Is it true that we only use 10% of our brain? In 5 (+1) scientific keys

The human brain is the central organ of our nervous system.. Although its anatomical structure resembles that of other mammals, people have a much more developed cortex. The truth is that the complexity of this part of our body is impressive, something to be expected since it is the conductor of the orchestra that directs the organism. Thus, our brain receives information from the rest of the body and interprets it in order to guide an appropriate response. In other words, it is ultimately responsible for the thought and movement that we carry out.

Thanks to the brain we can interpret stimuli of all kinds, such as sounds, lights, smells or pain. It is also involved in our vital functions, such as breathing, maintaining adequate blood pressure or releasing hormones. As if that were not enough, the brain is also the engine that allows us to interact appropriately with our environment, communicate with other people and manipulate objects.

The enormous complexity that characterizes our brain has given rise to a great interest in studying it and knowing its entire structure and functions. Thanks to science, today much more is known about this thinking organ, which has resulted in numerous advances with very important applications for society and people's health.

However, despite the great scientific work that has been carried out in recent years, some erroneous beliefs about the brain continue to circulate. These myths have become so pervasive that they are still assumed to be true by many people, although nothing could be further from the truth. One of the most widespread myths states that human beings only use 10% of our brain. In this article we are going to know what science says about this belief.

What is the myth of the 10% of the brain?

This ancient myth, which has been circulating for more than a century, states that human beings only use 10% of the capacity of the brain. Although it has been refuted on numerous occasions with scientific arguments, the truth is that it is still a widespread belief in the population. Its scope has been such that even the cinema has used it as a central plot for many films.

Not even people with qualified professions and training are exempt from falling into this neuromyth. According to a study carried out by Marta Ferrero and her team in 2016, 44% of Spanish primary and secondary teachers really believe that we use only 10% of our brain. If these percentages are alarming, you will be surprised to know that this belief has become even stronger in countries like the United States, where more than 60% of the population takes this statement for granted.

Many people with training and interest in the brain perpetuate this false myth, since many times they do not distinguish science from pseudoscience. This poses a risk, since many teachers who initially have adequate preparation can transmit these misconceptions to their students without scientific evidence.

Surely you wonder how this controversial myth could originate. The truth is that many attribute its origin to a phrase by the famous psychologist William James (1842-1910), who in a 1907 publication stated that “We are making use of only a small part of our possible mental and physical resources”.

The expansion of this myth has been such that it has become linked to the fact that many great thinkers and scientists are more intelligent than average.. That is to say, if it is assumed that people generally only take advantage of a tiny part, therefore the most brilliant humans in history, such as Einstein, are the few capable of exploiting their brain 100%.

Why is the myth of 10% of the brain false?

The truth is neuroscience has sharply denied this widespread belief. It has been shown that people do use the whole of our brain to perform different tasks. Through scanner studies, it has been observed that this is the case even when we are in a state of rest.

We only stop using 100% of the brain in special cases, such as when there is a brain injury that causes inactivity in some area. Not using the whole brain translates into a decrease in cognitive, behavioral and vegetative abilities. As we mentioned before, this organ is involved in countless functions, so it seems unlogical that we are only using a tiny part of it. Next, we are going to know the evidence that science has used to disprove this belief:

1. Brain damage studies

If it were true that 90% of the brain is useless, there should be no impact on performance when an injury occurs in any area. There is no area of ​​the brain that can be damaged without some loss of ability. Even seemingly minor injuries can have serious behavioral implications.

2. Evolution

Our brain requires a very high energy expenditure to function normally, so it consumes a high percentage of the oxygen and nutrients that we have. If 90% of the brain were not used as this myth defends, humans with smaller brains would be more fit for survival, because they would be much more efficient. By this logic, natural selection itself would have progressively eliminated individuals with larger brains, since it is absurd to allocate a high energy expenditure to an unused organ.

3. Brain Imaging

Thanks to new technologies such as positron emission tomography (PET) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), it has been possible to monitor brain activity in living people in real time. This has made it possible to observe that, even in resting states, all parts of our brain remain with a minimum of activity. Only brain damage and injuries can make some areas completely inactive.

4. All zones have some function

Far from functioning as a unit mass, it is known that The brain has different regions with different functions.. The research has made it possible to create a kind of map, where all the brain areas have some type of function. In other words, there is not a single space in this organ that is not involved in the functioning of the brain.

5. Metabolic studies

Through studies using reagent-labeled 2-deoxy-D-glucose molecules in the brain, it has been shown that there is metabolic activity throughout the brain, making the idea that 90% is useless untenable.

6. Neural diseases

If 90% of the brain is being disabled, the cells in the inactive areas should degenerate. In this way, in autopsies of adult brains, very deep brain degeneration could be observed in all people, something that does not happen. As we can see, there are numerous scientifically based arguments that show that the idea that we only use 10% of the brain is completely false.

The question that should be asked is… Why is this myth still perpetuated so extensively in the population? Some believe that the belief that we only use a tiny part of the brain gives us hope, because it gives us the feeling that human beings have enormous potential that can be exploited in the future with spectacular results.

Many have fantasized about the idea that, if the supposed secret to fully exploiting an underutilized brain is discovered, people can be prodigies capable of learning dozens of languages, playing musical instruments, being great athletes and intellectuals.

Conclusions

In this article we have talked about a widespread myth in the population, which states that people only use 10% of our brain. This erroneous belief has circulated for a century, so that even those trained and interested in neuroscience consider it a true statement. However, nothing is further from reality.

Some believe that the origin of this myth is due to the psychologist William James, an author who stated that people only used a small part of our mental resources. From then, a large percentage of the population has held it that way, even extending this belief to movies.

However, neuroscience has refuted this myth over and over again since it began to spread. The truth is that, thanks to research, today we know that the brain is used 100% when we perform our tasks, and even in a state of rest. There are many arguments that refute this myth. At an evolutionary level, it does not seem logical that our large, energy-consuming brain is being preserved by natural selection without being efficient.

In addition, this myth does not fit with the fact that any brain injury always implies a decrease in some ability. Metabolic studies have also been able to determine that there is activity of this type in all regions. Added to this, if this idea were true, one would expect our neurons to mostly degenerate over time. However, autopsies of adults do not show large-scale brain degeneration. Although all these arguments are more than valid and based on scientific evidence, there are still people who trust in an alleged untapped human potential.