We simply feel free, and that feeling is real. It happens for there
is nothing obvious forcing us. It is a genuine part of our
experience. It is not an illusion in the sense of being a false
sensation or hallucination; we do experience the sense that we can
choose and act. However, this feeling should not be confused with
metaphysical free will. Feeling free does not prove that our
decisions are independent of prior causes, programming, or external
influences. The sensation is real and meaningful for guiding our
actions and shaping our experience of life, but it does not justify
the assumption that we possess ultimate freedom.
Some however are induced to mistake feeling free for being a mark of free will. This illusion is inflicted on them and that is wrong. God belief has a lot to answer for in relation to that.
BUT SUPPOSING THE ILLUSION CLAIM WERE TRUE
Projection of God and Free Will
Premise 1: Humans tend to project attributes onto entities when they desire or imagine them.
Premise 2: Humans feel the illusion of free will strongly and wishful thinking is going to set in.
Premise 3: Believing in a God who has free will and gives it to us is attributing a desired attribute (free will) to an entity.
Conclusion: Therefore, the belief in a God who has free will and gives it to us can be understood as a projection based on our own feeling of free will.
Feeling Free and Free Will
We might worry that we inevitably feel that we have free will. If so, this feeling is an illusion in the sense that it cannot be escaped or corrected from within our own experience. We cannot step outside the processes that generate the feeling in order to verify it, and therefore cannot distinguish between genuine freedom and a convincing sense of agency. The illusion is not a mistake we occasionally make, but a structural feature of human consciousness: we are bound to experience ourselves as choosing, even if our choices are fully determined.
That would mean God or nature has set up lies to trap us in.
An illusion can be either a misperception or an intellectual mistake. A misperception occurs when your senses or brain misinterpret reality, while an intellectual mistake occurs when you are given incorrect information and arrive at a false belief. The belief that feeling free demonstrates actual freedom is an intellectual mistake. At the same time, the sensation of freedom itself could be a misperception. Both types of “illusion” may operate together, making it unreliable to infer genuine freedom from the feeling alone.
Inherently suffering an illusion does not mean we find ways to inflict it anew on ourselves.
Even if free will exists, we have no reason to be confident that we possess it.
As one perspective notes, "Our will, whether free or otherwise, is realized only when translated into the process that brings about the purpose that is willed." In other words, outcomes create the sense that we are agents. Achieving a result—or even attempting an action—produces the feeling that we caused the situation. Feeling free is thus a response to results, not a reflection of autonomous action.
Free will being so tied into errors and illusions would give you grounds for suspecting that it is not there. It is as if our nature wants it to be there for it is not.
What Is Free Will?
There are three common ways to define free will:
Unpredictability: Free will may mean the ability to act unpredictably or contrary to one’s usual character. Some argue that unpredictable behavior demonstrates free will. However, unpredictability alone does not prove freedom; it may simply reflect our inability to predict our own behavior. Even if we could rewind time, repeating the same action would challenge the sense of freedom. The feeling of free will arises because we cannot fully test or observe it.
Freedom from external restraint: Free will can also be defined as acting without external coercion. Some philosophers suggest that if all influences are internal, one should still be considered free. However, internal forces—habits, impulses, or instincts—constrain our choices just as much as external ones. Accepting freedom in one sense but denying it in another may feel comfortable but is philosophically inconsistent.
Psychological decision-making: Free will can be understood as the process of deciding based on desires, motives, or reasons. This perspective focuses on the mechanics of choice rather than the metaphysical reality of freedom.
Those who endorse free will often combine all three definitions. True free will would require that our decisions are neither caused by past events nor determined by internal programming. If decisions are caused or uncaused, they cannot truly belong to us. In practice, most who use the term “free will” treat it pragmatically rather than as a literal claim about reality.
The Feeling of Being in Your Head
The sensation of being a self-contained consciousness is itself an illusion. We experience ourselves as living in our bodies rather than being our bodies. This illusion is more fundamental than free will; without it, the sense of agency could not even arise. Out-of-body experiences, hallucinations, or mental imagery show that the brain can fabricate experiences when sensory input is reduced or altered. Similarly, our sense of freedom may be a psychological construct filling the gap between what we can control and what we cannot.
We cannot rely on feelings as evidence of free will. Confidence in our freedom is unwarranted if we cannot even be certain that our consciousness reflects reality accurately. Egoistic attachment to the feeling of freedom prioritizes personal satisfaction over truth.
The Nature of the Illusion
Alan Turing suggested that free will seems real because human behavior is computationally intractable; we cannot predict our own actions with certainty. This does not mean free will is an illusion; rather, the error lies in believing that the feeling guarantees autonomy.
Whether the sensation of freedom is illusory depends on the definition of “free.” If freedom is independence from all prior causes or programming, the feeling is misleading. If freedom is understood as acting within limits we cannot fully perceive, the sensation is consistent with experience. In this sense, the feeling of free will functions like a plant-based steak that tastes like real meat: the experience is real, even if its basis is different from what we assume.
What matters is the presence of desires, values, and inclinations—regardless of whether they are “programmed” or arise naturally. The feeling of freedom is psychologically and socially important. Laws, religion, and social norms should minimize unnecessary restrictions that diminish this experience. Feeling free contributes to happiness, even if metaphysical freedom is uncertain. True freedom is irrelevant without the corresponding feeling; conversely, the feeling of freedom can exist under constraints.
Other Potential Illusions
Free will is not our only possible illusion. Our ideas, desires, and emotions may be heavily influenced by genetics, brain chemistry, and external factors. Feelings can mislead us, and ideas can present themselves as our own when they are not. Phenomena such as alien hand syndrome show that parts of our body can act independently of conscious control, highlighting the limits of agency. If feelings are chemically or biologically determined, free will may be irrelevant.
Conclusion
The feeling of being free is not evidence of actual freedom, but it
is real. A sensation alone cannot establish metaphysical autonomy.
Feeling free may be a mental construct, a habit, or a psychological
reward that helps life feel coherent and manageable. Like a placebo,
the experience is real and meaningful. In practical terms, the
feeling of freedom matters more than actual freedom, because it
shapes well-being, decision-making, and our sense of self.