Myth or reality: Do humans only use 10% of their brain?

The human brain is undoubtedly one of the most impressive and complex organs in the body, and it still raises many questions that science needs to answer. For example, one of the most famous sayings we hear often: people use only 10% of their brain capacity.

The idea even appeared in cinemas. Film Lucy Starring Scarlett Johansson (2014), it’s about a woman who starts using 100% of her brain after an accident involving a synthetic drug and develops skills such as controlling the speed of time with the power of thought.

Of course, the production raised many questions, and many people wanted to explore the world of possibilities deep within our own brains. But reality is not that cinematic..

Is it only 10% of the brain?

The claim that humans only use 10% of their brain is a myth. The truth is, the brain is the most important organ in the body, it works all the time (even when we’re not performing intense cognitive tasks like sleep, for example) and is responsible for regulating vital functions for survival like breathing. , heartbeats and more.

With neuroimaging tests such as MRI, it is possible to determine exactly which parts of the brain are activated when a person does or thinks about something. And believe me, absolutely all routine actions (from the most basic to the most complex) depend on brain activity.

Don’t worry, you are already using 100% of your brain!

Every region of the brain plays an important role in functions such as movement, sensory processing, memory, language, emotions and, of course, decision making.

However, it is worth noting that Using 100% of the brain does not always mean using 100% of the brain’s abilities. This is because we depend not only on neuronal activity but also on attention levels to perform tasks.

But be calm, it is possible to “train” the brain to increase its efficiency. Some activities can help us improve our cognitive skills such as attention, memory, communication and creativity. For example, puzzles and memory games are good exercises to increase brain plasticity and make the organ work more efficiently.

origins

So where did the belief that we only use one-tenth of our brains come from? There is no single definitive origin for the creation of this myth, but we can consider some hypotheses.

In 1908 the philosopher William James published the classical work Enemies of MenHere he explained the concept of “reserve power”. Theoretically, according to him, human beings used only a fraction of their brain potential; never stated the percentage.

A few years later, in 1936, American author Dale Carnegie published his popular book. How do you make friends and influence people?It strengthened James’ theory. In the preface to the book, written by journalist Lowell Thomas, he says that only 10% of the brain is used, making it impossible for us to be smarter, more creative, and successful.

But at the moment this knowledge has already been discussed and rejected by science.