Significance of Involuntary action
Involuntary action, according to Purana, encompasses actions performed without intention or conscious control, meaning they do not count as genuine deeds of the individual. These actions may arise due to external influences and lack conscious intent. In contrast, scientific definitions also describe involuntary action as physiological responses that occur without conscious control, like sneezing triggered by irritants. Both perspectives emphasize the absence of conscious intent in defining involuntary actions.
Synonyms: Reflex action, Spontaneous reaction, Reflex, Spontaneous movement, Subconscious action
In Dutch: Onvrijwillige handeling; In Finnish: Tahaton toiminta; In Spanish: Acción involuntaria
The below excerpts are indicatory and do represent direct quotations or translations. It is your responsibility to fact check each reference.
Hindu concept of 'Involuntary action'
Involuntary action in Hinduism encompasses actions performed unconsciously, influenced by external factors, and lacking true intent, indicating these do not reflect the individual's true agency or moral responsibility.
From: Yoga Vasistha [English], Volume 1-4
(1) Actions performed without conscious intention or will, often influenced by external causes.[1] (2) Actions that are performed without intention or conscious control, thereby not constituting actual deeds.[2] (3) An action performed without conscious intent or will, and thus not accounted as a true action of the individual.[3]
The concept of Involuntary action in local and regional sources
Involuntary action is depicted as innate responses driven by past experiences, exemplified by a chicken's fear of death or a duckling instinctively swimming, suggesting these instincts stem from the degradation of previously voluntary actions.
From: The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda
(1) Involuntary actions, like the fear of death in a chicken or the duckling taking to the water, are the results of past experiences, and what we now call instinct is degeneration of voluntary actions.[4]