Bicameral Mentality in Ancient Mesopotamia - A Deep Dive Discussion (2025-07-24, Julian Jaynes Society)

Bicameral Mentality in Ancient Mesopotamia: A Deep Dive Discussion Julian Jaynes Society Jul 24, 2025 Consciousness and the Bicameral Mind: The Julian Jaynes Society Podcast Bicameral Mentality in Ancient Mesopotamia: A Deep Dive Discussion A deep dive discussion delving into the evidence for bicameral mentality in ancient Mesopotamia, building on Julian Jaynes’s chapter “A Change of Mind in Mesopotamia“ by drawing upon a wide range of scholarly sources, including works by Marcel Kuijsten, Brian J. McVeigh, Jean Bottéro, Henri Frankfort, Thorkild Jacobsen, . Saggs, A. Leo Oppenheim, S.H. Hooke, Martti Nissinen, William Harris, Mircea Eliade, and others. Produced by Marcel Kuijsten. Introduction read by Michael R. Jacobs / @voiddenizen ). Read the transcript: Learn more about Julian Jaynes’s theory or become a member by visiting the Julian Jaynes Society at Subscribe to the “Consciousness and the Bicameral Mind“ podcast wherever you enjoy podcasts. Contents: 00:00 - Introduction 02:57 - Jaynes’s Core Claims Regarding Mesopotamia 04:53 - What Are Jaynes’s Strongest Arguments? 07:42 - Picturing Bicameral Life in Ancient Mesopotamia 09:53 - How Does Additional Research Support Jaynes’s Ideas? 16:09 - Support for Jaynes’s Neurological Model 20:25 - Implications for Daily Life In Ancient Mesopotamia 24:30 - The Role of Idols 27:26 - Household Gods 28:49 - Bicameral Decision-making 30:06 - The Role of Prophecy 33:10 - The Role of Dreams 37:00 - The Role of Divination 38:37 - Monumental Architecture and Public Rituals 42:16 - Externalized Aspects of Bicameral Mentality 43:48 - Imagining Bicameral Mentality in Ancient Mesopotamia 47:12 - Implications for Modern Concepts Such As Guilt and Morality 48:29 - A World Full of Messages 49:49 - Hierarchy and Social Cohesion of Bicameral Mentality 50:42 - The Breakdown of Bicameral Mentality 52:37 - The Shift to Modern Consciousness 53:50 - Scientific Validation of Jaynes’s Theory 55:37 - Challenging Dominant Paradigms 57:55 - Final Thoughts Note from Quad Romb: Julian Jaynes - The origin of consciousness in the breakdown of the bicameral mind (2000, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt).epub Julian Jaynes’ book at VK here - Original from here: