The God-Shaped Hole in Your Mind: Julian Jaynes’s Groundbreaking Ideas Explained in Just 16 Minutes

The God-Shaped Hole in Your Mind: Julian Jaynes’s Groundbreaking Ideas on Consciousness and the Bicameral Mind Explained in Just 16 Minutes

What if human consciousness, as we know it, is a recent invention? In this fast-paced 16-minute presentation, we explore the revolutionary theory of psychologist Julian Jaynes — a mind-bending journey into the origins of thought, the voices of ancient gods, and the breakdown of the “bicameral mind.” Whether you’re new to Jaynes’s work or revisiting his ideas with fresh eyes, you’ll leave with a new perspective on what it means to be conscious — and why that might not be as timeless as we think.

Produced by Marcel Kuijsten.

Learn more about Julian Jaynes's theory or become a member by visiting the Julian Jaynes Society at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.julianjaynes.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Read our latest book, "Conversations on Consciousness and the Bicameral Mind":
https://www.julianjaynes.org/book/conversations-on-consciousness-and-the-bicameral-mind/

Contents:
00:00 - Introduction
01:11 - Overview
01:40 - Consciousness: The Unsolved Mystery
02:41 - Jaynes's Radical Answer
06:30 - Life Before Consciousness: The Bicameral Mind
08:48 - The Great Breakdown: Silence of the Gods
11:11 - Echoes of the Gods: Interlocking Evidence
14:56 - The Mind's New World: The Consequences