Bicameralism, Part 2: The Silent Pantheon

Published in 1992, 'Snow Crash' is a science fiction novel by Neal Stephenson that delves into a future where the United States has fragmented into corporate city-states and the internet has evolved into a virtual reality called the Metaverse. The story follows Hiro Protagonist, a pizza delivery driver and part-time hacker, and Y.T. , a teenage skateboard courier, as they navigate a complex world threatened by a mysterious computer virus and a powerful drug known as Snow Crash. The novel explores themes of history, linguistics, anthropology, and computer science, and is noted for its prescient vision of the metaverse and its influence on Silicon Valley innovators.

Julian Jaynes's "The Origins of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind" is a controversial but influential work that proposes a revolutionary theory about the evolution of human consciousness. Jaynes argues that consciousness as we know it emerged relatively recently in human history, and that earlier humans experienced the world differently, receiving instructions and guidance from internal voices they attributed to gods. This "bicameral mind," Jaynes suggests, was a state of consciousness where the left and right hemispheres of the brain functioned more independently. The book draws on evidence from ancient literature and mythology to support its claims, sparking considerable debate among scholars. While its central thesis remains highly contested, the book's imaginative approach to understanding consciousness continues to inspire discussion and further research.