The Nature of Free Will

Another universal question that is posed, especially in philosophical or spiritual circles — is the question of whether or not free will exists.

Basically, the idea is seen from both a materialistic and spiritual standpoint. On one end of the spectrum, is the idea that free will does not exist at all. Because if we are to assume that the processes of the universe have created our entire makeup, than that would suppose that any “free will” we seem to express, is nothing more than the predestined stimuli of our physiology. Any decision we make, is only an inevitable result of our organic gears turning and atoms bouncing about with mathematical precision.

This same concept is not only a materialistic outlook, but one that many spiritual people believe as well. All we have to do is replace the word ‘universe’ with ‘God’. And now, because of “God”, our destiny is set by how we were created through God. Every decision we make, and every thought we have, is only the process playing itself out on a higher level.

The other end of the spectrum sees free will as an obvious fact. We make decisions and actions freely, with no strings attached, based on our preferences and needs. We can then steer our destiny with this foundational understanding into any direction we desire. So long as we don’t give up on the central idea, that we always have a choice.

The reality of these two spheres of existence are ostensibly as real as we want to make it. Within each point of view we can find positives and negatives. That is to say, if we believe we have free will, then we do. And if we believe that we don’t, then we don’t.

For it does seem as though, our life is imbued with themes of experience that we are destined to harmonize with. The entire concept of “synchronicity” is based solely on the idea that we do not have control over our destiny. That something outside ourselves moves through our daily life, in such a way, to create extraordinary synchronized and meaningful coincidences.

All the same, most do not understand our ability to facilitate synchronicity through our change in perception or willful action. As the case when we meditate. We are ostensibly granting ourselves access to more free will in how we control our destiny. By just being aware of our thoughts and beliefs, we insight into the higher truth of reality. And this is all up to the ability of our free will to choose a focus of awareness. We can either focus attention on what we are already programmed to believe is true, or we transcend the belief altogether.

In this, free will is always present within us. Yet, so long as we experience the limitations of our physical forms, there is definitely still aspects of having no will at all. It is only a matter of how one desires to perceive their life in the moment.

Surrendering to the circumstances of the universe can be quite a liberating state of being to experience. All the same, is the ability to direct our free will to the particular experiences we desire to have. Facilitating synchronicity, by way of organizing or leading various collective events in the world. This all has to be considered as part and parcel of the process of the universe. An infinite amount of decisions can be made at any time.

For me, it is far easier to notice that free will is always present. This is because the universe is entirely subjective, which means it is dependent on consciousness. Hence everything, must be some form of the creator, veiled by the limitations of their own mind. If we lack free will, it is because on a more expanded level of our expressed being, we used our innate free will to limit our free will.

This is a point of understanding non-duality, where our linear space-time format breaks down into pure subjective consciousness. Beyond this point, we hardly have the language to describe it. Safe to say, that consciousness doesn’t work in a mechanical way, as materialists would believe, by only examining that which persists outside their own self. Examining these objects is still consciousness, but only partially, because it doesn’t take into account the subject who is viewing that outside world.

Nevertheless, acting according to our free will, very well, is the same as saying there is none at all. For even when we see no free will, there is free will. And even if we see free will, who is to say that one was destined to act any differently than how they desired to act, in that moment?