Is Free Will an Illusion for Awareness and the Finite Mind?

If consciousness is manifesting itself through us, do we truly have a choice, or is the sense of free will an illusion? Rupert says: ‘The thinking mind does make choices – would you like tea or coffee? But the mind is not strictly speaking an entity that may or may not have free will. There’s no independently existing entity called the finite mind – there is an activity of choosing, but there’s no actual chooser. ‘The freedom the finite mind feels it has is an echo of the only real freedom there is – the freedom of consciousness, echoing in our mind and being experienced as personal free will. Personal free will is an illusion, but it’s not unreal. There is something true about our intuition that we have free will: our true nature, consciousness, is pure freedom. When we assign that free will to an individual, that’s the illusory part.’ *This video is from one of Rupert’s in-person retreats at the Garrison Institute, 5–12 October 2025. For more information on upcoming retreats (many of which can be attended online via livestream) go to: ▸ https://rupertspira.com/events Timestamps: 0:00 Free Will and Consciousness 1:21 Choice and theThe Finite Mind 2:22 No Individual Chooser 3:33 Personal Free Will Explained –– ACCESS FULL VIDEO ARCHIVE You can watch or listen to 1000s of hours of teachings, guided meditations and answers in Rupert's full video archive here: ▸ https://rupertspira.com/subscriptions –– RETREATS (Weekend & 7-day) Rupert holds regular retreats, roughly once per month, either in-person and online. Many in-person retreats can also be attended from the comfort of your home via livestream. ONLINE RETREAT SCHEDULE ▸ https://rupertspira.com/events/retreats-at-home IN-PERSON RETREATS SCHEDULE (UK, EU and US) (Also Available to Join Online via Live Stream) ▸ https://rupertspira.com/events –– WEEKLY WEBINARS (2 hours) Rupert's webinars take place on Wednesday evenings, from 4pm UK time. In the first twenty to thirty minutes, Rupert leads a spon