Timeline of Estimated Transition by Culture

Discussion of Julian Jaynes's third hypothesis - dating the development of consciousness to roughly 1500-1200 BCD in Egypt, Greece, and Mesopotamia (the transition occurred at different times in different places around the world). Includes analysis of ancient texts (such as the Iliad, the Odyssey, and the Bible), linguistics, and archeological evidence from ancient civilizations as it pertains to the transition from the bicameral mind to consciousness.
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TonyB0505
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Timeline of Estimated Transition by Culture

Post by TonyB0505 »

Hi,

I am wondering if there is a timeline of the estimate times of transition from bicamerality to consciousness as a function of culture?


Tony
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Re: Timeline of Estimated Transition by Culture

Post by Moderator »

This would make a great topic for a research project but as far as I am aware, a comprehensive worldwide analysis has not yet been done.

I can only provide a brief sketch with references for further reading:

~ 1500 - 1000 B.C. - Egypt, Greece, Mesopotamia
For more on Greece I recommend The Awakening of the Greek Historical Spirit by Chester Starr.

~1200 B.C. - China
Michael Carr has documented evidence that the transition occurred in China roughly contemporaneously with Greece. See "The Shi 'Corpse/Personator' Ceremony in Early China" in Reflections on the Dawn of Consciousness.

~ 500 - 1000 ? - Americas
Much more research needs to be done here, but evidence suggests the transition occurred more than a millennium later in the Americas. Brian McVeigh will be discussing this as part of a new book he is working on.

~ 1500 ? - Isolated locations such as Easter Island
See Brian J. McVeigh - "Julian Jaynes and Neurotheology"
This will be touched on in McVeigh's forthcoming book as well.

~ 1800 - 1900+ - Isolated tribes in Africa, the Amazon, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and Papua, New Guinea
For more on the evidence for bicameralism in tribes see Primitive Mentality by Lucien Levy-Bruhl, The Julian Jaynes Collection, and the "The Mentality of Pre-Literate and Pre-Modern Peoples" section of this forum.
selfreplicate
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Re: Timeline of Estimated Transition by Culture

Post by selfreplicate »

taken from Jaynes' OC

Bicameral Timeline
2000-1000 BC: man stops hearing voices
1000-0 BC: oracle and prophets die away
0-1000 AD: sayings and hearings preserved in sacred text
1000-2000 AD: sacred text loses its authority

Literary examples of Bicameralism Theory (vs. Subjective Consciousness)
Chinese-Confucious (SC)
India-Veda (bicam) / Upanishads (SC)
Hebrew-Bible: Amos (bicam) / Ecclesiastes (SC)
Greek-The Iliad (bicam) / The Odyssey (SC)

By 400 B.C. bicameral prophecy is dead (p312)
http://networkaddress.blogspot.com/2011 ... kdown.html
TonyB0505
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Re: Timeline of Estimated Transition by Culture

Post by TonyB0505 »

Hi,

I can't believe I didn't reply sooner. Did I get sidetracked!

This is very much appreciated.


Thanks!

Tony
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