Self is just an illusion

The Bundle Theory which is also known as the cluster or collection theory states that a substance either is or can be reduced to its underlying qualities. It states that the concept of a bare particular (substance without properties) is incoherent since it is impossible to conceive it without such qualities. For example, it seems entirely possible to conceive of a completely colorless or invisible object, although it does not seem possible to imagine it (picture it within my mind).  

Another common justification for the Bundle Theory is that it is more ontologically parsimonious than any independence theory of substance.  Ockham’s Razor states that “all things being equal, one should not multiply entities beyond necessity.”  Therefore, it appears to be preferable, if possible, to define a substance by identifying it with a collection of non-substantial entities. 

According to the David Hume Bundle Theory the idea of an enduring self is an illusion. The individual is simply a collection of mental states at a particular time; there is no separate subject of these mental states over and above the states themselves. 

Most of us believe that we are unique and coherent individuals, but are we? The idea of a "self" has existed ever since humans began to live in groups and become sociable.

Each morning, we wake up and experience a rich explosion of consciousness — the bright morning sunlight, the smell of roast coffee and, for some of us, the warmth of the person lying next to us in bed. As the slumber recedes into the night, we awake to become who we are. The morning haze of dreams and oblivion disperses and lifts as recognition and recall bubble up the content of our memories into our consciousness. For the briefest of moments we are not sure who we are and then suddenly ‘I,’ the one that is awake, awakens. We gather our thoughts so that the ‘I’ who is conscious becomes the ‘me’ — the person with a past. The memories of the previous day return. The plans for the immediate future reformulate. The realization that we have things to get on with remind us that it is a workday. We become a person whom we recognize.

The call of nature tells us it is time to visit the bathroom and en route we glance at the mirror. We take a moment to reflect. We look a little older, but we are still the same person who has looked in that same mirror every day since we moved in. We see our self in that mirror. This is who we are.

The daily experience of the self is so familiar, and yet the brain science shows that this sense of the self is an illusion. Psychologist Susan Blackmore makes the point that the word ‘illusion’ does not mean that it does not exist — rather, an illusion is not what it seems. We all certainly experience some form of self, but what we experience is a powerful depiction generated by our brains for our own benefit. 

The self emerges during childhood and the architecture of the developing brain enables us to become social animals dependent on each other. Dr. Hood explains that self is the product of our relationships and interactions with others, and it exists only in our brains.

Things are changing as our technology develops and shapes society. The social bonds and relationships that used to take time and effort to form are now undergoing a revolution as we start to put our self online. Social networking activities such as blogging, Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter threaten to change the way we behave. Social networking is fast becoming socialization on steroids. The speed and ease at which we can form alliances and relationships is outstripping the same selection processes that shaped our self prior to the internet era. 

Self is just an illusion that us, humans cannot live without. The idea is just been transformed throughout time.

References

• Hood, B. (2012) "The Self Illusion: How the Social Brain Creates Identity." ISBN-13: 978-0199897599