Over the past seven parts, we have explored some fascinating discoveries about the human brain. We have seen how much of our behaviour occurs outside conscious awareness, how multiple brain processes contribute to our sense of self, how emotions influence our decisions, and how our biology, experiences and conditioning shape who we become.
We have also discovered something rather humbling: our sense of being completely in control of ourselves may be an illusion.
Does this mean we are helpless passengers in our own lives? Certainly not.
The more important question is not whether we can control everything that happens within us, but what we can learn to influence.
From unconscious reactions to conscious responses
The PBS NOVA documentary Your Brain: Who's in Control? concludes with an important insight. Although much of the brain's activity occurs outside conscious awareness, becoming more aware of these processes can help us understand what drives us and what we can ultimately influence.
Think about anger. We may not always be able to prevent the initial emotional reaction. It may arise automatically, influenced by our past experiences, expectations and conditioning. But with awareness and practice, we can learn to recognise that reaction, pause and choose how to respond.
The same applies to fear, anxiety, impulses and habitual behaviour.
We may not control every thought that enters our mind, but we can develop the ability to observe our thoughts rather than automatically identify with them. We may not prevent every emotional response, but we can learn not to let every emotion dictate our behaviour.
This is where self-awareness becomes the foundation of self-regulation.
The possibility of Inner Governance
Indian wisdom traditions have explored this possibility through concepts such as Viveka (discernment), Vairagya (non-attachment) and Abhyasa (sustained practice).
The Bhagavad Gita, in Chapter 6, Verse 5, offers a particularly relevant teaching:
उद्धरेदात्मनात्मानं नात्मानमवसादयेत्।
आत्मैव ह्यात्मनो बन्धुरात्मैव रिपुरात्मनः॥One should uplift oneself through oneself and not degrade oneself. The self alone can be one's friend, and the self alone can be one's enemy.
The verse points towards our responsibility to cultivate our inner faculties rather than remain governed by our impulses and tendencies.
This is also the essence of Inner Governance: the disciplined ability to govern our attention, emotions and behaviour, even under pressure, in alignment with our values and desired goals.
It does not mean suppressing emotions, controlling every thought or attempting to dominate every mental process. It means developing awareness of what is happening within us, exercising discernment and responding with greater intentionality.
Meditation, reflection, self-enquiry and the cultivation of mindful habits can help strengthen this capacity.
From being driven to becoming intentional
Perhaps the most important lesson from our exploration is this: we do not have to be slaves to every impulse, emotion, thought or conditioning that arises within us.
Our brains are shaped by our experiences, but they also retain the capacity to change through new experiences and sustained practice. Our habits can be examined, our reactions can be regulated, and our behaviour can increasingly reflect what we consciously value.
We may not have complete control over the forces that shape us. But we can develop a greater capacity to understand them and govern our responses.
The journey of Inner Governance begins when we move from merely reacting to life towards consciously participating in how we live it.
That is perhaps the most empowering message to emerge from understanding our brain.
The objective is not absolute control over ourselves. It is greater awareness, greater discernment and greater freedom in how we respond to life.
And that is a journey worth undertaking.
References and further reading
- NOVA/PBS, Your Brain: Who's in Control? — the documentary that inspired this eight-part series.
- Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 6, Verse 5.
- Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 2, Verses 62–63 — on the progression from attachment and desire to anger and impaired discernment.
- Tang, Y. Y., Hölzel, B. K. & Posner, M. I. (2015). The Neuroscience of Mindfulness Meditation. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 16, 213–225. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn3916