In the 1980s, Benjamin Libet, a neuroscientist, designed a now-famous experiment. Here's how it worked:
1. Participants were hooked up to an EEG machine to monitor brain activity.
2. They were told to flex their wrist whenever they felt like it—with no pattern or external prompt.
3. Meanwhile, they watched a dot rotating on a clock face and were asked to remember its position at the moment they consciously decided to move.
What Libet found was stunning:
The EEG detected a spike in brain activity—called the readiness potential—up to 7 seconds before the participant reported the conscious decision to move.
This suggests the brain had already decided to act before the participant was aware of deciding.
What Does This Mean?
1. Your Conscious Mind Might Not Be the Boss
We like to think we make conscious decisions, but Libet’s study suggests our subconscious brain initiates actions before we become aware of them. Consciousness may just rationalize decisions after the fact.
2. Free Will Under Fire
If your brain "decides" before you're aware, is free will an illusion? Are you simply a witness to your brain’s impulses, governed by a force beyond our understanding?
Some philosophers and scientists argue that free will is more of a post-hoc narrative, constructed by the brain to maintain a coherent sense of self.
Later studies, using fMRI, have shown that researchers can predict a person’s decision (e.g., pressing a left or right button) up to 10 seconds before the person reports choosing. This pushes the limits even further.
The conclusion: You’re not the CEO of your brain—you’re more like a press secretary, explaining decisions made in the boardroom long before you entered.
Isn't it mind blowing? Does it mean that our decision making process, influencing life developments, is not within our control. Who is the controller then -- a trillion dollar question!!!
Photo by Rodolfo Clix
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