Do We Really Only Use 10% of Our Brain at Any One Time?

Do we really only use 10% of our brain at any one time?

Check out this answer from Consensus:

The 10% brain usage myth is a persistent but scientifically unfounded claim. Research consistently shows that we use our entire brain, even for simple tasks. The myth likely originated from misinterpretations and has been perpetuated by popular culture. Understanding the full capacity of our brain not only debunks this myth but also highlights the incredible complexity and efficiency of the human brain.

The notion that humans only utilize 10% of their brain capacity is a widely perpetuated myth. This idea has been popularized through various media, including movies, advertisements, and even self-help books. However, scientific evidence strongly contradicts this claim, suggesting that we use much more, if not all, of our brain. This article delves into the origins of the 10% myth, examines the scientific evidence against it, and explores the implications of fully utilizing our brain capacity.

Origins of the 10% Myth

The 10% myth can be traced back to the late 19th century, where it appeared in advertisements and self-help brochures. One of the earliest mentions is attributed to a misquoted statement by Albert Einstein, who allegedly told a journalist that he only used 10% of his brain. This myth gained further traction through Dale Carnegie’s best-seller “How to Stop Worrying and Start Living” and was popularized by figures like Uri Geller, who claimed his “spoon magic” was a result of better brain usage1.

Scientific Evidence Against the 10% Myth

Contrary to the 10% claim, scientific research indicates that we use 100% of our brain. Various studies have shown that even simple tasks require multiple brain regions to work in concert. For instance, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) states that there is no scientific evidence supporting the 10% myth. Instead, all existing data shows that we use our entire brain1.

Further supporting this, researchers argue that if 90% of the brain were unused, many neural pathways would degenerate due to lack of activity. This is evident from studies on memory and brain function, which demonstrate that the brain’s capacity is fully utilized to maintain neural connections and cognitive functions2.

Misinterpretations and Alternative Views

The movie “Lucy” popularized the 10% myth by suggesting that unlocking the remaining 90% of the brain could lead to superhuman abilities. However, an editorial in Nature Neuroscience refutes this, stating that the movie’s premise is scientifically inaccurate. The editorial suggests that the myth might be better understood as a metaphor for human consciousness and perception, rather than a literal statement about brain usage3.

Do we really only use 10% of our brain at any one time?

Eric M Blalock has answered Extremely Unlikely

An expert from University of Kentucky in Neuroscience

In the sense that only 10% of the neurons in the brain may be firing at a given moment, sure. People that have 100% of their neurons firing at once? We have a name for that, it’s not called ‘transcendental telepathy’, it’s called ‘global epilepsy’ and it will kill you.

Think about it this way- your heart is a pump- in order for it to work, some parts of it MUST be relaxed while other parts contract, that’s how blood moves from the atria to the ventricles- if ALL the muscles in the heart constricted at once, you would not have discovered a way to increase cardiac output to make a super athlete, instead you would have a heart attack.

So the neurons of the brain should be active at different times, in a coordinated way, like the muscle fibers of the heart. On another level, the cells of the brain are busy all the time. Neurons fire action potentials. To do that, they have to expend energy to create a membrane potential. It costs energy to maintain that membrane potential. So a neuron ‘at rest’ is like an archer with an arrow knocked and the bow drawn, pointing at a target. There is tension there and energy is expended to maintain that ‘ready’ position. When the neuron fires, it is like loosing the arrow. And then the neuron must recover and get ready to do it all over again. Whether it is resting, firing or recovering, the neuron is busy doing stuff.

Do we really only use 10% of our brain at any one time?

Simon Young has answered Extremely Unlikely

An expert from McGill University in Neuroscience, Behavioural Science

The implication of this myth is that people should be able to use more of their brain, which is not true. The myth is probably derived in part by research on degenerative disorders. For example, symptoms of Parkinson’s disease develop only when there is 80% or more loss of dopamine neurons in the nigrostriatal pathway. This could be misinterpreted as demonstrating that 80% or more of the neurons in that pathway are not normally used. Obviously, a lot of redundancy is built into the brain to prevent minor insults causing loss of function. The suggestion that people can use more of their brain is based on a misunderstanding of these facts.

Do we really only use 10% of our brain at any one time?

Casey Pfluger has answered Extremely Unlikely

An expert from University of Queensland in Neurobiology, Neurology

Most of our brain is active at any given time. 10% is a myth.

Do we really only use 10% of our brain at any one time?

Mark Meadowcroft has answered Extremely Unlikely

An expert from Pennsylvania State University in Neurodegenerative Disease, Neuroimaging, Neuroscience, Alzheimer’s Disease

The notion that we only utilize 10% of our brain is a myth and is completely untrue. The entire brain volume, whether it be human or otherwise, is completely utilized. Pioneering cell recording studies in animals and more recent whole brain functional imaging in humans unequivocally have shown that the entire volume is utilized in function.

Do we really only use 10% of our brain at any one time?

Nils Rosjat has answered Extremely Unlikely

An expert from Forschungszentrum Jülich in Neuroscience, Applied Mathematics, Computer Science

This is definitely a myth. I am not quite shure where it came from, but it might be related to the fact that you only use a specialized part of your brain for a certain given task. All together you will still make use of every part of your brain.

Do we really only use 10% of our brain at any one time?

Jonathan D Morrow has answered Extremely Unlikely

An expert from University of Michigan in Neuroscience, Addiction, Psychiatry, Behavioural Science

This is a myth that probably originated as a misinterpretation of lesion studies by the famous neurosurgeon Wilder Penfield. He showed that most of the brain could be lesioned without any obvious loss of function, and that only about 10% was in this sense absolutely necessary. However, the fact that the brain can recover from such injuries is due primarily to redundancy and an ability for different brain areas to compensate for each other when necessary. It does not mean that those areas are inactive in a normal, healthy brain. Modern imaging studies have clearly demonstrated that pretty much all of the brain is in continuous use.