Epiphenomenalism is the idea that our conscious minds serve no role in affecting the physical world. On the contrary, our thoughts are a causally irrelevant byproduct of physical processes that are occurring inside of our brains. According to epiphenomenalism, we are like children pretending to drive a car — it can be great fun, but we are really not in charge.
Source: Epiphenomenalism: One of philosophy’s most disturbing ideas – Big Think
