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                           Julian Jaynes Society 

   Elephants in the Psychology Department:
   Overcoming Intellectual Barriers to Understanding Julian Jaynes's
   Theory
   
   Author: Brian J. McVeigh, Ph.D.
   Publication Date: 2007
   Length: 15 pages

   Abstract: In The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the
   Bicameral Mind (1976) Julian Jaynes presents a number of startling and
   controversial claims about the nature of psyche, specifically
   consciousness. His conclusions may ultimately be proven incorrect,
   partially correct, or entirely correct. However, before we can even
   begin to assess his assertions, we must reach a clear consensus on
   what Julian Jaynes was attempting to say and accomplish in his work.
   In order to do this, we must navigate our way through a maze of
   misguided assumptions, mistaken suppositions, and misleading habits of
   thought. I have noticed that when discussing the ideas of Jaynes,
   there is a maze of misconceptions built up by the disciplinary
   premises of academic fields and the stubborn ideas embedded in
   confusing terminology. Academic fields typically have their own
   language; therefore, it behooves us to carefully pay attention to the
   universe of meanings each idiom generates. In addition, recognizing
   the power of words is crucial, since they implicitly shape our
   everyday thinking. In this article I explore six intellectual barriers
   to understanding Jaynes's theory.