Roleplaying a bicameral being is virtually impossible. We've given up on anything more than the most superficial representation. Players attribute their decisions to the gods and as GM I try to describe spirit encounters in a compatible manner. Ulitimately a heavy revision of the Pendragon personality/passion system might do the trick.
> 2) Many human cultures in Glorantha are modeled after civilations
> that existed on Earth long after bicameralism went out of style
Malkioni Humanism and Kralori Mysticism demand full consciousness. IMHO unicameralism spread through the West during the Gbaji Wars. Modern Ralians don't understand the nature of ancient Illumination leading to a farcical attempt to achieve a state of consciousness which is already second nature to them. Kralori Mysticism is so far beyond illumination that Metsyla is considered quaint and antique. These considerations do not apply to the theists and animists.
> bicameral minds had trouble with lying, deception and
> long-range planning, things we take for granted.
You can rationalize this away by saying that the Hero Wars are the period during which the bicameral mind breaks down completely in Peloria. It is a time of indescribable crisis. Also everything we know about the Fourth Age suggests that the gods become silent. Sounds familiar?
> 4) Do non-humans share this same mental organization?
Trolls are creatures of instinct, dwarves are similar to modern humans, elves are virtually group minds. Any sentient being which has not already achieved this degree of consciousness can be illuminated.
The bicameral thesis has another drawback it is about as compatible with
Uncle Joe (Campbell) as chalk with cheese. However IMHO it is a more
appropriate tool for dealing with Illumination than Zen etc.
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Andrew Behan
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