X-Message-Number: 15952
Date: Mon, 26 Mar 2001 12:26:10 -0500
From: "Henry R. Hirsch" <>
Subject: Bicameral mind as a source of consciousness

I like Jaynes' concept that consciousness arises from communication between 
the left and right sides of the brain. My perception of consciousness is 
pseudoauditory. A voice inside my head seems to "talk" to me. (No, I am not 
schizophrenic. At least I hope not.)

However there is experimental evidence against this bicameral theory: The 
two sides of the brain would function independently if they were not 
bridged by several commissures. The largest and most important by far is 
the corpus callosum. Many human patients have had this structure severed 
surgically as a treatment for Parkinson's disease. One would expect that, 
if communication between the sides of the brain were important for 
consciousness, such patients would partially or totally lose consciousness. 
Jaynes himself and many others have noted that nothing of the sort happens. 
Very specialized experiments are required to detect any deficit at all 
resulting from the surgery. We must conclude that the bicameral theory of 
consciousness is inadequate.

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