Using Google’s NotebookLM has been a game-changer for searching through mid-sized text databases. In my recent research on creation myths similar to Genesis, I uploaded the thirteen-part anthology The Mythology of All Races. NotebookLM’s ability to search for concepts like creation myths, snake myths, and primordial matriarchies goes beyond simple keyword matching; it understands higher-order ideas, making it far superior to traditional methods like Ctrl+F or Google search.
One of its standout features is the ability to generate a podcast from your uploaded documents. I added my collected works and hundreds of pages of notes, then prompted it to deliver a graduate seminar on the evolution of consciousness. About 20 minutes in, it referenced Hygeia, the Greek goddess of healing, to support the association of snake goddesses with healing—a detail I had noted but forgotten. The podcast provided new insights even to me, the creator of the material.
However, NotebookLM isn’t without its shortcomings. There are logical gaps and factual inaccuracies, and the content can sometimes feel shallow and unorganized. The AI also tends to interject moral reminders about the importance of being good—the hall monitor in the bot’s brain is always on. (But remember, human consciousness evolved in much the same way, with the super-ego preceding the ego.) Despite these flaws, this is the worst AI-generated podcasts will ever be, making it worthwhile to explore now.
Key points discussed:
The core idea that "I am" was the first recursive thought, marking the beginning of human self-awareness
How this awareness may have developed sporadically ~100,000 years ago but became more consistent around 50,000 years ago with behavioral modernity
The potential role of women as early pioneers of self-awareness due to their social roles and cognitive advantages
The proposed use of snake venom in ancient rituals to induce altered states and catalyze self-awareness
Connections between ancient snake cults, mystery traditions, and modern explorations of consciousness
Evidence from archaeology, mythology, linguistics, and neuroscience supporting aspects of the theory
How EToC relates to the "Sapient Paradox" - the gap between anatomically modern humans and behaviorally modern humans
Potential implications for understanding artificial intelligence and machine consciousness
Ethical considerations around altered states and the responsible use of consciousness-expanding practices
Here are a few other podcasts on other snake-cult adjacent subjects:
Snake Venom with Lady Babylon
Lady Babylon is the YouTube channel of a classicist who thinks the Eleusinian Mysteries used snake venom. I added his channel to a project, which gives NotebookLM access to all the transcripts. When prompted to focus on what he says about snake venom, it made this podcast.
Up From Eden by Kenneth Wilber
Similarly, I have a project with various books and papers about evolution, and in this podcast, I asked it to focus on Up From Eden, weaving in other sources as appropriate.
Eve Theory of Consciousness (alchemical edition)
This is another podcast on EToC, but instead of containing all of my writing, these hosts have access to EToC and an assortment of books on alchemy, mystery cults, and kabbalah.
And finally, if you have three hours, check out the AI-generated reading of the original essay:
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