Neuroscientist Gregory Berns said the concept of a single, persistent self is an illusion [1].

This perspective challenges fundamental assumptions about human identity and how individuals perceive their own continuity over time. If the "self" is not a stable entity, it alters the understanding of personal growth, memory, and psychological stability.

Speaking on Vox’s "The Gray Area" series, Berns said that humans are better understood as a collection of multiple selves existing at different moments [1]. These distinct versions of a person are not unified by a core essence but are instead linked by a story that the brain constructs to create the feeling of identity [1, 2, 3].

This narrative process allows the mind to bridge the gap between who a person was in the past and who they are in the present. According to Berns, this conceptualization helps explain the limits of self-perception and how the brain organizes experiences into a coherent life history [1].

The discussion explored how neuroscience explains the mechanisms of perception and the constraints of how humans conceptualize their own existence [1]. By dismantling the idea of a permanent self, Berns said that identity is a fluid process rather than a fixed state [1, 2].

This framework suggests that the feeling of being the same person throughout one's life is a cognitive shortcut. The brain synthesizes disparate moments of consciousness into a singular thread—a process that creates the illusion of a persistent "I" [1, 3].

“the concept of a single, persistent self is an illusion”

The shift from a unified self to a narrative-based identity suggests that human consciousness is more fragmented than it feels. By framing the self as a story rather than a biological or metaphysical constant, this approach allows neuroscientists to study identity as a dynamic brain function, potentially impacting how clinicians treat personality disorders or memory loss.