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Hypnotizing Libet: Readiness potentials with non-conscious volition.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Schlegel, A; Alexander, P; Sinnott-Armstrong, W; Roskies, A; Tse, PU; Wheatley, T
Published in: Consciousness and cognition
May 2015

The readiness potential (RP) is one of the most controversial topics in neuroscience and philosophy due to its perceived relevance to the role of conscious willing in action. Libet and colleagues reported that RP onset precedes both volitional movement and conscious awareness of willing that movement, suggesting that the experience of conscious will may not cause volitional movement (Libet, Gleason, Wright, & Pearl, 1983). Rather, they suggested that the RP indexes unconscious processes that may actually cause both volitional movement and the accompanying conscious feeling of will (Libet et al., 1983; pg. 640). Here, we demonstrate that volitional movement can occur without an accompanying feeling of will. We additionally show that the neural processes indexed by RPs are insufficient to cause the experience of conscious willing. Specifically, RPs still occur when subjects make self-timed, endogenously-initiated movements due to a post-hypnotic suggestion, without a conscious feeling of having willed those movements.

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Published In

Consciousness and cognition

DOI

EISSN

1090-2376

ISSN

1053-8100

Publication Date

May 2015

Volume

33

Start / End Page

196 / 203

Related Subject Headings

  • Volition
  • Suggestion
  • Personal Autonomy
  • Male
  • Humans
  • Female
  • Experimental Psychology
  • Electrooculography
  • Electromyography
  • Electroencephalography
 

Citation

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Schlegel, A., Alexander, P., Sinnott-Armstrong, W., Roskies, A., Tse, P. U., & Wheatley, T. (2015). Hypnotizing Libet: Readiness potentials with non-conscious volition. Consciousness and Cognition, 33, 196–203. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.concog.2015.01.002
Schlegel, Alexander, Prescott Alexander, Walter Sinnott-Armstrong, Adina Roskies, Peter Ulric Tse, and Thalia Wheatley. “Hypnotizing Libet: Readiness potentials with non-conscious volition.Consciousness and Cognition 33 (May 2015): 196–203. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.concog.2015.01.002.
Schlegel A, Alexander P, Sinnott-Armstrong W, Roskies A, Tse PU, Wheatley T. Hypnotizing Libet: Readiness potentials with non-conscious volition. Consciousness and cognition. 2015 May;33:196–203.
Schlegel, Alexander, et al. “Hypnotizing Libet: Readiness potentials with non-conscious volition.Consciousness and Cognition, vol. 33, May 2015, pp. 196–203. Epmc, doi:10.1016/j.concog.2015.01.002.
Schlegel A, Alexander P, Sinnott-Armstrong W, Roskies A, Tse PU, Wheatley T. Hypnotizing Libet: Readiness potentials with non-conscious volition. Consciousness and cognition. 2015 May;33:196–203.
Journal cover image

Published In

Consciousness and cognition

DOI

EISSN

1090-2376

ISSN

1053-8100

Publication Date

May 2015

Volume

33

Start / End Page

196 / 203

Related Subject Headings

  • Volition
  • Suggestion
  • Personal Autonomy
  • Male
  • Humans
  • Female
  • Experimental Psychology
  • Electrooculography
  • Electromyography
  • Electroencephalography