1200 BCE – The Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind | Oriva
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~1200 BCE – The Breakdown of the Bicameral MindAccording to Julian Jaynes, before ~1200 BCE, humans did not experience introspection as we do today.Instead, they functioned under a bicameral cognitive structure, where decision-making was guided by auditory hallucinations interpreted as the voices of gods, ancestors, or rulers.A collapse of multiple civilizations (Late Bronze Age Collapse) forces a shift from divine command structures towards self-reflective reasoning.Over the next few hundred years, written language expands, internal dialogue emerges, and new forms of governance arise.