Free Will

[Huz]

Is the willingness to accept that we are a machine and don't have free will (very hard for the ego to do) itself an act of free will?

[bobbyward]

its not about accepting it, accepting it would be a believe, then you are just replacing one believe with another. 

you need to look in your experience for the one who has free will, eventually you will have an awakening and see there is no separate controller and you wont need to beleive it, it will be self evident. 

[Grasshopper]

@Huz88 No, because that willingness to accept arose from previous conditions (thinking about it, contemplating it, whatever media you put into your brain, learning, etc.) that gave birth to the realization in the first place. Then maybe there was a struggle with the ego until it died down enough to allow that acceptance. It's all cause and effect.

Edited April 21, 2016 by Grasshopper

[Huz]

Wow very interesting, so it's all masked under this illusion, good theme for contemplation exercises: could say "where in my existence if free will perceived to exist"

[WelcometoReality]

@Huz88 The psychological entity called the ego does not have free will and cannot accept that it doesn't have free will since it is just a series of thoughts. 

For free will to exist there needs to be choice and what is choice?

Do you choose red or blue?

"I choose red". Which is just a thought that appears in consciousness. What puts the thought there? Nothing and noone. 

 

[Huz]

That makes so much sense logically 

now what does it feel like to experience no free will? Has it happened to you?

[bobbyward]

for me the no free will experience is there is a witnessing of everything happening with nobody doing it, similar to being mindful but more obvious. 

sensations are free floating not belonging to anyone, when i speak its just happening in mid air with nothing behind it. 

to have a no free will experience you need to see through the illusion of self (separate entity that controls thoughts and the body), and the way to see through it is to look for it. 

[Mr Blak]

The realization is that the experience of acceptance is not volitional, you had no 'choice' about accepting that we do not have free will, as you had no 'choice' about what to eat for breakfast.  Your complete being, that is your memories, beliefs, experiences, weighed in on the decision.  Your ego, will lay claim to the choice, but again the realization that the ego is just and idea, and illusion, a thought like any other, was also out of your hands!  

A point to realize is that just about all of your experience had nothing to do with 'you'.  Did you choose your beliefs? Your circumstances?  Who is to choose?  Your 'choice' about where to live, is analogous to your 'choice' of your own genetics.   This may be hard to believe, but even when understood intellectually, it is liberating.  

... the 'machine' has no choice, as a dancer has no choice about how she dances 

Edited April 21, 2016 by Mr Blak

[Huz]

Your right it's very liberating at times, but also for me very easily forgotten!!

Edited April 21, 2016 by Huz88

[WelcometoReality]

10 hours ago, Huz88 said:

That makes so much sense logically 

now what does it feel like to experience no free will? Has it happened to you?

I think most people has experienced it. It can be described as being in the zone. Just a natural flow of acting in the present moment to whatever arises.