What future is there for free will?

I became fascinated by the peculiarity of human behavior after reading a book about hypnotism many years ago. One anecdote described a post-hypnotic suggestion given to a hypnotized subject. The subject was told that after being awakened, his therapist would rise and look at his watch, and at that moment the subject would leap out of his chair, remove his jacket, and fling it across the room. The subject, after being awakened and having carried out the post-hypnotic suggestion, when asked why he had committed such an irrational outburst, provided a plausible, rational narrative; having no recollection of the therapist's earlier suggestion.

Our motivations are programmed by our long histories of hopes, fears, goals, expectations of others and no small amount of self-deception. This is the programming that shapes self-image and the prospects for life's success.

Free will is generally viewed as the most cherished freedom of all, yet it's a concept increasingly challenged by science.