The Origins and the Fallacy of a Central Commander in the Brain: The Emergence of Agency and the Demise of the Concept of Free Will
Jose Luis Perez Velazquez, Vera Nenadovic
Being and becoming January 1, 2021 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-78264-1_2 (opens in new tab) via Springer Nature
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractThe chapter explores how the brain perceives the body, focusing on illusions of ownership and out-of-body experiences. It addresses the concept of free will, using clinical examples from epileptic patients to illustrate what seizures reveal about volition. Neurostimulation studies in patients further illuminate aspects of free will.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Free will Epilepsy Seizures Out-of-body experience Illusions of ownership |
| Key finding | Argues that clinical examples from epileptic patients and neurostimulation studies reveal aspects of the concept of free will. |
Abstract
In this chapter the basis of the perception of the body is explored. Related to body perceptions, we shall talk about illusions of ownership and out-of-body experiences. The question of free will be addressed and illustrated with some clinical examples, especially with epileptic patients, that will show what seizures reveal about volition. We will talk about neurostimulation done in patients that reveal more aspects of the concept of free will.