Eastern philosophies might have been right about the secret to happiness after all

"I do not exist, naught is mine, I am not." – Sankhya philosophy

Eastern philosophies have preached about the non-existence of self for centuries, and neuroscience can now see how it relates to a happier living.

Unveiling the Illusion: Rethinking the "Pilot" of the Self

“Cogito, ergo sum,” or, “I think, therefore I am.” - René Descartes

In Western philosophy, we often conceive of ’I’ as a pilot, the central figure behind our thoughts and actions. It represents our individuality, residing within our minds and directing our experiences. It appears stable, in control, and responsible for our sense of identity. This gives us a sense of ownership over our thoughts, emotions, and physical body. We believe this ‘I’/’ego’ to be orchestrating the show, making decisions, and maneuvering through life.

Eastern View: Dissolving the Illusion of Self

However, in many Eastern philosophies like Buddhism, Taoism, and Advaita Vedanta, a radical idea challenges the Western notions of self. These schools of thought suggest that the self, the ego, or "me" is nothing more than an illusion—a convincing fiction created by our thinking minds.

In Buddhism, this concept is known as anatta, or "no self" (this is different from the Hindu concept of atma, soul). According to many Eastern teachings, the self is not a stable, independent entity. Instead, it is an ever-changing product of our thoughts, lacking a separate existence – a verb rather than a noun—a process rather than a concrete entity. Without thought, the self ceases to exist just as walking exists only while one is walking. Remarkably, modern science is beginning to align with these ancient teachings, validating their insights after thousands of years.

The Elusive Self: Absence of a "Self Center" in the Brain

Neuroscience has made remarkable progress in mapping various functions of the brain: identifying language centers, face processing areas, and regions responsible for understanding emotions. However, one aspect remains elusive – the self. Unlike other stable and consistent functions, the concept of self proves to be a complex and ever-changing construct. There is no consensus within the scientific community on whether the sense of self resides in the left or right hemisphere or any definitive region. This has led to the intriguing possibility that it may not exist there at all but emerges from a more intricate interplay of cognitive processes and subjective experiences.

A Fortuitous Discovery: Insights from Split-Brain Research

During efforts to alleviate severe epilepsy, scientists Roger Sperry and Michael Gazzaniga made a lucky discovery. By severing the corpus callosum, the bridge connecting the brain's two hemispheres, they achieved better control over seizures for which they earned the Nobel Prize in 1981.

The split-brain patients, as they came to be known, presented a unique opportunity for studying the distinct functions of each brain hemisphere as the disconnection allowed researchers to examine each side in isolation. Studies on them illuminated the understanding that our body and its sensory input are cross wired: information from the right half of the body is processed by the left brain, and vice versa.

Split-brain patient 'Joe' being tested by Michael Gazzaniga with stimuli presented in different visual fields

In an experiment conducted by Gazzaniga, the word "walk" was shown to a patient's right brain. In response, the patient immediately stood up and started to leave. When asked why, the interpreter, located in the left brain responsible for language, provided a plausible but incorrect explanation: “I’m going into the house to get a Coke.”. Similarly, when the word "laugh" was presented, the patient complied, but the left brain fabricated a witty response instead of acknowledging the true cause: “You guys come up and test us each month. What a way to make a living!”. This means that the left brain, lacking direct access to the requests presented to the right brain, tends to fabricate explanations and wholeheartedly believes in them rather than saying, “I don’t know why I just did that.”

The Fallible Interpreter: Unreliable Explanations from the Left Brain

According to the research conducted by Gazzaniga, the left side of the brain plays the role of an interpreter, constructing explanations and reasoning to make sense of our surroundings. However, what Gazzaniga discovered was rather startling: this interpreter is often entirely wrong in its interpretations.

The left brain generates interpretations or stories about events, aligning them with its own perspective or even attributing itself as the cause. These explanations, although false, hold little importance to the interpretive mind, which staunchly believes in their accuracy.

Over the past four decades, subsequent studies have further demonstrated the left brain's propensity to create explanations, even if they are incorrect, even in individuals with normal brain function. For instance, experiments revealed a natural preference for items on the right side. Yet, when participants without prior brain injuries were asked to explain their preference among three identical items, they concocted entirely false stories such as liking the color more. Even when the researchers explicitly explained the study's purpose, the left brain couldn't resist believing the stories it had fabricated.

Astonishingly, this significant finding has remained relatively unknown to the general public. Our left brain has been shaping our interpretation of reality throughout our lives. We tend to mistake the narrative of our perceived identity for our true essence.

The Unrestrained Inner Voice: Challenging the Illusion of Control

Are you living under the sway of your internal interpreter?

Many of us unknowingly live under the sway of our internal interpreter, granting our minds mastery over our lives. We accept thoughts and experiences as authentic without questioning their origins. Whether we feel anger, offense, arousal, happiness, or fear, we rarely doubt the authenticity of these inner phenomena. Despite this, we maintain the illusion that we are in full control.

Try and test it: Take a moment to notice if an inner voice continually generates theories and explanations about your experiences throughout the day. It may comment on someone's happiness, intelligence, or even question the wisdom of past actions. If these narratives truly define who you are, one should be able to switch them off at will. Can you? The very struggle to control these intrusive thoughts serves as evidence that there is no inner self exercising dominion over them.

Converging Paths: Science and Eastern Wisdom

Scientific discoveries in the West increasingly align with the profound insights of Eastern philosophies, suggesting the illusory nature of the self. But why is this important? This convergence matters because mistaking the voice in our heads as a solid "me" leads to mental suffering. Consider those sleepless nights—what keeps us awake? Often, it is our personal problems: work issues, financial struggles, relationship conflicts. But what if we could detach the notion of "self" from these problems?

Mental suffering (manifested as worry, anger, anxiety, regret, jealousy, shame, and other negative states), unlike physical pain, occurs solely in the mind and can be attributed to the illusion of self. Claiming that all forms of suffering stem from the illusory sense of self may seem audacious, but the essence of this idea is eloquently captured by the Taoist philosopher Wei Wu Wei: "Why are you unhappy? Because 99.9 percent of everything you think and everything you do is for yourself—and there isn't one."

Taking a step away from ‘I’ and thinking from a community perspective might be able to bring more satisfaction and happiness into our lives. Frank Martela, a Philosopher and Psychology researcher from the happiest country in the world (Finland), seems to be pointing towards this direction, and the theme is serving others. Here are 5 ways to find the meaning of life and make us happier:

1. Find your passion and turn it into purpose that serves others.

2. Become an expert and share your knowledge with others.

3. Practice random acts of kindness for others.

4. Be a good neighbour to others.

5. Embrace quiet time together with others.