The Locus of Control
The question of the locus of control is this: does the world happen to you or do you happen to the world?
From the nondual standpoint, both beliefs are rooted in a misunderstanding of our true nature as the all-encompassing consciousness. The activity of the world, including our perceived actions and the events that unfold, are all expressions of this infinite consciousness. There is never a separate “I” exerting control or being controlled by an external “it.” It is all the play of the One.
The belief in an external locus of control—”the world happens to me”—arises from identifying with the limited perspective of the individual body-mind, feeling like a separate entity at the mercy of external circumstances. Conversely, the belief in an internal locus of control—”I happen to the world”—while seemingly empowering, can still reinforce the illusion of a separate agent with independent power.
If the source of all that is is one infinite consciousness, where else could a sense of control lie? If there is no truly separate someone experiencing a world apart from consciousness, the very question of belief in an internal or external locus of control must then pertain to consciousness itself.
Consider the analogy of a dream. Within the dream, the dreamer, a localized aspect of consciousness, might feel acted upon by dream events or there may be a sense of actively shaping the dream narrative. However, upon waking, it becomes clear that the entire dreamscape, including the dreamer and all the events, arose within and as the consciousness of the sleeper. The dream seemed to happen to the sleeper, but it was the witnessing presence that manifested the dream.
According to the nondual understanding, the world we experience is not an external reality acting upon a separate consciousness. Instead, the world, with all its apparent agency and external forces, is a manifestation within the infinite field of consciousness. Our individual experiences, including the feeling of being acted upon or being in control, are temporary patterns arising and dissolving within awareness.
Therefore, the question isn't about which locus of control is correct for a separate individual, but rather recognizing the fundamental reality in which all activity arises. The world, in its entirety, is a manifestation within consciousness. Consciousness is the background, the source, and the very substance of all that appears. The feeling of agency, whether internal or external, is part of the dream-like unfolding.