After reading Jaynes's The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind, people are often very interested in learning more but are not sure what to study next. In addition, individuals often limit their additional research to their primary area of interest or expertise (for example, psychology or philosophy), neglecting other important areas.
To that end, the Julian Jaynes Society has put together this self-study course as a guide for those wishing to gain a comprehensive understanding of Julian Jaynes's theory of the origin of consciousness and the bicameral mind. Carefully constructed by Marcel Kuijsten after many years of research, this course combines the most relevant recent publications with reading assignments from Julian Jaynes's own Princeton University course on consciousness.
Most of the books listed below are available for purchase new or used through online book stores. Out of print books can be found at your local library (or ordered via interlibrary loan if they don't have a copy) or try Amazon.com and Abebooks.com to locate used copies. Journal articles have been avoided as many people will not have access to a university library.
After completing the 12-month course, you will have a well-rounded understanding of the evidence relevant to Jaynes's theory. Additional reading suggestions are provided in each section for those interested in delving deeper into specific subjects.
The timeline is designed for someone taking the course part-time. The full-time student should be able to complete the course in half the time or less.
Julian Jaynes, The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind, 1976/2000.
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William Woodward & June Tower, "Julian Jaynes: Introducing His Life and Thought." In Marcel Kuijsten (ed.), Reflections on the Dawn of Consciousness: Julian Jaynes's Bicameral Mind Theory Revisited, 2007, Chapter 1.
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Section 2: Consciousness & Language (Weeks 5–8)
John Limber, "Language and Consciousness." In Marcel Kuijsten (ed.), Reflections on the Dawn of Consciousness: Julian Jaynes's Bicameral Mind Theory Revisited, 2007, Chapter 6.
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Scott Greer, "A Knowing Noos and A Slippery Psyche: Jaynes's Recipe for an Unnatural Theory of Consciousness." In Marcel Kuijsten (ed.), Reflections on the Dawn of Consciousness: Julian Jaynes's Bicameral Mind Theory Revisited, 2007, Chapter 8.
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Tor Nørretranders, "Part III: Consciousness." In Nørretranders, The User Illusion: Cutting Consciousness Down to Size, 1988, Chapters 9-12.
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L.S. Vygotsky, "The Genetic Roots of Thought and Speech." In Vygotsky, Thought and Language, 1962, Chapter 4.
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Daniel Dennett, Kinds of Minds: Towards an Understanding of Consciousness, 1997.
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Further Reading:
Jose Luis Bermudez, "The Limits of Thinking without Words." In Bermudez, Thinking without Words, 2003, Chapter 9.
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William James, "The Stream of Thought." In James, The Principles of Psychology, 1890, Chapter 9.
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William James, "The Consciousness of Self." In James, The Principles of Psychology, 1890, Chapter 10.
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Francis Galton, "Antechamber of Consciousness." In Galton, Inquiries into Human Faculty and Its Development, 1883.
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Julian Jaynes, "The Ghost of a Flea: Visions of William Blake." In Marcel Kuijsten (ed.), Reflections on the Dawn of Consciousness: Julian Jaynes's Bicameral Mind Theory Revisited, 2007, Chapter 2.
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Julian Jaynes, "Verbal Hallucinations and Preconscious Mentality." In Marcel Kuijsten (ed.), Reflections on the Dawn of Consciousness: Julian Jaynes's Bicameral Mind Theory Revisited, 2007, Chapter 3.
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Marcel Kuijsten, "Consciousness, Hallucinations, and the Bicameral Mind: Three Decades of New Research" (pgs. 100–106). In Kuijsten (ed.), Reflections on the Dawn of Consciousness: Julian Jaynes Bicameral Mind Theory Revisited, 2007, Chapter 4.
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John Hamilton, "Auditory Hallucinations in Nonverbal Quadriplegics." In Marcel Kuijsten (ed.), Reflections on the Dawn of Consciousness: Julian Jaynes's Bicameral Mind Theory Revisited, 2007, Chapter 5.
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Daniel B. Smith, Muses, Madmen, and Prophets: Rethinking the History, Science, and Meaning of Auditory Hallucination, 2007. [AMAZON] [WORLDCAT]
G. Lynn Stephens & George Graham, When Self-Consciousness Breaks: Alien Voices and Inserted Thoughts, 2000.
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Further Reading:
Richard P. Bentall, Madness Explained, 2005, Chapters 1 – 6. [AMAZON] [WORLDCAT]
Lori Schiller & Amanda Bennett, The Quiet Room: A Journey Out of the Torment of Madness, 1996.
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Alexandre-Jacques-Francois Brierre de Boismont, Hallucinations: The Rational History of Apparitions, Visions, Dreams, Ecstasy, Magnetism, and Somnambulism. 1853/1976.
