, Jaynes's ideas force us to rethink conventional views of human history and psychology, and have profound implications for many aspects of modern life." More on Jaynes here and here.

"Included in this volume are rare and never before seen articles, lectures, interviews, and in-depth discussions that both clear up misconceptions as well as extend Jaynes's theory into new areas such as the nature of the self, dreams, emotions, art, music, therapy, and the consequences and future of consciousness." More information can be found on the Julian Jaynes Society web site.