What role did language play in the emergence of human consciousness? How did metaphorical thinking transform our ancestors’ cognitive abilities? Julian Jaynes proposes that consciousness developed not through biological evolution but through cultural changes driven by language. He argues that consciousness and language are deeply intertwined, with metaphors allowing humans to express abstract concepts and develop self-awareness. Read on to explore Jaynes’s theory about how our minds evolved from hearing divine voices to developing rich inner lives.
How Consciousness and Language Are Intertwined (Julian Jaynes)










