About a decade ago I read a book called "The Origin Of Consciousness In The Breakdown Of The Bicameral Mind" by author Julian Jaynes (i think he was a professor at Princeton).
The basic premise of the book is that when gods are referred to in ancient literature (Odyssey, Illiad, Old Testament, etc), that they were not merely creative devices but in fact auditory hallucinations.
The author believes that what we now refer to as our conscieness, i.e. the little voice in our head that talks to us, was in ancient times misinterpreted as the voice of the gods due to a physical characteristic of the human brain (left vs right hemispheres) that has since "broken down," except in the cases of Schizophrenics, who still possess the bicameral mind and thus hear auditory hallucinations.
Using plenty of examples, he shows how all of the interactions with gods in folklore and ancient mythology, were essentially the individual's own inner voice compelling them to do one thing or another.
According to the book, the breakdown in the "bicameral" mind took place sometime before the birth of Christ. He has a shitload of evidence from classic and biblical sources that basically confirm his hypothesis. He seems to prove that stories from the Illiad to Moses and the burning bush were merely auditory halluciantions, not unlike clinical schizophrenia.
I, myself, don't by into the theory, though it is thoroughly supported, because I only believe in micro-evolution, not macro-evolution.
Even so, the reading is very compelling, and were I an evolutionist, I would probably accept it. I suggest all of the intellectuals who frequent these boards to check this book out, if only to show off to your friends that you're reading a book called "The Origin Of Consciousness In The Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind." Impressive, huh?
Any thoughts?
The basic premise of the book is that when gods are referred to in ancient literature (Odyssey, Illiad, Old Testament, etc), that they were not merely creative devices but in fact auditory hallucinations.
The author believes that what we now refer to as our conscieness, i.e. the little voice in our head that talks to us, was in ancient times misinterpreted as the voice of the gods due to a physical characteristic of the human brain (left vs right hemispheres) that has since "broken down," except in the cases of Schizophrenics, who still possess the bicameral mind and thus hear auditory hallucinations.
Using plenty of examples, he shows how all of the interactions with gods in folklore and ancient mythology, were essentially the individual's own inner voice compelling them to do one thing or another.
According to the book, the breakdown in the "bicameral" mind took place sometime before the birth of Christ. He has a shitload of evidence from classic and biblical sources that basically confirm his hypothesis. He seems to prove that stories from the Illiad to Moses and the burning bush were merely auditory halluciantions, not unlike clinical schizophrenia.
I, myself, don't by into the theory, though it is thoroughly supported, because I only believe in micro-evolution, not macro-evolution.
Even so, the reading is very compelling, and were I an evolutionist, I would probably accept it. I suggest all of the intellectuals who frequent these boards to check this book out, if only to show off to your friends that you're reading a book called "The Origin Of Consciousness In The Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind." Impressive, huh?
Any thoughts?
