A Vestige of the Bicameral Mind in the Modern World
Elisabeth Bell Carroll interviewed by Brendan Leahy, in Marcel Kuijsten (ed.), Conversations on Consciousness and the Bicameral Mind (Julian Jaynes Society, 2022).
Summary: Elisabeth Bell Carroll interviewed by Brendan Leahy on her experiences with temporal lobe epilepsy, hearing voices, and seeing visions.
Excerpt: Brendan Leahy: Could you please say a little bit about yourself and your experiences, just to start off?
Elisabeth Bell Carroll: I’m a researcher and writer. I have a seizure disorder called temporal lobe epilepsy; the temporal lobes are here in the brain, near the top of each ear. Temporal lobe seizures are not obviously physical, at least for me, as in a grand mal, where one falls to the floor and rocks violently. The particular type of seizure that I have is called a Complex Partial seizure, or a CP seizure. For me, a seizure usually manifests as a deep, dreamy state. When I’m in this dreamy state, it’s hardly apparent to anyone but me, since I experience an alteration of consciousness, not a cessation of consciousness, as in a grand mal. …