Is Choice an Illusion? Here is my theory:
Thank you for allowing me to express this concept. I too grappled with it. I include spirituality and often use bible verses in order to demonstrate that certain concepts seem to have been entertained thousands of years ago, however, I love science and philosophy, so I seek to integrate it if possible. Let me also say that this is where I am now in my perception, but realize that reality is changing for us every day and therefore so should our perception of reality be flexible enough to shift.
So, to start this off, I do believe ultimately that choice is an illusion, in fact, I refer to it as “the sense of choice”. I have observed that different states of consciousness and awareness requires different laws or principles. So for instances, many principles of human self awareness cannot apply to say a primate’s awareness, perfect example is the use of complex tools. Certain principles that govern a primates awareness cannot apply to let say a snake’s awareness, like territorial border patrols, grooming, etc. I use the word awareness loosely here. Its not referring to an awareness of self, but most assuredly an awareness of their environment that will allow that particular organism to fit in and thrive.
I feel there are different principles that also govern human awareness at each stage. The level that most humans exist is at the “sense of choice” stage.
I did see a theologian talk on a “Closer to the Truth” documentary on Choice about God created everything at once and in an instant (as there was not the creation of time and space yet) and some physicists are mulling over that idea, for instance, David Bohm, a 20th century theoretical physicist who wrote a book “Wholeness and the Implicate Order”. What he proposed is almost verbatim to the first line of the Bible. He feels that everything is already created in a perfect structure called the Implicate Order and that same structure organized a mechanism called time-space in order to, frame by frame, play out this order as experience that he refers to as the “Explicate Order”. This correlates to the first line of the bible, before a “day” was created read “In the beginning God created the Heavens and the Earth”. I am open that this is simply my interpretation of the theory of the Implicate Order. Furthermore a Swiss psychologist, Karl G. Jung proposes that there are formless archetypes that exist in what he calls the collective unconscious. That we have a compelling urge to take that which exists already as formless (collective unconscious) and bring it into form. In Buddhism they ascribe that to the Void or Sunyata that it “constitutes ultimate reality; sunyata is seen not as a negation of existence but rather as the undifferentiation out of which all apparent entities, distinctions, and dualities arise.” Well the Bible also alludes to this by the next line stating “And the Earth was without form and Void”. So the notion in the Bible/Tanakh is that the Earth exists, but it does so in the void and has not taken on form.
Now David Bohm sees the universe as code. Great example is a video game. Before it is activated, it is just code. Dimensions do not exist yet until it is activated and then the code gets interpreted into time, space, images and a journey. The entire game is setting you up to go to the next level. Isomorphism postulates the same idea, that for every form (morph) that we see, there is a mathematical equivalent, which is the predecessor of that form and in fact, created an equal match of the formula to form.
This then starts to allude to holographic universe. Now, modern day theoretical physicists, in watching “A Thin Sheet of Reality: The Universe as a Hologram” by the World Science Festival Channel, they speak of everything in the universe has information encoded into it. But they found a conundrum, that when things go into a black whole, it looses its information. Stephen Hawkins was intent on this theory, but not his colleagues. They didn’t feel that information is lost, as they feel that is impossible, some concluded that information becomes one, single, undifferentiated in the black (w)hole. We are seeing similiarites now with science, psychology and religion. There is a black whole at the center of every galaxy and some postulations is that the black hole created the galaxy by spouting out matter, which in turn will inevitably return to the black whole. Perhaps the black whole is the portal where the formless becomes form?
Now there are truly unseen encoded information that only becomes apparent with an interpreter that we experience every day. So we can’t see or hear encoded radio waves until it reaches a transmitter radio that will reinterpret the information, separate out the voices and music and with the exception of interference, does a close to pure form of interpretation. Our Central and Peripheral nervous system are interpreters of information that is coming in. Our eyes interpret light waves as images, our ears interprets pressure waves as sound, Our skin interprets electrical signals on the skin as solid objects, etc. Are we producing the experience, or are we interpreting the experience as a 4D reality?
