(This brief essay had such an interesting response from so many people when it was posted on FB that I had no choice but to repost it here on the TAHC blog. And I don’t really think we are robots. I suspect, for good reasons, that we are individuated expressions of Divine Consciousness, waves in the ocean of life. The currents of the ocean run the show, sometimes expressing as waves who can’t help but think they do.)
I still have a few friends who believe they have free will. Sad. Really sad. This would mean they are encapsulated, autonomous entities who directly influence the outcomes of their lives. If you really believe you have free will then demonstrate it by not thinking for just two minutes. Just don’t have any thoughts for two minutes. Go ahead. Knock yourself out! (You’d have to to not have any thoughts,) But tell yourself the truth about the outcome of this experiment.
If we had free will, would we really be wasting our lives arguing over stupid stuff like politics, philosophy and religion on FB? Hmmm? Would anyone ever willingly watch Fox News or vote for Trump? I have friends, probably reading this right now, who have sworn off of FB because they realize how stupid and what a waste of time it is. And they leave FB. And then they come back. And jump right in again!
Our brain is designed to give us the illusion of free will. But if we are able to examine the belief and experience of free will with complete honesty, the illusion rapidly disappears.
And some of you won’t be able to help yourself but to argue with this because you are well programmed philosophical robots.
Some human robots are programmed to change and transform. Others are not, can’t and won’t.
Trying to get out of this trap is the trap.
Enjoy your freedom. Be as you are. As if you had any choice in the matter.
The Heart of Conscious Living 