So… who’s in charge? Most psychologists, neuroscientists, and philosophers agree that it’s not likely to be a little man sitting inside your head, a “ghost in the machine.”

Then who is really in charge of your decisions and actions? It’s possible that no one is, that your behavior is driven by random, unpredictable forces. It’s also possible that your behavior is completely predictable, determined by physical laws that leave no room for conscious will.

But it is equally reasonable to believe that all of our thoughts, intentions, and actions emerge from our nervous system embedded in our physical body. This complete, integrated organism is the product of our genetic heritage, stamped by our prior experiences, primed by unconscious brain processes, and influenced by the immediate social situation. This embodied conscious agent is the real “I” that makes decisions and carries them out, and is responsible for the consequences.