Eight-circuit Model of Consciousness - Leary's Formulation

Leary's Formulation

Although Leary propounded the basic premise of eight "brains" or brain circuits, he was inspired by sources such as the Hindu chakra system.

His most direct inspiration was received in the form of a document from a student of yoga, a pamphlet containing 24 different pages, with three-page subdivisions each corresponding to a particular yogic "energy". Leary then translated this and expanded it into a 24-stage model of evolution, and eventually streamlined it into the eight-circuit model of consciousness. With this, Leary created his umbrella model which others have expanded on.

As one grows from infancy, the circuits are activated in turn, as described by Jean Piaget. Leary thought that the first four circuits reside in the left hemisphere of the brain or the cerebrum. The later four were said to reside in the right hemisphere.

An under-utilized “lower” circuit hinders the complete expression of a “higher” circuit. It would thus become necessary for a person to fully experience, integrate, and embody the survival circuits, in order to withstand the shock that accompanies the activation of the post-survival circuits.

One observation based on this model is about “entities” such as angels, extraterrestrials, deities, etc. According to one school of thought, these entities reported by eight-circuit visionaries are members of races already evolved to this level.

Leary claimed that among other things this model explained the social conflict in the 1960s, where the mainstream was said to be those with four circuits active and characterized by Leary as tribal moralists and clashed with the counter-culturists, who were then said to be those with five circuits active and characterized as individualists and hedonists.

Leary's first book on the subject, Neurologic, only included seven circuits when it was published in 1973. Exo-Psychology, published in 1977, expanded the number of circuits to eight and clarified the subject; it was re-published as revised by Timothy Leary with additional material in 1989 under the title Info-Psychology (New Falcon Publishing).

Leary theorized that until recently in human development these higher circuits have remained dormant within the brain..