Ape Mind, Old Mind, New Mind: Emotional Fossils and the Evolution of the Human Spirit

Ape Mind, Old Mind, New Mind is a personal memoir by a psychiatrist who gradually discovers from his patient's descriptions of their mental illnesses that human motivations have been evolved over millions of years for productive engagement rather than competitive fitness. A new uplifting and spiritual view of human nature emerges that is not only consistent with the science of human evolution, but also opens up a simple explanation for such ancient mysteries as self-awareness, reflective thought, and the vast complexity of language. Other books about the evolution of emotion approach it from the "outside" as an object; this book is about the biological evolution of the "inside" experience of emotion-and-motivation, which can only be known empathetically.