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Bicameral mentality is a hypothesis introduced by Julian Jaynes who argued human ancestors as late as the ancient Greeks did not consider emotions and desires as stemming from their own minds but as the consequences of actions of gods external to themselves.
Dec 14, 2023 · Julian Jaynes’s theory draws evidence from a broad range of disciplines. The following table organizes the primary areas of evidence, explains their relevance to the bicameral mind theory, provides alternate or traditional interpretations, and identifies sources for further reading.
In January of 1977 Princeton University psychologist Julian Jaynes (1920–1997) put forth a bold new theory of the origin of consciousness and a previous mentality known as the bicameral mind in the controversial but critically acclaimed book The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind.
Julian Jaynes (February 27, 1920 – November 21, 1997) was an American researcher in psychology at Yale and Princeton for nearly 25 years, best known for his 1976 book The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind.
- Psychologist, writer
Mar 12, 2024 · Key Takeaways. Julian Jaynes proposed that early humans operated with a "bicameral" or two-chambered mind, with one part of the brain generating commands that another part perceived as the voice of gods. This theory suggests that modern consciousness, characterized by introspection and self-awareness, emerged around 3,000 years ago.
Jaynes’s bicameral mind theory is perhaps the best explanation for why the right hemisphere is often associated with religious beliefs. Below is a small sample of research supporting this aspect of Jaynes’s theory. Sudden Religious Conversions in Temporal Lobe Epilepsy.
