Julian Jaynes

Julian Jaynes was a psychologist who proposed the idea that consciousness, as we understand it today, is a relatively recent development in human evolution. He suggested that ancient humans did not have internal self-awareness or the ability to reflect on their thoughts in the way we do now. Instead, they experienced what he called "bicameral mind," where their thoughts and decisions were guided by internal voices or authoritative commands, similar to hallucinations. According to Jaynes, this change to conscious self-awareness happened around 3,000 years ago, transforming how humans think, perceive, and organize their societies.