The idea that we use only 10 percent of our brain’s capacity made many people contemplate:
What if we used 100% of our brain?
Imagine what we could accomplish if we found the key to unlocking all of our brainpower.
We could learn new skills faster, achieve complicated tasks more easily, and maybe use
telekinesis to move objects with a mere thought.
The last one is a bit of an exaggeration!
Where does the idea of using 100% of our brain’s capacity come from?
To understand this concept, we must first talk about why many believe we use only 10%
of our mental capacity.
It’s difficult to pinpoint precisely where the idea originated and how it has spread
so far, but writer Lowell Thomas promoted the idea in his preface to Dale Carnegie’s
best-selling self-help book, How to Win Friends and Influence People.
Thomas misquoted the famous American psychologist William James, who stated that the typical
individual “develops only 10% of his latent mental ability.”
In actuality, James had referred more ambiguously to our “latent mental energy.”
In the 1930s, researcher Karl Lashley used electric shocks to investigate the function
of specific brain regions.
His experiments revealed the shocks had no impact on several brain regions.
He concluded that these regions served no function, and so the phrase “silent cortex”
was coined.
Another possible explanation of where this concept originated is the ratio of glial cells
to neurons in the brain, which is 10:1.
Glial cells “only” support neurons in their functioning.
However, neurons are responsible for information processing and, as a result, our thoughts
and feelings.
Humans were inspired to believe that, somehow, we could unlock the other 90% and accomplish
substantial incredible splendors.
We all must have hope—but within a reasonable limit!
The problem of measuring brain activities precisely
The brain has an intricate network of neurons.
Each of the 100 billion neurons fires between 5 and 50 signals (action potentials) each
second.
This neuron activity is what enables you to analyze your surroundings, use your muscles,
and even maintain your equilibrium!
There is no part of the brain that is expendable.
To suggest that humans only use a small percentage of their brainpower would mean that if the
temporal lobe were injured, everyday life would stay the same.
But, in fact, any injury to any part of the brain, even a minor part like the hippocampus,
can have devastating consequences.
Modern-day brain imaging like fMRI doesn’t tell us the exact percentage of our brain
we use because it is pretty tricky to measure a mental cognitive process at any given time.
According to psychologytoday.com, “The issue is that brain imaging techniques like fMRI
lack the necessary precision.
They summarize activity over large numbers of neurons and comparatively long periods.”
The article went on to say that in a typical fMRI experiment each data point indicating
“activity” correlates to neural responses in about 1 millimeter on the side of a cube.
Each of the brain’s thousands of cubes has hundreds of thousands or millions of neurons.
The firing of these neurons is blurred together within each cube.
This blurring is intensified when cubes merge in an area of the brain such as the amygdala.
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What would happen if you used 100% of your brainpower?
Suppose we were able to utilize every part and space of our brain to 100% capacity.
That would be highly unpleasant and downright dangerous.
From Wikipedia, “Knowing Neurons editor Gabrielle-Ann Torre writes that using one
hundred percent of one’s brain would not be desirable either.
Such unfettered activity would almost certainly trigger an epileptic seizure.”
An epileptic seizure happens when there is abnormally excessive or synchronized neuronal
activity in the brain.
Symptoms range from uncontrollable shaking motions involving much of the body to loss
of consciousness.
This could also imply that 100% usage requires continuous energy uptake to keep up with the
brain’s hyperactivity.
Plus, our brain uses 20% of the body’s total energy.
Our brain is already getting the energy it needs to function correctly.
Any significant increase or decrease in activity would impair our ability to live life normally
and freely.
Here are some tips to enhance your brain usage:
1.
Try exercising regularly
Exercise has many benefits for your mental well-being.
It promotes the production of hormones that provide an ideal environment for brain cell
development.
Exercise also improves brain plasticity by encouraging new connections to form between
cells in various regions of the brain.
UCLA researchers discovered that exercise increases growth factors in the brain, making
it more straightforward for the brain to form new neural connections.
2.
Eating healthy food
Your diet has a significant impact on your brain health.
Health.harvard.edu mentioned that nutritionists recommend we eat a balanced diet rich in fruits,
vegetables, legumes, and whole grains.
Protein should be obtained from plant sources and seafood.
Healthy fats, such as olive oil or canola oil, should be preferred over saturated fats.
3.
Get an adequate amount of sleep
Sleep is not time wasted.
It is essential for good brain health.
According to the National Institute of Neurological
Disorders and Stroke, sleep is critical for
many brain activities, including the communication between nerve cells (neurons).
In reality, when you sleep, your brain and body remain amazingly active.
Research shows that sleep performs a cleaning function in your brain, removing poisons that
accumulate while awake.
The National Sleep Foundation advises healthy adults to get between seven and nine hours
of sleep each night.
4.
Keeping the brain active with brain games
Playing various brain games and solving puzzles has been shown to help preserve or boost brain
ability.
From Thehealthy.com, “By playing a certain game over and over again, you are actually
changing the way your brain works.
The benefits engendered by video gameplay are often the result of neuroplasticity, the
ability of the brain to modify its structure,
chemistry, and function in response to a challenge.”
Don’t forget to keep challenging yourself.
Stay mentally and physically strong to withstand any challenge you might face.
Thank you for joining us for this episode of Fancied Facts.
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