Choice is an illusion

www.wired.com...

"Your decisions are strongly prepared by brain activity. By the time consciousness kicks in, most of the work has already been done," said study co-author John-Dylan Haynes, a Max Planck Institute neuroscientist.

something I always knew! We believe we can choose but in fact we are dictated by our subconscious which in turn is modeled by events around us.
We arent' so special after all!

If choice is just an illusion than how come i can choose to put my hand on a hot element?I have to believe i make my own choices consciously otherwise whats the point?We may as well just be a tree still alive but unable to decide where and how to grow.

Not true. They can't even tell me whether to eat butter or margerine. My mind has not even made itself up whether I spelled margarine right.

Some would comment on how conciousness is an illusion, so i don't see how this is anything new.

The only thing that is not an illusion is the conglomeration of all the different factors that make up the human mind, and to look at only one particular facte of that, such as conciousness or free-will, would be to ignore the concept of what it means to have a mind.

To focus purely on conciousness or free-will would be to delude yourself, is what i'm saying.

edit; hmm, okay that's a tad ott on the insane reasoning.

A person who is aware of and has capability of ALL facets of his mind would not be under an illusion, however a person who believes he 'is' conciousness, or 'free-will', would be under an illusion.

You are the brain, not a mere part of the brain.

Just because you are not aware of it, does not mean that it is not you.


[edit on 14-4-2008 by Anti-Tyrant]

Your decisions are only based on the information you have. If you have bad information, you make bad decisions, period.

Thats why choice is an illusion, and truth is only relative to where you are in life.

So what dictated your sub-conscious self to inspire you to choose to write this thread. I know you might well say the article you read, but did'nt you choose to read that too........so what dictated your sub-concious self to inspire you to read the article. I know you might well say.......umm hang on.....is there a pattern here..... hehe, nice post.

Originally posted by atlasastro
Inspire. Subconcious. the 'Self'.

Tis' the work of the entire mind, not just the subconcious i tell you!

Originally posted by andy1033
Your decisions are only based on the information you have. If you have bad information, you make bad decisions, period.

Thats why choice is an illusion, and truth is only relative to where you are in life.

If that was true, then our entire lives are nothing but a cycle of lies.