Is it true that we only use 10% of our brain?
The human brain is very mysterious, and also very complex. Is it true that we only use 10% of our brain? This is one of the very common myths usually referred to as the 10% of brain myth. The main concept of this myth is that humans only use a small fraction of their brain’s capacity. This belief is frequently used to speculate if we did use our brain to its full capacity, what human skills would be there, or to speculate the extent of this.
It is said that you use all of your brain, not just 10%. The only time where you won't use all 100% is when there is brain damage or certain areas which have problems from a disease.
William James a psychologist and philosopher, this is where the 10% myth may have begun. In his book The Energies of Men, he wrote, "We are making use of only a small part of our possible mental and physical resources(Classics in the History of Psychology -- James (1907), 2001)." He did not state that the brain only uses 10% of the brain, it is just a misunderstanding made from this statement.
There are many ways to debunk this myth. One main point is that there are tools available for tracking brain activity. This is known as PET (Positron Emission Tomography) scan. PET is when a tracer that is radioactive is injected into the bloodstream. This can bind to the glucose in the bloodstream. It will then emit energy as it decays fast. If the brain is more active then it would require more blood supply meaning that the tracer will emit higher energy.
Image 1: 10% of the brain
Image 2: Normal healthy person
If we did use 10% of our brain then our brain PET scan would look like that of image one and image 2 shows what a PET scan of a normal person would look like. The blue outline on the image is the active brain structure. Our brain remains active even when we are sleeping or even if a person with different neural disorders, like Parkinson’s disease or even Alzheimers, would still use more than 10% of their brain.
The myth has lasted in the same way that other urban legends have. When the allegedly unused 90% of a person's brain is "unlocked," they may perform amazing feats, as depicted in movies. People with good intentions, such as motivational speakers or professors, frequently use the 10% myth to emphasize that everyone should try to reach their full potential. Unfortunately, less well-meaning individuals have utilized the myth to advertise and sell items and services that claimed to uncover your brain's latent potential.
I hope you all now know that this myth is not real. Many have taken this myth to an advantage but some are not exactly. It is just a belief that was brought up from different misconceptions and misunderstandings.
By Pearl Ghevariya [12E]
Bibliography
Psychclassics.yorku.ca. 2001. Classics in the History of Psychology -- James (1907). [online] Available at: <http://psychclassics.yorku.ca/James/energies.htm> [Accessed 22 February 2022].\
Cherry, K., 2020. Do You Really Use Only 10 Percent of Your Brain?. [online] Verywell Mind. Available at: <https://www.verywellmind.com/10-percent-of-brain-myth-2794882#:~:text=In%20reality%2C%20the%2010%25%20claim,disease%20has%20destroyed%20certain%20regions.> [Accessed 22 February 2022].
Chew, S., 2018. Myth: We Only Use 10% of Our Brains. [online] Association for Psychological Science - APS. Available at: <https://www.psychologicalscience.org/teaching/myth-we-only-use-10-of-our-brains.html> [Accessed 22 February 2022].
Popvov, A., 2012. Psychology for the IB diploma. 2nd ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Images:
2022. 10% Brain Myth. 18th ed. [ebook] Available at: <https://www.psychologicalscience.org/redesign/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/brain-myth.pdf> [Accessed 22 February 2022].