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PODCAST

Consciousness and the Bicameral Mind - The Julian Jaynes Society Podcast

Julian Jaynes Society

Listen to "Consciousness and the Bicameral Mind: The Julian Jaynes Society Podcast," where we explore Princeton University psychologist Julian Jaynes"s theory of the origin of consciousness and the bicameral mind, as described in his best selling book, "The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind." Produced by Julian Jaynes Society Executive Director Marcel Kuijsten. Learn more about Julian Jaynes"s theory or become a member by visiting the Julian Jaynes Society at

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01:38:04

26. Consciousness and Bicameral Mentality: A Deep...

Consciousness and the Bicameral Mind - The Julian... ·

2025/06/06

Consciousness and Bicameral Mentality: A Deep Dive Discussion Exploring Nearly Every Aspect of Julian Jaynes's TheoryA fascinating, deep dive discussion that provides an in-depth exploration of nearly every aspect of Julian Jaynes's theory of the origin of consciousness and an earlier mentality he called the bicameral mind.Highly recommended for those new to Julian Jaynes and long time Jaynes enthusiasts alike! Produced by Camille Tillier. Introduction read by Michael R. Jacobs

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00:12:58

25. Consciousness and Dreams

Consciousness and the Bicameral Mind - The Julian... ·

2025/03/11

Consciousness and Dreams By Marcel Kuijsten“In The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind, Julian Jaynes discusses a variety of forms of evidence for the transition from a bicameral mentality to consciousness. The study of dreams provides another window through which to examine this transition. By extension, historical changes in the nature of dreams support the idea that consciousness is in a learned process based on language and not biologically innate. There is a common

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01:25:45

24. Julian Jaynes' Theory of the Origin of...

Consciousness and the Bicameral Mind - The Julian... ·

2025/02/04

An interview with Julian Jaynes Society Founder and Executive Director Marcel Kuijsten and Julian Jaynes Society Senior Researcher and author Brian J. McVeigh on Julian Jaynes's theory of the origin of consciousness and the bicameral mind. Learn more about Julian Jaynes's theory or become a member by visiting the Julian Jaynes Society at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.julianjaynes.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Read Marcel Kuijsten's books on Julian Jaynes's theory: "Conversations on

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00:11:02

23. Falling between the Cracks

Consciousness and the Bicameral Mind - The Julian... ·

2025/01/14

Falling between the Cracks: Julian Jaynes’s Defiance of Scholarly Conventions Challenged Cherished Methodological Assumptions — This Is What Makes Him Hard to AppreciateBy Brian J. McVeigh Read by Michael R. Jacobs (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.theungoogleable.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@VoidDenizen⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠). Academics make progress when they are inspired by the cross-pollination of ideas, and most researchers, arguably, utilize a multi-disciplinary

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00:08:31

22. The Myth of “Pure Consciousness”

Consciousness and the Bicameral Mind - The Julian... ·

2024/12/17

The Myth of “Pure Consciousness” - The Belief in a Fundamental Psychic Process Hinders Progress in PsychologyBy Brian J. McVeigh Read by Michael R. Jacobs (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.theungoogleable.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@VoidDenizen⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠). “If understanding a thing is arriving at a familiarizing metaphor for it, then we can see that there always will be a difficulty in understanding consciousness. For it should be immediately apparent that

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00:16:20

21. A Resurgence of Julian Jaynes’ Theory of...

Consciousness and the Bicameral Mind - The Julian... ·

2024/11/12

A Resurgence of Julian Jaynes’ Theory of ConsciousnessBy Peter Sellick Read by Michael R. Jacobs (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.theungoogleable.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@VoidDenizen⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠). Adam Mars-Jones begins his review of Alvaro Enrigue’s “You Dreamed of Empires” (London Review of Books, Volume 46, Number 10) with the following: “Culture shock seems too mild a phrase to describe the arrival of Europeans in South and Central America. In his 1976

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00:06:41

20. Julian Jaynes Is Not for the Intellectually...

Consciousness and the Bicameral Mind - The Julian... ·

2024/10/08

Julian Jaynes Is Not for the Intellectually Fainthearted — But Breaking Jaynesian Psychology Down into Four Hypotheses Makes Things EasierBy Brian J. McVeigh Read by Michael R. Jacobs (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.theungoogleable.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@VoidDenizen⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠). I first encountered Julian Jaynes’s The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind almost 45 years ago. Though the book made sense to me, I could see why people would

