A central Buddhist philosophical concept meaning 'non-self' or 'absence of permanent, unchanging self'; the idea that nothing in existence has a fixed, eternal identity.
From Pali and Sanskrit 'anatta/anatman,' composed of 'an-' (not) + 'atman' (self, soul). Directly contrasts with Hindu concepts of an eternal atman or soul.
Anatta might be the most mind-bending idea in Buddhism—it suggests that the 'you' reading this isn't a permanent self but rather a constantly changing bundle of experiences. Neuroscience is actually discovering this matches how consciousness really works!
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