Mental Causation Theory

Simply put the Theory of Mental Causation states: “What we think, feel or decide causes our actions.” Modern neuroscience research simply does not verify this to be that case.

Let’s run out own experiments and validate it with what we know about how we work from our first hand as-lived, as-experienced lives in real-time.  

Now, if our thoughts, a decision-thought in this case, caused our actions, all we need to do then is decide not to eat chocolate or desserts or any other thing we have told ourselves no to do (or to do like exercise), and we can clearly see that something else is running the show besides that decision we are making. 

From an evolutionary perspective: A million years ago our ancestral brothers and sisters were walking in the Serengeti plane and one heard a snap of a twig and his brother (or sister or both) was eaten by a saber tooth tiger and the other runs away to safety. Later on, while walking in the plain there is sound of a snap of a twig. Those of our ancestors who took the time to analyze the sound, figure out whether the big kitty was friendly or hungry, was the next meal and that gene pool became extinct.

The genes that survived had brains that had the people running before there was any thoughts about it. Only later would they report on their feelings and perhaps say that they, “Decided to run.”  This is consistent with neuroscience experiments: our actions proceed our consciousness of them by up to 10 seconds.  We act first then become aware of whatever was ‘decided’ by our brain.

Again, see if you can verify this for yourself.  When a angry looking dog charges you, your brain has patterns that determine if you should reach out to pet the dog or run (fight or freeze are other automatic behaviors). It will happen before you have time to analyze the situation. 

It is possible to train your brain to have other neuronal patterns of actions, but it is still becomes automatic or part of you natural self-expression. It so-to-speak uses you. Becomes part of who you are. This is the phenomenon we use in this course. Access to having something become part of who we are. Our natural self-expression. 

There are two types of learning. One is centered on an epistemological and theoretical perspective . An the other is an ontological and phenomenological approach which is centered on mastery. The mastery approach make something part of who we are and part of our natural self expression.

The context for a situation you are dealing with informs you as to the actions that will be taken.