For theologians, destiny is like a book that has already been written; we are merely the practitioners of fate, and everything in the universe is moving forward on a predetermined path.
However, for materialists, our destiny lies in our own hands. The reason humans can master their fate is that each of us possesses free will. Every choice at the crossroads of life is made by us, our consciousness selects the next path for us, guiding each person to a different destiny.
But is this true? Within the framework of classical mechanics, everything in the universe can be calculated, whether it involves macrocosmic celestial bodies or microcosmic molecular movements. By understanding the fundamental parameters of these entities, we can predict their state of motion at any moment in the future based on formulas.
The human body is composed of countless molecules; if we know the state and parameters of all these molecules, it seems we could calculate our destiny. Unfortunately, this remains a theoretical hypothesis in the scientific community, as our current level of technology does not allow us to create such a computer.
However, experiments and scientific research indicate that our actions and decisions are not entirely made by us. It seems there is some mysterious force controlling us.
Our actions and decisions are not entirely made by us. (Illustration: Zhihu).
In the 1960s, two scientists conducted a notable experiment, believing that before human consciousness appeared, there might be a mysterious force in the brain that influences every subsequent action. To explore this hypothesis, they placed EEG scanners on the heads of participants and asked them to press a button while consciously aware of it.
The results of the experiment were surprising: the brain issued a command to press the finger before participants realized they needed to do so. Although this process was extremely brief, the EEG scanner still recorded subtle brain activity. This means that when volunteers prepared to consciously move their fingers, their brains had already sent the movement instructions in advance.
This indicates that brain activity occurs before the formation of consciousness, suggesting the existence of a manipulating force that precedes our awareness. And this mysterious force is likely the subconscious.
In our daily lives, many actions and decisions are triggered by the subconscious. Although we appear to be complete individuals and the things we do daily seem to be our own decisions, in reality, these actions may not entirely stem from our desires. The results of this experiment astonished scientists, who realized they could not clarify this mysterious power. Consequently, this experiment was gradually set aside.
In life, many actions and decisions are triggered by the subconscious. (Illustration: Zhihu).
By the 1980s, Professor Benjamin Libet, an American neuroscientist and pioneer in the field of human consciousness, conducted a follow-up study to the previous experiment.
This experiment also required participants to press a button but added a new link. Instead of displaying a clock on the computer screen, they used a dial with a red dot moving at a constant speed in a clockwise direction. Participants needed to focus on the red dot and press the button to stop it, recording the position of the red dot.
To accurately record the timing of when the buttons were pressed and when the brain recognized them, Libet attached an electromyogram to the participant’s finger and placed an EEG scanner on their head. This setup allowed for precise recording of the timing of the finger pressing the button and observation of brain wave activity as the brain generated the consciousness to press the button.
(Illustration: Zhihu).
The purpose of this experiment was clear: to reveal the relationship between the brain’s awareness of pressing the button and the actual action of pressing the button by comparing the sequence of these three timing events.
According to our current understanding, it is generally believed that the brain first generates the awareness of pressing the button, then creates brain waves to prepare for the action, and finally, the finger presses the button. However, the experimental results exceeded everyone’s expectations. They showed that the order of these three events is that first the brain generates brain waves to prepare for the button press, then awareness of pressing the button appears, and finally, the finger presses the button.
Even more surprisingly, the brain generates corresponding brain waves 0.35 seconds before the button is pressed. This means that our brain is not guided by our consciousness when making significant decisions.
Thus, Libet concluded that the brain’s awareness of pressing the button only occurs after receiving the signal that the brain is ready to press the button. This conclusion disrupts our traditional understanding of self-awareness. It implies that our actions and decisions are not entirely governed by consciousness but are influenced by some involuntary factors. This leads to a profound thought: Is our fate truly predetermined?
Our actions and decisions are influenced by involuntary factors. (Illustration: Zhihu).
In 1999, psychologist Wegener conducted an improved experiment. He invited two participants to take part in the experiment. Both participants looked at a cursor on the screen and pressed keys with their hands. Before the experiment began, Wegener did not inform them which key controlled the cursor on the screen.
Participant A was the actual subject of the experiment; he had no control over the keys, while Participant B could decide the cursor’s position on the screen. When the experiment officially began, as A heard a beep and pressed the button, B was actually controlling the cursor’s movement on the screen. This design aimed to give A an experience of virtual control. However, as the number of trials increased and the time gap between A and B controlling the cursor gradually narrowed, A began to master the cursor’s movement and the timing of button presses. As the time difference in control between A and B decreased, A developed a sense of autonomy, believing he could control the cursor on the screen.
We can still control part of our destiny through controlling our bodies. (Illustration: Zhihu).
Notably, participant B could actually control participant A’s decision-making. He could deceive A into thinking that his decisions were based on his own consciousness. This experiment sparked deep thoughts about autonomy and decision-making. Is there a mysterious force in the universe controlling us? Is the fate of all beings in the world predetermined?
We cannot definitively answer whether fate is predetermined. However, we can still control part of our destiny through controlling our bodies. Our fate may not be entirely predetermined, as long as we take responsibility for our lives, we believe that the universe will provide us with the best answers regarding our fate.
