He wrote a book about the concept of bicameral mentality, here is the entry part of the linked wikipedia article:
Bicameral mentality is a psychological hypothesis proposed by American psychologist Julian Jaynes. It suggests that early modern humans experienced thoughts and emotions not as originating within themselves but as commands from external “gods”. According to the theory, the human mind once functioned with a division in which one part generated verbal instructions while a second part obeyed, forming a “bicameral mind”. The eventual collapse of this mental structure is proposed to have led to the development of self-reflective consciousness in humans.
The term was coined by Jaynes, who presented the idea in his 1976 book The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind,[1] wherein he makes the case that a bicameral mentality was the “normal and ubiquitous state” of the human mind as recently as 3,000 years ago, at the end of the Bronze Age.
So he argued that peoples mind and brains were different then today and that explains why we have no myths anymore.
as recently as 3,000 years ago, at the end of the Bronze Age
Oops, guys, I’m full-blooded Navajo and apparently I should have a bicameral mind since my ancestors crossed the Bering Strait land bridge 20,000 years ago into the Americas, becoming a generically isolated population around around 12,000 years ago. Unfortunately, I am an atheist, have a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Stanford University, and do not hear voices of deities instructing me what to do. Sorry for the inconvenience.
You just have to look at how people react to climate change, or covid, or basic immunology to understand how lack of knowledge or understanding creates mythological structures of pure horseshit
Yes, that part is a bit too strongly worded in my comment. Hearsay and not wanting to face certain truths because of egoistical opportunities are big parts of why people want to believe certain things.
Wrufieotnak@feddit.org 22 hours ago
That’s Julian Jaynes
He wrote a book about the concept of bicameral mentality, here is the entry part of the linked wikipedia article:
So he argued that peoples mind and brains were different then today and that explains why we have no myths anymore.
Oops, guys, I’m full-blooded Navajo and apparently I should have a bicameral mind since my ancestors crossed the Bering Strait land bridge 20,000 years ago into the Americas, becoming a generically isolated population around around 12,000 years ago. Unfortunately, I am an atheist, have a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Stanford University, and do not hear voices of deities instructing me what to do. Sorry for the inconvenience.
Aussiemandeus@aussie.zone 12 hours ago
Ah see I’m half Australian aboriginal and half European and I only get to hear a 1/4 of what the gods have to say to me.
It’s mostly instructions on what to eat next, or maybe I’m just always hungry
Wrufieotnak@feddit.org 14 hours ago
Havent you heard? Everybody besides ancient Mediterranean people are not important and don’t count.
Taleya@aussie.zone 20 hours ago
You just have to look at how people react to climate change, or covid, or basic immunology to understand how lack of knowledge or understanding creates mythological structures of pure horseshit
Wrufieotnak@feddit.org 19 hours ago
Yes, that part is a bit too strongly worded in my comment. Hearsay and not wanting to face certain truths because of egoistical opportunities are big parts of why people want to believe certain things.
Thank you for explaining the theory. ‘We don’t have myths anymore’ made me laugh, though.
fyzzlefry@retrolemmy.com 15 hours ago
Autisms origin story is a big one off the top of my head.
esc@piefed.social@piefed.social 20 hours ago
Modern myths aren’t sexy. 😝
tacosanonymous@mander.xyz 17 hours ago
You don’t think skunk apes or little grey men shovin stuff inside you is sexy?