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00:10:34

19. The Need to Acknowledge Bicameral Vestiges:...

Consciousness and the Bicameral Mind - The Julian... ·

2024/09/10

The Need to Acknowledge Bicameral Vestiges: Jaynesian Psychology Finds Support not just from the Ancient WorldBy Brian J. McVeigh Read by Michael R. Jacobs (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.theungoogleable.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@VoidDenizen⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠). This post is inspired by a recent exchange I had with a commentator who saw little value in relying on biblical accounts as evidence to support Jaynes’s theories because they were “fairytales.” Presumably such a criticism

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00:17:52

18. Disentangling Inner Speech, Self-dialogue, and...

Consciousness and the Bicameral Mind - The Julian... ·

2024/08/13

Disentangling Inner Speech, Self-dialogue, and Auditory Hallucinations: The Mind Is a Machine for Sociopsychological CommunicationBy Brian J. McVeigh Read by Michael R. Jacobs (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.theungoogleable.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@VoidDenizen⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠). How are inner speech, self-dialogue, auditory imagery, and hallucinations related? And what exactly are hallucinations? Some have suggested that hallucinations are caused by a monitoring defect in inner speech

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00:44:13

17. Consciousness, Cognition, and Free Will: A...

Consciousness and the Bicameral Mind - The Julian... ·

2024/07/30

Consciousness, Cognition, and Free Will: A Jaynesian PerspectiveAn Interview by Vinay Kolhatkar with Julian Jaynes Society Founder and Executive Director Marcel Kuijsten. Marcel Kuijsten discusses the uniquely human consciousness from a Jaynesian perspective with the show's host, Vinay Kolhatkar. Also covered are free will and cognition, the cognitive explosion of Ancient Greece, pre-conceptual ancient cultures prevalent today, the human disposition to obeying authorial voices, and the enormous

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00:08:16

16. History, Not Evolution, Is the Key Variable for...

Consciousness and the Bicameral Mind - The Julian... ·

2024/07/16

History, Not Evolution, Is the Key Variable for Understanding Consciousness: The Temporal Extension Thesis and the Adaptive PsycheBy Brian J. McVeigh Read by Michael R. Jacobs (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.theungoogleable.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.youtube.com/@VoidDenizen⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠). The human mind is always adjusting, accommodating, and adopting resources from outside itself to expand and improve its capabilities. Such adaptation, if broadly understood, unfolds across different temporal spans. But a glaring weakness

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00:07:41

15. Has Human Mentality Changed? Part 2: Cognitive...

Consciousness and the Bicameral Mind - The Julian... ·

2024/07/02

Has Human Mentality Changed?Part 2: Cognitive Relativism and Jaynesian Psychology By Brian J. McVeigh Read by Michael R. Jacobs (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.theungoogleable.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.youtube.com/@VoidDenizen⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠). In Part 1 of “Has Human Mentality Changed?” I discussed how the contributions of Julian Jaynes bolster a radical neuroplastic understanding of the mind, especially if the crucial role of the cultural acquisitions of adaptive cognitive capabilities are incorporated into the analysis of

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00:09:56

14. Has Human Mentality Changed? Part 1:...

Consciousness and the Bicameral Mind - The Julian... ·

2024/06/18

Has Human Mentality Changed?Part 1: Neuroplasticity and Jaynesian Psychology By Brian J. McVeigh Read by Michael R. Jacobs (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.theungoogleable.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.youtube.com/@VoidDenizen⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠). The media and scientific journals give much attention to “neuroplasticity” (the brain’s innate ability to form and reorganize synaptic connections in response to learning or injury), “neurodiversity” (variations in the brain regarding sociability, learning, attention, mood, and other various

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00:10:36

13. Putting Julian Jaynes’s Theory to the Test

Consciousness and the Bicameral Mind - The Julian... ·

2024/06/04

Putting Julian Jaynes’s Theory to the TestJaynes’s Theorizings, Like All Great Systems of Thought, Require Hypotheses-testing and Experimentation to Be Substantiated By Brian J. McVeigh Read by Michael R. Jacobs (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.theungoogleable.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.youtube.com/@VoidDenizen⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠). It is easy to forget that the Newtonian, Darwinian, and Einsteinian intellectual edifices were built over many years, painstakingly solidified brick by brick through batteries of well-designed experiments and

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00:31:58

12. Fact Checking Scott Alexander’s Discussion of...

Consciousness and the Bicameral Mind - The Julian... ·

2024/05/21

Fact Checking Scott Alexander’s Discussion of Julian Jaynes’s Theory on “Slate Star Codex”By Marcel Kuijsten Read by Michael R. Jacobs (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.theungoogleable.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.youtube.com/@VoidDenizen⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠). In June 2020, the psychiatrist and blogger Scott Alexander wrote a review of Julian Jaynes’s The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind for his popular “Slate Star Codex” blog. His discussion of Jaynes’s theory contains a number of misconceptions and errors, and I

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00:08:05

11. Conscious Interiority Is a Constellation of...

Consciousness and the Bicameral Mind - The Julian... ·

2024/05/07

Conscious Interiority Is a Constellation of Processes But Attention-grabbing Headlines in the Scientific Literature Mistakenly Suggest that Consciousness is an All-purpose Psychological Stuff By Brian J. McVeigh Read by Michael R. Jacobs (⁠⁠⁠⁠www.theungoogleable.com⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.youtube.com/@VoidDenizen⁠⁠⁠⁠). Pretend you’re from another dimension and unfamiliar with cars, planes, trains, and ships. But you quickly notice what they share in common: Motion. You’re interested in discovering exactly how

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00:14:58

10. Conscious Interiority and the Language Trap

Consciousness and the Bicameral Mind - The Julian... ·

2024/04/23

Conscious Interiority and the Language TrapWhy We Struggle to Explain Consciousness By Brian J. McVeigh Read by Michael R. Jacobs (⁠⁠⁠www.theungoogleable.com⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠www.youtube.com/@VoidDenizen⁠⁠⁠). Cleaning up the mess surrounding the uses of “consciousness” is not an airy, abstruse, or esoteric subject, a topic only for absent-minded academics with their heads in the clouds. This discussion has serious, profound, and practical implications. Neuroscientists employ terminology to delineate the

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00:06:15

09. A Relay-Race Model of Conscious Interiority

Consciousness and the Bicameral Mind - The Julian... ·

2024/04/16

A Relay-Race Model of Conscious InteriorityA Cultural Invention, Consciousness Needs to Be Relearned with Each Generation By Brian J. McVeigh Read by Michael R. Jacobs (⁠⁠www.theungoogleable.com⁠⁠, ⁠⁠www.youtube.com/@VoidDenizen⁠⁠). The word “consciousness” usually evokes something neuroanatomical, intimately bound up with perceptual experiences, an evolutionary psychological feature from our very distant past that is inherent to the brain itself. Consciousness for many seems to be a general term

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00:07:09

08. Consciousness Is a Cultural Add-on

Consciousness and the Bicameral Mind - The Julian... ·

2024/04/09

Consciousness Is a Cultural Add-onA Product of History Not Reducible to Neurology, Conscious Interiority Is Like Mathematics By Brian J. McVeigh Read by Michael R. Jacobs (⁠www.theungoogleable.com⁠, ⁠www.youtube.com/@VoidDenizen⁠). When we hear the word “consciousness” many of us, in a knee-jerk manner, associate it with neuroanatomy, neurophysiology, or something physically inborn. We also link it to perceptual or cognitive processes that are non-historical and non-cultural. However, according to

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00:09:24

07. Jaynesian Therapeutics and the Self-healing Mind:...

Consciousness and the Bicameral Mind - The Julian... ·

2024/04/02

Jaynesian Therapeutics and the Self-healing Mind: Part 2Lessons from Hallucinations, Hypnosis, and Meditation By Brian J. McVeigh Read by Michael R. Jacobs (www.theungoogleable.com, www.youtube.com/@VoidDenizen). In Part 1 we looked at how something we take for granted — consciousness — is actually an active ingredient that can aid in the repair of the mind for certain mental disorders. In this Part we explore how anomalous psychological experiences hold lessons for how consciousness relates to the

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