Jaynes argued that consciousness plays a less dominant role in our mental lives than we typically assume, likening it to a flashlight in a dark room that can only illuminate what it shines upon. He suggested that much of our behavior can be automatic, and we are not conscious of the vast majority of our cognitive processes.

Impact: Medium. This perspective challenges the anthropocentric view of consciousness, suggesting that even modern humans may operate with significant automaticity, and that our conscious awareness is a limited slice of our total mental activity.

In the source video, this keypoint occurs from 00:19:04 to 00:22:36.

Sources in support: Julian Jaynes (Psychologist, author of 'The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind')