We do not have free will. Our mental construct of our self makes us think we do. At least that is what neuroscientist Julian Keenan says when he talked with Ann Strainchamps on the radio episode titled “You and Your Brain” on NPR’s To The Best Of Our Knowledge.
You can listen to this enlightening episode in the above link.
Experiments showed that when you reach for a cup, you hand moves before your brain is aware. When the brain catches up, it then comes up with the reason as to why it “decided” to move the hand.
Another experiment used electromagnets to bias a subject’s decision one way or the other. But the subject will come up with a “rational” explanation of why he/she decided that way when in fact the magnet biased the subjects decision. And the subject will not believe that the decision was influenced by anything else beside self.