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Marius Romme, Making Sense of Voices: The Mental Health Professional's Guide to Working with Voice-Hearers, 2000.
Section 4: The Early Greeks (Weeks 13–16)
Jan Sleutels, "Greek Zombies: On the Alleged Absurdity of Substantially Unconscious Greek Minds." In Marcel Kuijsten (ed.), Reflections on the Dawn of Consciousness: Julian Jaynes's Bicameral Mind Theory Revisited, 2007, Chapter 11.
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E.R. Dodds, The Greeks and the Irrational, 1951, Chapters 1–3, 5, Appendix II.
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Bruno Snell, The Discovery of the Mind In Greek Philosophy and Literature, 1953/1982, Chapters 1–3, 5–7.
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Chester Starr, The Awakening of the Greek Historical Spirit, 1968.
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Ruth Padel, "Madness in Fifth-Century (B.C.) Athenian Tragedy." In A. Lock and P. Heelas, Indigenous Psychologies: The Anthropology of the Self, 1981.
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Further Reading:
Ruth Padel, In and Out of the Mind: Greek Images of the Tragic Self, 1994.
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R.B. Onians, The Origins of European Thought: About the Body, the Mind, the Soul, the World, Time and Fate, 1988.
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Section 5: The Dual Brain (Weeks 17–20)
Marcel Kuijsten, "Consciousness, Hallucinations, and the Bicameral Mind: Three Decades of New Research" (pgs. 116–120). In Kuijsten (ed.), Reflections on the Dawn of Consciousness: Julian Jaynes's Bicameral Mind Theory Revisited, 2007, Chapter 4.
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Michael Gazzaniga, "The Split Brain in Man." In Robert Ornstein (ed.), The Nature of Human Consciousness: A Book of Readings, 1973, Chapter 7.
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Joseph E. Bogen, "The Other Side of the Brain: An Appositional Mind." In Robert Ornstein (ed.), The Nature of Human Consciousness: A Book of Readings, 1973, Chapter 8.
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Roger W. Sperry, "Consciousness, Personal Identity, and the Divided Brain." In D. Frank Benson, The Dual Brain: Hemispheric Specialization in Humans, 1985.
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Joseph E. Bogen, "The Dual Brain: Some Historical and Methodological Aspects." In D. Frank Benson, The Dual Brain: Hemispheric Specialization in Humans, 1985.
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Eran Zaidel, "Language in the Right Hemisphere." In D. Frank Benson, The Dual Brain: Hemispheric Specialization in Humans, 1985.
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Charles E. Marks, Commissurotomy, Consciousness, and Unity of Mind, 1981.
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Further Reading:
Stuart Dimond, The Double Brain, 1972.
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Antonio M. Battro, Half a Brain is Enough: The Story of Nico, 2002.
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Anne Harrington, Mind, Medicine, and the Double Brain: A Study in Nineteenth-Century Thought, 1989.
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A.L. Wigan, A New View Of Insanity: The Duality of The Mind Proved by the Structure, Functions And Diseases of The Brain (with new Foreword by Joseph Bogen), 1844/1985.
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Section 6: Ancient Civilizations: China, Egypt, Mesopotamia, and Mesoamerica
(Weeks 21–24)
Julian Jaynes, "The Meaning of King Tut." In Marcel Kuijsten (ed.), Reflections on the Dawn of Consciousness: Julian Jaynes's Bicameral Mind Theory Revisited, 2007, Chapter 10.
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Julian Jaynes, "Dragons of the Shang Dynasty: The Hidden Faces." In Marcel Kuijsten (ed.), Reflections on the Dawn of Consciousness: Julian Jaynes's Bicameral Mind Theory Revisited, 2007, Chapter 12.
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Michael Carr, "The Shi 'Corpse/Personator' Ceremony in Early China." In Marcel Kuijsten (ed.), Reflections on the Dawn of Consciousness: Julian Jaynes Bicameral Mind Theory Revisited, 2007, Chapter 13.
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Siegfried Morenz, "Divine Commandments, Guidance, and Inspiration: The Functions of the Gods." In Morenz, Egyptian Religion, 1973, Chapter 4.
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Henri Frankfort, Chapters 5, 19, 21. In Frankfort, Kingship and the Gods: A Study of Ancient Near Eastern Religion as the Integration of Society and Nature, 1948, 1978.
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Leo Oppenheim, Chapter 4 (pgs. 171–227). In Oppenheim, Ancient Mesopotamia: Portrait of a Dead Civilization, 1964.
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Further Reading:
J. Eric Thompson, Maya History and Religion, 1990.
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H.W.F. Saggs, The Greatness that was Babylon: A Sketch of the Ancient Civilization of the Tigris-Euphrates Valley, 1962. [WORLDCAT]
S.H. Hooke, Babylonian and Assyrian Religion, 1963.
Section 7: The Mentality of of Pre-Literate and Pre-Modern Peoples (Weeks 25–29)
Lucien Lévy-Bruhl, How Natives Think, 1926, 1985, Chapters 8 and 9.
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A. Lock and P. Heelas, Indigenous Psychologies: The Anthropology of the Self, 1981.
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Further Reading:
Maurice Leenhardt, Do Kamo: Person and Myth in the Melanesian World, 1947, 1979.
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E.E. Evans-Pritchard, "Lévy-Bruhl." In Evans-Pritchard, Theories of Primitive Religion, 1965, Chapter 4.
Section 8: Neurotheology & the Origin of Religion (Weeks 30–34)
Marcel Kuijsten, "Consciousness, Hallucinations, and the Bicameral Mind: Three Decades of New Research" (pgs. 120–126). In Kuijsten (ed.), Reflections on the Dawn of Consciousness: Julian Jaynes's Bicameral Mind Theory Revisited, 2007, Chapter 4.
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David C. Stove, "The Oracles and Their Cessation: A Tribute to Julian Jaynes." In Marcel Kuijsten (ed.), Reflections on the Dawn of Consciousness: Julian Jaynes Bicameral Mind Theory Revisited, 2007, Chapter 9.
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V.S. Ramachandran & Sandra Blakeslee, "God and the Limbic System." In Ramachandran & Blakeslee, Phantoms in the Brain: Probing the Mysteries of the Human Mind, 1999, Chapter 9.
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Robert M. Salpolsky, "Circling the Blanket for God." In Salpolsky, The Trouble with Testosterone and Other Essays on the Biology of the Human Predicament, 1997, Chapter 17.
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Further Reading:
Michael Persinger, Neuropsychological Bases of God Beliefs, 1987.
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Section 9: Hypnosis, Possession, and Trance States (Weeks 35-39)
Brian McVeigh, "The Self as Interiorized Social Relations: Applying a Jaynesian Approach to Problems of Agency and Volition." In Marcel Kuijsten (ed.), Reflections on the Dawn of Consciousness: Julian Jaynes's Bicameral Mind Theory Revisited, 2007, Chapter 7.
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Ernest Hilgard, Divided Consciousness: Multiple Controls in Human Thought and Action, 1986.
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T.K. Oesterreich, Possession: Demoniacal and Other, 1930, 2003.
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Further Reading:
Alan Gauld, A History of Hypnotism, 1995.
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Charles Baudouin, Suggestion and Autosuggestion: A Psychological and Pedagogical Study Based Upon the Investigations of the New Nancy School, 1920.
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Section 10: Dreams (Bicameral Dreams vs. Conscious Dreams) (Weeks 40-42)
E.R. Dodds, "Dream-Pattern and Culture-Pattern." In Dodds, The Greeks and the Irrational, 1951, Chapter 4.
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Sigmund Freud, "The Scientific Literature Dealing with the Problems of Dreams." In Freud, The Intepretation of Dreams, 1911, Chapter 1.
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Robert L. Van De Castle, Our Dreaming Mind, 1994, Parts 1 & 2.
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Section 11: Consciousness & Hallucinations in Children (Weeks 43-46)
Dorothy G. Singer and Jerome L. Singer, "Imaginary Playmates and Imaginary Worlds." In Singer & Singer, The House of Make-Believe: Childrens Play and the Developing Imagination, 1992. Chapter 5. See also pgs. 123–127, 278.
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L.S. Vygotsky, "Piaget's Theory of the Child's Speech and Thought." In Vygotsky, Thought and Language, 1962, Chapter 2. [AMAZON] [WORLDCAT]
Marjorie Taylor, Imaginary Companions and the Children Who Create Them, 1999.
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Daniel Pilowsky & William Chambers (eds.), Hallucinations in Children, 1986, Chapters TBD.
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Further Reading:
Nathan A. Harvey, Imaginary Playmates and other Mental Phenomena of Children, 1918.
Section 12: Literature & The Gods (Weeks 47-52)
Judith Weissman, "Introdution" & "Homer: Old Fathers and Absent Kings." In Weissman, Of Two Minds: Poets Who Hear Voices, 1993, Chapter 1. [AMAZON] [WORLDCAT]
James Cohn, Minds of the Bible: Speculations on the Cultural Evolution of Human Consciousness, 2007.
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Giulia Sissa & Marcel Detienne, The Daily Life of the Greek Gods, 2000.
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Andrew Lang, Walter Leaf, Ernest Myers (translators), The Iliad of Homer, 1900.
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Further Reading:
Jon D. Mikalson, Honor Thy Gods: Popular Religion in Greek Tragedy, 1992.
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Judith Weissman, "William Blake: Harsh Instruments of Sound and Witches with Knives." In Weissman, Of Two Minds: Poets Who Hear Voices, 1993, Chapter 6.
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