What Neuroscience has found is that the brain gets stimulated slightly before we are aware that we have a thought or make a choice. So although “Willusionists” looks at the brain being stimulated before we are aware we are making a choice as the mere predictability of our conditioning, however, through my own personal experience, I see it differently. I agree that to a large degree there is habitual thinking, I’m a psychologist, that is what I study. However, I’m leaning more towards the possibility that the brain is being stimulated by encoded information that exists on waves that are transmitted in. Our interpretation of that information depends on the filters we created. However, the proposal here is could we be fed in a choice, a thought, an idea and our brain picks it up, becomes stimulated and then we become aware? This then gives us a sense of that we re making a choice. We even say things like “An Idea just came to me.”
the ether in which this little planet floats, in which we move and have our being, is a form of energy moving at an inconceivable high rate of vibration, and that the ether is filled with a form of universal power which adapts itself to the nature of the thoughts we hold in our minds, and influences us, in natural ways, to transmute our thoughts into their physical equivalent. Napoleon Hill
Now, to make a choice takes a sense of separation. !!This is a necessary component of choice. Our sense of separation is what we commonly call our ego. It is believed to be the network of neurons that make up the Temporal Partietal Junction, which also gives us a sense of self and time. This is necessary for us to be aware of ourselves and thus have a sense of choice. Going back to the levels of awareness. Our sense of choice is vital for self-actualization, as coined by Psychologist Abraham Maslow. It is craftily built into our evolution process to evolve us to the next stage. But is it real? There are two parts of the brain that is necessary when making a choice. Our logical side of the brain, in order to reason the options and a part of the brain that attaches emotion to a choice. (find reference). Studies show that if the emotional side of the brain is damaged, people cannot make a choice, they will tell you the options, but they have an inability to make a choice, which makes sense in that choice is an investment on some level that requires us to feel connected to that choice. However, would choice be the mechanism that is used to allow the human brain as a transmitter and interpreter of information, to then act upon that information? That we must attach emotion to something in order to proceed. Otherwise we would live in an option filled universe with nobody making choices.
So what would be the next stage of evolution if the sense of choice is needed for this stage of evolution. I refer to this as a “sense of guidance’. Our reality is no longer governed by choices, but by guidance. Guidance requires us to feel a deep sense of connection, oneness and wholeness. So whereas choice is created through separation, guidance is formed through wholeness, which for many constitutes ultimate reality, the undifferentiated wholeness where all information is accessible.
It is documented that people who meditate and grasp this concept of oneness and unplug from the illusion of separation report very similar sensations of feeling guided.
This is how I resolve the conflict. Free will is a stage and mechanism of consciousness to lead us to self-actualization which then brings us further to moving on and mastering the ego into servitude and we live by connection, wholeness and guidance.
As a psychologist I like to also examine which philosophy produces the most healing effects for us both emotionally and biologically. For instance, I see that when we feel a sense of purpose, our biology repsonds in favor of it. Our immune system boosts, we have a greater sense of well being, we ignite feel good hormones like dopamine and endorphins, we feel calmer, we smile more often. So therefore it behooves me to trust and take on a life philosophy that there IS purpose in life.
Well the same goes for how we emotionally and biologically respond to a sense of choice vs. a sense of guidance. Psychology understands now the healing and beneficial effects of surrendering. However, in Psychology surrendering is more align with acceptance. Accept that this is what your reality is instead of wishing it can be something else and operate from that space. However, because our mind has been built for survival and defaults to holding on to certain thoughts, this manner seems to be great in theory, difficult in practice. What if one surrenders to “Divine” or “Implicate” order and that all things are built into personal journeys as a means of growth. So that would look more like “No matter what is happening in my life, I am in the rights place at the right time.” As well, to not leave it right there, as this statement can become a defense mechanism and one may suppress certain emotions instead of processing them. It is at that point that one can fashion a lesson in the scenario and use the adverse event to their benefit. This seems to have greater impact on our biology and well being. Therefore, if I can never prove that choice is not a reality, but a sense, if one adopts the philosophy of Divine/Implicate Order, life seems to take on a more seamless tone and we experience growth more often, which we also know that our feelings were built towards being excited about growth.