From the "bicameral mind" to modern consciousness [Dalla "mente bicamerale" alla coscienza moderna]

In 1976 American psychologist Julian Jaynes published "The Origins of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind". In this controversial book, Jaynes introduced the hypothesis of a two-chambered brain-mind model (right versus left hemisphere) that preceded the evolutionary development of the conscious mind. Jaynes' speculative model gave rise to a huge debate, which has reverberated throughout the current neuroscientific and neurophilosophical literature. Has the bicameral mind model stood the test of time? To answer this question, the present paper adopts a multidisciplinary perspective and, after briefly summarizing Jaynes' hypothesis, addresses two main critical issues: the neurological basis of the bicameral model in the light of recent neurobiological insights and the philological accuracy of Jaynes' arguments. Finally, the concept of a non-unitary Self is presented as one of the most relevant contemporary legacies of the bicameral mind model.