The true “me”—Mind or body?

Abstract Laypeople construe one's life narrative around a single protagonist – the true self. Who is this true self? Does it reside in our mind or body? Is it only aligned with one's biological essence, or also with their moral core, the home of free will? In three experiments, participants reasoned about John—a modern-day reincarnation of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. John's character was evaluated by two tests (brain and behavioral), whose outcomes diverged (e.g., a brain test indicating benevolence; a behavioral test indicating aggression). Results showed that participants aligned John's free will with his good acts (irrespective of test), but they defined his essence by the outcomes of the brain test. We interpret the results to suggest that people hold conflicting tacit notions of the true self. One's freely-willed moral core is good, but one's essence is aligned with the body.