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Consciousness
NAME (LOZIER@CUP.EDU)
Wed, 2 Oct 1996 13:49:07 -0400
Here's an interesting book:
Julian Jaynes, THE ORIGIN OF CONSCIOUSNESS IN THE BREAKDOWN OF
THE BICAMERAL BRAIN.
Written maybe 15 years ago. Some may treat it as no better than
Von Daniken. Consciousness emerges from trance, schizophrenia-like
condition with "auditory hallucinations" from one side of the brain
directing the other side what to do. This persists right into modern
times, with all of us doing a lot of living in an unconscious state.
The reason it should interest anthropologists is that it draws on data
and theories from all fields - linguistics, history, psychology, brain
anatomy, art/music/drama, archaeology, and more. I have not looked at
it for several years.
I have not been following the consciousness thread very well, except to
see if anyone would mention this book. I hope my mention will lead
to comment from someone with a fresher viewpoint.
John Lozier, California University of Pennsylvania
PS Just a bit more of a comment. The theory outrages some because it
suggests for example the Mesopotamian culture arose pretty much WITHOUT
what we know today as consciousness. The earliest literary material
reflects a sort of mourning for the clear voice of "god" which has
been lost with the emergence of this new consciousness. Large-eyed
mesopotamian hand-held sculptures are interepreted as trance-inducing
devices used to capture the lost state of trance where things are
clearly given, by "god," of course. God is the right brain (I think
it is the right), telling the left brain unequivocally, with authority,
the right course of action. When we lose the split brain experience
we no longer have the kind of certainty in our actions, but we gain
other adaptive capabilities.
I hope this will draw some discussion.
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