When Did We Stop Thinking Like Our Ancestors? | Brian McVeigh

Описание: 💬 Would you believe there was a time before humans had consciousness? It’s almost impossible to imagine, but there is one theory that proposes this very thing. Brian McVeigh explores the theory of the 'bicameral mind', an incredibly provocative idea about the evolution of modern human consciousness.

Today we speak to ourselves inside our own heads - and we understand that voice is ours. But for our ancestors, this theory suggests their minds were instead filled with the voices of Gods, the ancestors and hallucinations. This is the basis of Julian Jaynes’ idea, which McVeigh has built on.

⚡ In this episode we explore exactly what it means for humans to live without consciousness and why we might have developed the minds and inner thoughts that we know today.

This is an exploration of just one theory of consciousness. It’s a descriptive framework about how inner experience and belief systems may have functioned in different periods - not a claim about whether religious beliefs are true or false.

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🎧 Stay tuned to learn about:
➡ What was going on in the minds of our ancestors, before self reflection
➡ Why religion may have been so common in pre-modern societies
➡ The importance of language and writing in the emergence of consciousness
➡ The downsides of modern consciousness, like anxiety and depression
➡ How technology may be changing consciousness
➡ How humans may one day develop artificial consciousness

About the podcast:
What We Did Before is a podcast where we chart the history of modern inventions, from how we kept food fresh before fridges, to how we survived without shoes and what came before AI.

About your host:
Ollie Guillou is an award-winning podcast producer and broadcaster. He's co-founder of OG Podcasts, working with the likes of New Scientist, Dr Karan and Lessons From Our Mothers.

Connect with Ollie:
Website: ⁠www.ogpodcasts.co.uk⁠ 
LinkedIn: ⁠  / ollie-guillou⁠   
Email: ⁠[email protected]