Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Memberships and Passwords

Q: I just signed up for the Member Area, how do I log in?
A: After selecting your membership in PayPal you will receive an e-mail with the subject line “Please Complete your Julian Jaynes Society Registration” — if you don’t see the e-mail, please check your spam or promotions folders. Complete your registration by clicking on the link in the e-mail and choosing your username and password. Once you submit the registration form, you can log in. Didn’t receive the e-mail or need help? Contact us!

Q: I’m a subscriber to the Member Area and I lost my password, how can I retrieve it?
A: Your username and password are contained in the welcome e-mail you received with the subject line “Your Julian Jaynes Society Registration is complete.” If you can’t locate your welcome e-mail, simply enter the e-mail that you used to sign up on the Password Reset page, and you will receive a link to reset your password. If you’re still having problems logging in, please contact us.

Q: I lost my password to the free public-area Discussion Forum, how I can I retrieve it?
A: Passwords for the Discussion Forum are encrypted and stored in the forum database, and can only be reset by users via e-mail. Simply go to the forum page, click on “Login” and then “I forgot my password.” Enter the e-mail address you used to sign up for the forum, and the forum will send you a link to reset your password. Your password is also in the activation e-mail you received when you first signed up for the forum.

Q: I am no longer interested in supporting the Julian Jaynes Society’s activities to promote and expand upon Julian Jaynes’s theory via my tax deductible membership contribution — how I can cancel my membership?
A: You can cancel your tax deductible Society membership at any time by logging in to your PayPal account, going to the “Subscriptions” section, and clicking on “Cancel.”


Julian Jaynes’s Theory

For questions on Julian Jaynes’s theory, please see:

1. Conversations on Consciousness and the Bicameral Mind, which answers many of the questions people have about Jaynes’s theory after reading Jaynes’s book, provides new evidence, and extends the theory into new areas.

2. The Julian Jaynes Collection, in which Julian Jaynes addresses over 100 questions about the theory.

3. the About the Theory, Myths vs. Facts, Critiques and Responses sections, and the JJS Blog.

4. Answers to many questions about Julian Jaynes’s theory can be found on the Discussion Forum. You can search topics on the forum or on the Search page.


Publications

Q: Is Julian Jaynes’s The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind available for the Kindle and other e-readers?
A: Yes, The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind was published on Kindle, Google Play Books, Kobo, and other e-book platforms in 2012.

Q: Is Julian Jaynes’s The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind available as an audiobook?
A: Yes, The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind was published as an audiobook 2015, and is available as an MP3 CD from Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble, as well as a digital download from iTunes and from Audible.com

Q: Are the Julian Jaynes Society books available on the Kindle?
A: Yes, the Julian Jaynes Society publications are now available on the Amazon Kindle. The Kindle version of Reflections on the Dawn of Consciousness was published in December 2013. Gods, Voices, and the Bicameral Mind was published in February 2019. The digital version of The Julian Jaynes Collection was published in March 2019. We no longer publish on other e-book platforms due to piracy concerns.

Q: Can I order Julian Jaynes Society books from my local bookstore?
A: Yes, as of 2020, Julian Jaynes Society publications can now be ordered from most bookstores worldwide through their normal distribution channels.

Q: Does the Society publish a journal?
A: The Julian Jaynes Society publishes a newsletter called The Jaynesian. Instructions for submitting essays and other items of interest can be found on the Newsletter page.


Article and Manuscript Review

Q: I am writing an article related to Jaynes’s theory, can you provide comments or suggestions?

A: Yes, we are happy to comment on drafts of essays, articles, or book chapters related to Jaynes’s theory. Please see the Contact page.


Academic Programs

Q: Are there any doctoral graduate programs in psychology, philosophy, anthropology, etc. where I can study Jaynes’s theory?

A: While we don’t know of any professors in the U.S. at this time that have both a strong interest in Jaynes’s theory and are currently associated with a university program accepting Ph.D. students, there are a few options to consider.

The first is to find a professor in a mainstream graduate program that is researching a related topic, even if they are not directly interested in (or familiar with) Jaynes’s theory. Reach out to the professor you would like to study under and see if they will be open-minded to you doing a dissertation on some aspect of Jaynes’s theory. In some cases you may have to postpone research directly related to Jaynes’s theory until after graduation, but you should be able to do something in a related area.

The second option is to pursue your degree from a smaller private university. They tend to be more open to controversial theories and topics such as consciousness studies. Private universities with related programs include the Philosophy-Neurosciences-Psychology interdisciplinary program at Washington University in St. Louis, John F. Kennedy University, the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology, Saybrook University, and the California Institute of Integral Studies. If you know of other programs, please let us know. Both options have pros and cons. The important thing is to map out your career goals and make sure that your choice of program will lead to fulfilling career options after graduation.

If your question isn’t addressed in any of the sections above, please feel free to send us an e-mail.

To learn more about Jaynes’s theory, we encourage you to read our Publications and Join the Society.