>Cults spring up about this new wonder-provoking division between psyche and soma.
I think that these cults functioned to teach self-reflective consciousness, and that they have continuity back to the Paleolithic. The Orphic mysteries describe how humans are made of clay and the ashes of Dionysus, who was torn apart by the Titans as a boy. The bullroarer is featured in that myth, as well as the rituals of death and rebirth that were performed.
Curiously, on every continent there are bullroarer mystery cults that perform death and rebirth rituals, and teach initiates from whence life came. There are other similarities. Even in places where women are outlawed from participating in the mysteries (often under pain of death), the mysteries are said to have been founded by women. After looking at dozens of cases from all around the world, anthropologist John Servier writes:
"From Australia to both Americas, passing through Africa, Oceania, and Europe—from the Magdalenean man to the carpenter or stonemason Companion who vigorously spins his bullroarer—another question confronts us: that of the unity of an initiatory tradition and a primordial teaching. For this time, even in the name of “rationalism,” we cannot appeal to “luck,” “chance,” or “coincidence.”"
It's extremely surprising to me that nobody interested in Jaynes has ever followed up on this. There are other hints that Bicameral Breakdown did happen, but earlier than Jaynes thought. I make the case from pronouns in an article Seeds of Science published in June: https://www.theseedsofscience.pub/p/the-unreasonable-effectiveness-of
There is an immense pleasure, mental, emotional, and a possible liberating state, in accepting the introspective meat proposition. JJ’s bicameral mind is, of course, a door, a shy lantern to this mind’s manifold maze. Hopefully, aged meats will meet and expand well before butcher time. A Great read, much needed, thks.
Thanks for the thought provoking intro to Jaynes. It seems logical that ancients wouldn't confine consciousness to just the brain given their relatively weak understanding of anatomy. Still, evidence of human ceremonial burials for 10s of thousands of years suggests a belief in some metaphysical essence that leaves the corpse, so I would argue that they still had a duality perspective on our makeup. I look forward to the rest of the series.
Surely introspective consciousness is a tautology, like killing someone dead? I don't think that the concept of introspection adds anything to the discussion.
Thanks for this interesting study. I find the un-dualistic presence of animals extremely close to our human presence. I'm using presence to mean the oneness of body-mind. I love this thought: " Fido is just one big, continuous, organic process."
This is the very subject of Morris Berman' Coming to Our Senses book in which he proposes a holding pattern of us acknowledging our perception of 5 different global differences in our apprehension that correspond to stages in cults of ascent in religion and just honest charismatic self aggrandisement. Berman proposes we acknowledge the successes in history from religious souls seeking a higher plane. And then that those clearly are spurious next to the remains of the bodies they used to climb out of the world. Myself I seem to see my fellows constantly trying to correct their misapprehensions of the most current cultural consensus. To which i respond habitually by leaning into my failures to match. As if, every bit as if the affection old imperial Britain had for its idiosyncratic dons should be extended to everyone. Words donot hurt, we do err too much where we practice plausible deniability. Like that is a legal position and needs to stay in that realm. The rest of us are faulty towers, i like that,. We are fawlty towers hotels that generate as much conflict as the private isolation they promise. Yeah,. Drama and the idea of raw ingenuousness and expensive enthusiasms are my wishes we would politely ask for and model as our roles to play as hip observers,. If we have seen better days then we owe each other those elements that seem to hide under the chaos of the public personna
>Cults spring up about this new wonder-provoking division between psyche and soma.
I think that these cults functioned to teach self-reflective consciousness, and that they have continuity back to the Paleolithic. The Orphic mysteries describe how humans are made of clay and the ashes of Dionysus, who was torn apart by the Titans as a boy. The bullroarer is featured in that myth, as well as the rituals of death and rebirth that were performed.
Curiously, on every continent there are bullroarer mystery cults that perform death and rebirth rituals, and teach initiates from whence life came. There are other similarities. Even in places where women are outlawed from participating in the mysteries (often under pain of death), the mysteries are said to have been founded by women. After looking at dozens of cases from all around the world, anthropologist John Servier writes:
"From Australia to both Americas, passing through Africa, Oceania, and Europe—from the Magdalenean man to the carpenter or stonemason Companion who vigorously spins his bullroarer—another question confronts us: that of the unity of an initiatory tradition and a primordial teaching. For this time, even in the name of “rationalism,” we cannot appeal to “luck,” “chance,” or “coincidence.”"
It's extremely surprising to me that nobody interested in Jaynes has ever followed up on this. There are other hints that Bicameral Breakdown did happen, but earlier than Jaynes thought. I make the case from pronouns in an article Seeds of Science published in June: https://www.theseedsofscience.pub/p/the-unreasonable-effectiveness-of
And develop the idea even further in an essay they published last year: https://www.theseedsofscience.pub/p/the-eve-theory-of-consciousness
There is an immense pleasure, mental, emotional, and a possible liberating state, in accepting the introspective meat proposition. JJ’s bicameral mind is, of course, a door, a shy lantern to this mind’s manifold maze. Hopefully, aged meats will meet and expand well before butcher time. A Great read, much needed, thks.
Thanks for the thought provoking intro to Jaynes. It seems logical that ancients wouldn't confine consciousness to just the brain given their relatively weak understanding of anatomy. Still, evidence of human ceremonial burials for 10s of thousands of years suggests a belief in some metaphysical essence that leaves the corpse, so I would argue that they still had a duality perspective on our makeup. I look forward to the rest of the series.
Surely introspective consciousness is a tautology, like killing someone dead? I don't think that the concept of introspection adds anything to the discussion.
I am struggling to load the two links given at the end of the article.
Kevin's website has gone down, we reached out to him to see what's going on.
Thanks for this interesting study. I find the un-dualistic presence of animals extremely close to our human presence. I'm using presence to mean the oneness of body-mind. I love this thought: " Fido is just one big, continuous, organic process."
This is the very subject of Morris Berman' Coming to Our Senses book in which he proposes a holding pattern of us acknowledging our perception of 5 different global differences in our apprehension that correspond to stages in cults of ascent in religion and just honest charismatic self aggrandisement. Berman proposes we acknowledge the successes in history from religious souls seeking a higher plane. And then that those clearly are spurious next to the remains of the bodies they used to climb out of the world. Myself I seem to see my fellows constantly trying to correct their misapprehensions of the most current cultural consensus. To which i respond habitually by leaning into my failures to match. As if, every bit as if the affection old imperial Britain had for its idiosyncratic dons should be extended to everyone. Words donot hurt, we do err too much where we practice plausible deniability. Like that is a legal position and needs to stay in that realm. The rest of us are faulty towers, i like that,. We are fawlty towers hotels that generate as much conflict as the private isolation they promise. Yeah,. Drama and the idea of raw ingenuousness and expensive enthusiasms are my wishes we would politely ask for and model as our roles to play as hip observers,. If we have seen better days then we owe each other those elements that seem to hide under the chaos of the public personna