However, from my discussions with Jaynes that was NOT his primary interest or the principle thrust of his book (which he *substantially* amended later in life.)

Just think about it. To actually "speak with" (any) God could NOT have been widespread in the ancient world. Otherwise, why would you need ...

Thanks -- I have send an email to Prof. Sleutels and await his response!

The problem is that Jaynes makes no "sense" without trying to take changing technological environments into account. I presume that most people on this list never met the man and only know of him through his book -- which he ...

Hello:

I'm sorry if this has been thoroughly hashed out (and I missed it) but, based on my discussions with Jaynes, it wasn't "gods" that most people heard but rather their dead ancestors -- particularly their mothers, who continued to tell them what to do from beyond the grave.

This analysis ...

Hello:

I just received the CD of the 2013 Jaynes conference, where Merlin Donald keynoted, and it reminded me of my conversations with both men -- about Marshall McLuhan.

I met Julian in his office at Princeton and then flew to Prince Edward Island to spend a day with him, shortly before he died ...

Hello:

Reading McEvilley (what a name!) on Google Books seems to indicate that he was unaware of Jaynes. Unfortunately, pages 678-731 aren't available, so I can't tell if Jaynes makes it into an index.

After he runs through proto-philosophy and the Pre-Socratics (and the presumed Indian correlates ...

Hello:

Based on my personal interactions with Jaynes, I believe the moderator is correct. He was a non-believer and one of his motivations was to try to "prove" a materialist origin of religion.

This stance was also partly because he was an outcast in his own profession and was very sensitive ...