Q&A: Subconscious and Free Will
Originally published:
This is an English translation (via GPT-5.4). Read the original Hebrew version.
Subconscious and Free Will
Question
Hello Rabbi,
I read that 95% of the decisions we make have already been made by our subconscious.
I wanted to ask what the Rabbi thinks about that.
Answer
I have no idea. I’m quite skeptical of claims like that. The question is also what kinds of decisions are being discussed.
Discussion on Answer
That’s what I thought. These aren’t decisions but data processing that leads to a conclusion. The conclusion, however, you can consciously accept or reject (impose a veto on). See my article on free will and the chapter in the book The Science of Freedom on Libet’s experiments.