The human nervous system has become so complex, that it is able to affect its own states, making it functionally independent of its genetic blueprint, and of the objective environment. A person can make himself happy, or miserable, regardless of what is actually happening "outside" just by changing the contents of consciousness.
— Csikszentmihalyi
Volition [also known as "will"] is a byproduct of the Abstract Processing System. The actions of animals and young children are determined by cause-and-effect principles in the same way that the principles of hydrodynamics determine the course of flowing water. Exercising your will means that it is your intention and not your early conditioning, social pressure, or corrupt temptation that determine your actions.
Consider the turkey; it doesn’t have free will yet it provides excellent care for its young. A turkey spends much time warming and cleaning her young, but this complex behavior is triggered by one thing—the “cheep cheep” sound of her chicks. If the chick makes that sound, the mother will care for it; otherwise she will ignore it. In a research project, a polecat, the turkey’s natural enemy, was stuffed with a tape recording of the “cheep cheep” sound. When the stuffed pole cat was pulled by a string to approach the turkey she attacked it viciously, but when the taped sound was turned on, the turkey not only did not attack it, but gathered it under her to comfort it. When the sound was turned off, she again attacked it.
Unlike turkeys, whose behavior is determined by specific aspects of their immediate environment, some humans are able to set long-range goals, develop plans, and make adjustments to their plan until they achieve their goal. They appear to have an intentional influence over the course of their life. Advocates of free will argue that something new emerged with human cognition — the ability to think abstractly and use rational problem-solving faculties to achieve intended outcomes — which enables us, unlike turkeys, to exercise will. Alternatively, determinists argue that it may just seem that way because we are so much more complex than turkeys.
The paradox of volition
How could I have free will in a deterministic world? If my reactions are the necessary consequences of antecedent causes then I have no choice in how I respond, which seems to make volition incompatible with determinism. Paradoxically, it is my understanding of how my reactions are caused by biological, psychological, and social determinants that enables me to work with these principles to promote the outcomes I want. For example, I have no choice but to obey the laws of classical conditioning, though I can use my understanding of them in the service of my will.
Does the name Pavlov ring a bell?
Pavlov researched how an organisms past experiences influences its future reactions by observing the salivary response in dogs. He wasn’t particularly interested in salivation; it was just easier to measure than more interesting glandular secretions such as those associated with the fight or flight reaction, which obey the same laws of conditioning.
His research paradigm: It is known that placing acid in a dog’s mouth unconditionally elicits salivation. In his lab, Pavlov would ring a bell just before putting acid in the dog’s mouth. After several pairings, the dog was "conditioned" to salivate to the bell, even if no acid was placed in its mouth. As a result of participating in Pavlov’s research, the dog now salivates when it hears a bell. To get rid of the odd reaction. Pavlov would ring the bell a number of times without placing acid in the dog’s mouth, which defines the procedure he called "Extinction."
Conditioning and extinction has been demonstrated with a wide variety of species [including humans] and response systems. The subjects exposed to these procedures are bound to obey the laws of nature. The effects of conditioning and extinction show up whether the subject wants them to or not. However, understanding how these deterministic principles work give you the power to exercise a willful influence over the course of events.
Exposure [Extinction] is the cure for conditioned emotional reactions
Sarah used to love horseback riding until a painful fall caused her to avoid riding even after her physical healing was complete. Her understanding of Pavlovian conditioning and extinction of emotional responses enabled her to exercise her will over the course of events in her life. All effective therapies for fear-related disorders rely on Pavlovian extinction—labeled, "exposure with response prevention" in the clinical literature. Each time she exposes herself to stimuli associated with horseback riding, their power to elicit fear is reduced. There are different forms of exposure therapy appropriate for different levels of severity of fear. If the exposure is performed appropriately, Pavolovian extinction diminishes the conditioned response as surely as a dropped apple falls toward the center of the earth.
The Two-Mind Model helps make sense of the puzzle of will. This model posits two entities: an Experiential Processing System whose reactions are completely determined by antecedent causes, and a Abstract Processing System that can appreciate the pertinent cause-and-effect principles and use these understandings to arrange things in ways that promote its intended outcomes.
My Abstract Processing System has the power to consider the likely outcomes of different courses of action so it can select the most advantageous path. The challenge for those seeking to exercise their will: The Abstract Processing System is only available when there is a surplus of cognitive resources, which is rarely the case during a crisis. At such times, the default Experiential Processing System— which is bound to follow the path of least resistance— is in the driver’s seat. This is why puppy-training is so important – see The Karma of Practice.