How does it feel to reflect on the idea that when it comes to your identity, there is actually no "there" there?
There is also no "here" here.
There is no solid somebody that constitutes "me."
Buddhism has long made this claim, and now it appears to be getting a little backup from the field of neuroscience.
“Buddhists argue that nothing is constant, everything changes through time, you have a constantly changing stream of consciousness,” he tells Quartz. “And from a neuroscience perspective, the brain and body is constantly in flux. There’s nothing that corresponds to the sense that there’s an unchanging self.”
.... Neuroplasticity, as it’s called, endows people with the ability to grow and evolve, triumphing over bad habits and becoming more like the individuals they want to be.
That part probably sounds great, yet most of us don't allow us to really take advantage of this possibility because we're simply too attached to our idea of ourselves. We have this story, with this main character, and we want to see that character triumph. We want a happy story, and we don't feel that triumph if there is no sense of ownership of that character's victory.
Well, we are creative beings, and we do get to make up whatever we want, including ourselves.
