that mode of mind control or domination over themselves and others, or can allow
that mode of consciousness in others to control or dominate their own bicameral
mind.
The genus Homo began about two million years ago. Rudimentary oral
languages developed from 70,000 BCE to about 8000 BCE, written languages began
about 3000 BCE and gradually developed into syntactical structures capable of
generating metaphors and analogue models. Only at that point could human beings
invent and experience consciousness. The developmental time allowed by Jaynes
seems to be too abrupt and although he presents many salient points, I have strong
reservations with much of Jaynes’ overall theory, particularly with his evolutionary
timeline of 3,000 years.
(b) An alternative structure to Jaynes’ consciousness
Jaynes illustrates that humankind's early writings, hieroglyphics, hiertatics,
and cuneiform texts, reflect a mentality totally different from our own; a non-
metaphoric, non-conscious mentality. However, this may be too simplistic and
reductionist. The evidence suggests that the Palaeolithic cave paintings of 30,000
years ago are expressions of a linguistic order. As Thompson implies, the selection
of a site, the preparation of tools and the coordination of a complex composition, as
is the case with most of the pictographs in the caves at Lascaux, Chauvet and
Altimira involves language ability and also both hemispheres of the brain working in
harmony (Thompson, 1981:89). I would add that most importantly, the cave
pictographs also imply abstract thinking and an awareness and expression of the
transpersonal and imaginal. I am certainly not attempting to reconstruct the
religious conceptions of the inhabitants of the Upper Palaeolithic period, but it is
clear that even as early as forty thousand years ago preliterate humanity, as
exemplified by the Australian aborigines, observed a basic periodicy of nature and
through their rock carvings were conveying this and miniaturizing the universe.
I t is difficult also to accept Jaynes’ proposition of whole civilizations
consisting entirely of non-conscious, yet highly intelligent, automaton-like individuals
who suddenly, in an extraordinarily short period of time, by-passed nature to invent
their own consciousness. The existence of bi-camerality in all human beings
becomes increasingly evident because of the manifestations of: (1) the obsolete,
non-conscious (bicameral) mind that seeks guidance from external authorities for