Bicameral Mind Theory in contrast with other theories
Posted: Fri Feb 10, 2012 9:14 am
When studying Bicameral Mind theory one is compelled to examine the mentality of the ancient world in a very different light. In so doing one has to try to avoid the temptation to project his current conscious mindset onto a theoretically non conscious era.
This, however, was not an issue for many other Anthropologists who arrived at their own theories of primitive magic, religion, animism, totemism, etc. without the any bicameral rationales. Sir James Frazier, for example, offers a very different picture of the ancient culture and psyche. He places a great deal of emphasis on soul and the peculiar beliefs and rituals that the ancients used to protect and preserve the soul. Jaynes theory, by contrast, hinges on the importance of hallucinatory voices not death, beliefs, etc.
Did Jaynes attempt to reevaluate other anthropological conceptions of the man living in his bicameral era and beyond?
How do notions of the soul, the afterlife, reincarnation, etc. square with bicameral mind theory?
If accepted, does bicameral mind theory effectively rule out many of these other ideas regarding man prior the conscious era?
If so, how did anthropologists like Frazier arrive at such mistaken conclusions?
This, however, was not an issue for many other Anthropologists who arrived at their own theories of primitive magic, religion, animism, totemism, etc. without the any bicameral rationales. Sir James Frazier, for example, offers a very different picture of the ancient culture and psyche. He places a great deal of emphasis on soul and the peculiar beliefs and rituals that the ancients used to protect and preserve the soul. Jaynes theory, by contrast, hinges on the importance of hallucinatory voices not death, beliefs, etc.
Did Jaynes attempt to reevaluate other anthropological conceptions of the man living in his bicameral era and beyond?
How do notions of the soul, the afterlife, reincarnation, etc. square with bicameral mind theory?
If accepted, does bicameral mind theory effectively rule out many of these other ideas regarding man prior the conscious era?
If so, how did anthropologists like Frazier arrive at such mistaken conclusions?