Am i really free?

It is a long held belief that Brain and mind is correlated. Current research in neuroscience also seem to support this view. According to this view, different parts of brain is associated with different functionalities associated with speech, memory, cognition, imagination and so on. An individual characteristic and personality traits to a large extent depend upon the underlying structure of his brain. It is like, brain is a substratum on which mind and behavior are imposed or derived from. For example, Einstein's brain, which is largely researched in past, is saliently different from normal brain. Parts of the brain which are associated with imagination and mathematical calculation is outgrown to parts of brain associated with speech and verbal understanding in his case. And, as we know he was quite an imaginative thinker but struggled with the language.

This begs a question if brain structure is already predefined from the time of birth, and individual characteristics and personality traits depend to a large extent on structure of his brain, then does he have any choice in his making. Could Einstein achieve what he achieved if not endowed with such a brain? Was brain his creation? Do i have any choice in my making provided much of what i could achieve is already predetermined?

William James talk of stream of consciousness. Much that i do or don't choose to do happens in that stream of consciousness. The thoughts that arise and vanish, the imagery i create in my mind, the memories on which i dwell, the endless cycle of self-criticism, the inner-conflicts, the never ending process of self-doubting and churning of thoughts all happens in that space of consciousness of which i am a witness. What is that space? That space is the stream of consciousness, hopping around, bumping at one thought to another, jumping from one action to another.

Are those thoughts really mine? The actions that i chose to do, are they product of my volition? One of the startling facts of thinking process is that thoughts and images in mind arise spontaneously. Much of that are involuntary. Am i in control of all those thoughts and images of which i become aware and conscious? And, given that willing precedes actions, are those acts really mine when much of that i will is also involuntary. After rigorous self introspection, it becomes clear that Thinking process is automatic. We like to think that we are in-charge of our thoughts but it's other way, thoughts is incharge of us- much that we do or think.

Given that we just become aware of  thoughts, can we claim authority over those thoughts? Can we say that the thoughts that i perceive in my stream of consciousness are mine? Who induces the thoughts i perceive in my sphere of consciousness in me? Whoever produces is the de-facto in-charge of my thinking, willing, actions and life itself.