The Grand Illusion of Control

From the moment we wake up, the mind declares: “I decide. I choose. I make things happen.” This sense of control feels natural—almost essential for living. Yet, if we pause and observe carefully, cracks appear in this assumption. How often do things unfold in ways we never anticipated? How often do outcomes slip out of our hands, despite our best efforts?

How much of life is truly within our control? Are we the real authors of events, or are we constantly at the mercy of circumstances, chance, conditioning, and forces beyond our grasp? Psychology shows us how limited our conscious influence really is, while philosophy and spiritual traditions like Advaita Vedanta take the inquiry even deeper—questioning whether the “controller” we identify with exists at all?

What are the psychological, philosophical, and existential implications of this idea? Can recognizing the limits of our control be both liberating and unsettling?

Let’s dive into this together and see where the enquiry takes us
. • Who is really in control of our lives?
• What happens when we loosen the grip of needing to control?
• And could true freedom lie not in control, but in letting go?