Psychohistory of Metaphors

How have figures of speech configured new concepts of time, space, and mind throughout history? Brian J. McVeigh answers this question in A Psychohistory of Metaphors: Envisioning Time, Space, and Self through the Centuries by exploring “meta-framing:” our ever-increasing capability to “step back” from the environment, search out its familiar features to explain the unfamiliar, and generate “as if” forms of knowledge and metaphors of location and vision. This book demonstrates how analogizing and abstracting have altered spatio-visual perceptions, expanding our introspective capabilities and allowing us to adapt to changing social circumstances.

“Brian McVeigh extends Jaynes's ideas on metaphor and thought, expands upon the different features of consciousness, explains the interrelatedness of our conceptions of time, space, and the self, and explores some of the implications of our newly learned inner life--the consequences of our consciousness. His ideas constitute a significant step forward to both understanding the metaphorical basis of thought and the human condition.”

Brian McVeigh extends Jaynes’s ideas on metaphor and thought, expands upon the different features of consciousness, explains the interrelatedness of our conceptions of time, space, and the self, and explores some of the implications of our newly learned inner life—the consequences of our consciousness. His ideas constitute a significant step forward to both understanding the metaphorical basis of thought and the human condition. -- Marcel Kuijsten, Julian Jaynes Society
McVeigh’s Psychohistory traces in detail the development of introspection, augmenting the ideas of Julian Jaynes. He explains how and why introspection developed in all its variations. He presents a well-documented history of this development in its cultural contexts. This is one of the books Jaynes said needed to be written. It provides a fascinating history of the often confusing and rarely documented cultural evolution of human consciousness. A must-read for scholars of history of the mind and Julian Jaynes. -- John F. Hainly, Southern University
McVeigh extends the work of the psychologist Julian Jaynes by revealing the close coupling between the character of the interior self and the ever-changing social context . . . A Psychohistory of Metaphors is a welcome and important contribution to our understanding of the conscious narrative self. But beyond its standing as an invaluable resource, it is also a pleasure to read. With personal stories of McVeigh’s childhood wonderings about the locations of heaven and hell, for example, seamlessly woven into texts of academic excellence, the book is as engaging as it is informative. With such depth and commitment to scholarship, this book promises to be a source of continual surprises and understandings over multiple readings. It is one of those books to keep close by on the shelf for many years to come. -- Bill Rowe, Santa Cruz Institute for Particle Physics

Brian J. McVeigh holds a PhD from Princeton University and is now training to be a mental health counselor.

How have figures of speech configured new concepts of time, space, and mind throughout history? Brian J. McVeigh answers this question in A Psychohistory of Metaphors: Envisioning Time, Space, and Self through the Centuries by exploring "meta-framing:" our ever-increasing capability to "step back" from the environment, search out its familiar features to explain the unfamiliar, and generate "as if" forms of knowledge and metaphors of location and vision. This book demonstrates how analogizing and abstracting have altered spatio-visual perceptions, expanding our introspective capabilities and allowing us to adapt to changing social circumstances.

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