By Dr. Pooyan Ghamari
Listen to the Spotify podcast for this article
Most of us are convinced that we actively "make choices." Yet, if we pause in silence and face the truth, a deeper question emerges:
What is it within me that is actually choosing?
Our lived experience reveals that choices are rarely born from pure awareness—they stem from memory. Memories of fears, scarcities, upbringing, religious teachings, cultural norms, old wounds, and patterns established long before our birth. We may be free to act, but we are seldom free to want. Wanting itself has been pre-programmed.
The world's great religions have never concealed this truth.
The Quran states: «إِنَّا هَدَيْنَاهُ السَّبِيلَ»
"We have shown him the path"—the way is revealed, not forcibly imposed. It immediately emphasizes that how a person responds to this guidance depends on their degree of consciousness, not mere knowledge.
In the Torah, life and goodness are placed "before" us, not instilled within us. Mere sight is insufficient; conscious perception is what counts.
The Gospel similarly declares that freedom arises not from adherence to law, but from encountering truth: "The truth shall make you free."
But what exactly is truth?
Truth is not merely what we have memorized or clung to. Truth is that which, once truly seen, makes it impossible to continue living as before.
Eastern philosophy expresses this with striking clarity. The Vedic texts teach: As you perceive, so you create.
A conditioned perception produces conditioned choices. A liberated perception yields liberated choices.
In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna affirms human free will while cautioning that attachment to outcomes enslaves it. A decision rooted in fear of loss—even one that seems right—is never truly free.
Persian wisdom grasped this profound insight centuries ago.
Ferdowsi describes wisdom as the "eye of the soul": without it, there is motion, but no true direction.
And Rumi—speaking through the voice of Shams—declares unflinchingly: That which does not transform you is not a choice; it is merely repetition.
Here lies the clear measure of authentic choice. It is not identified by emotional highs, external validation, or quick outcomes. True conscious choice reveals itself through distinct signs: a deep calm following the decision, full ownership of all consequences, and above all, a closer alignment with your most genuine self.
If a decision simply rescues you from immediate pain without deepening your insight, it is not choice—it is reaction.
If a decision crumbles without the approval or gaze of others, it did not originate from your core.
If a decision requires constant self-justification, it remains immature.
Ultimately, the core question is stark and uncompromising:
If you were to strip away every role, belief, and habit today, what would you genuinely desire?
Do you possess the courage to release something that no longer resonates with who you are—even after years of striving to hold onto it?
The Quran distills this journey into a single powerful verse: «قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَن زَکَّاهَا»
"Successful indeed is the one who purifies it."
Purification means distinguishing the authentic voice of the self from the echoes of fear, past conditioning, and endless repetition.
Freedom is not a destination to arrive at. Freedom is an ongoing discipline.
A continual practice of seeing clearly, pausing reflectively, and choosing afresh in each moment.
Most people simply carry on with their lives. The conscious individual occasionally finds the courage to alter course.
And that is where real power begins.