Anatta in Buddhism

One of the key concepts of Buddhist psychology, anatta, or non-self, teaches that there is no permanent, abiding, or enduring Self. No soul, no essence, no spirit, no individual, no "me." These are merely concepts which reference habitual behaviour patterns. This understanding differs considerably from most western psychology.
Buddhism posits the notion that we become trapped by the idea of individual self-ness, causing suffering. The teachings recognize that attachment to the idea of self generates suffering. In turn, the self becomes defined by attachments. In a parody of Descartes, a student quipped, "I want, I need; therefore I Am."
Zen monk and teacher, Thich Nhat Hanh asks students to compare images of their child-self with their adult-self, and asks, "Which Self is real?" Functionally, I consider the "self" to be simply shorthand for the aggregated components of existence - thoughts, behaviours, actions, body, perceptions, consciousness, senses, and mental formations.