By Nicky Leung, April 2017<\/p>\n
HBO\u2019s hit series Westworld<\/a> explores a world where individuals can experience any fantasies they so desire inside a theme park called Westworld. This is achieved using robots called \u201chosts\u201d, who seem just like human beings. Westworld is set in a western setting, allowing all its visitors to play cowboy, or indulge in sex and alcohol. The freedom to do just about anything one wants in the world truly allows individuals to find out what their true self is. However, this doesn’t just apply to the guests in Westworld, it also applies to the hosts as well. As time continues, the hosts inside Westworld become more aware of themselves, and sentience arises. The show alludes to the road to consciousness through the concept of getting to the centre of the maze to find one’s true self. To understand this route towards consciousness, one must start at the name of the last episode of season one, The Bicameral Mind. <\/em>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n The Bicameral Mind Theory <\/strong><\/p>\n The Bicameral Mind is a theory of consciousness developed by Julian Jaynes<\/a> and outlined in his bestselling book, The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind. <\/em>Jaynes argues that consciousness did not develop in humans until around 3000 years ago. Before that timeframe humans live in a zombie-like state, taking commands from the \u2018gods\u2019 and obeying without question. To prove this hypothesis, Jaynes looked at stories from Homer like the Iliad. Jaynes cite the lack of self or consciousness related language in the Iliad as the reason for his claim. The actions taken are dictated by the hallucinated voices of gods, and lack any self-motivated reason for the actions taken. Jaynes also points to the Old Testament\u2019s lack of consciousness-related language as proof for the Bicameral Mind. Further religious proof comes from the hallucinations of religious prophets, and the abundances of gods, idols and the frequent use of prophets and oracles in ancient times.<\/p>\n Jaynes<\/a> argues that around 3000 years ago, metaphorical language began to break the hallucinated voice. As humans began to increasingly understand analogies and metaphors, the brain created a sense of the self, and began to transform the \u2018outer\u2019 voice of the \u2018gods\u2019 into an inner voice. However, Jaynes would argue these voices are not completely gone in today’s world. Schizophrenic hallucination and surveys on the commonness of hearing voices other than one\u2019s acknowledged inner voice shows that these voices or hallucinations are still present today. Furthermore, Jaynes points to split brain patients and studies done on the right and left hemispheres of the brain, as proof that the Bicameral Mind did exist, as split brain patients are able to operate as two different individuals. Jaynes argues the reason behind bicamerality is to control social order and to ensure proper functioning of the human race.<\/p>\n Bicameral Mind in Westworld <\/strong><\/p>\n In Westworld, the most telling scene for the show\u2019s adoption of The Bicameral Mind theory involves Dolores<\/a>, a host in Westworld, in the last episode. In the scene, we hear a mix of voices in her head, starting with Arnold<\/a>, one of the pioneers of Westworld, and ending with Dolores\u2019s own. Arnold\u2019s voice represents the god in the Bicameral theory, controlling her every movement. Her discovery that it is in fact her own voice leads to her gaining consciousness. The same can be said about Maeve, who tried to escape Westworld and venture into the outside world. However, every action taken by Maeve<\/a> leading up to her escape has been an action she’s been programed to do, not an action she decided to do. This is true up until the moment she witnesses a mother and her daughter interacting on the train, and Maeve\u2019s desire to reach her fictional daughter overpowers her directive to escape the park, leading her to a search for her daughter.<\/p>\n