Can You Use 100% of Your Brain Capacity?
We’ve been told for decades that we only use about 10% of our brains. If you could only use the other 90%, imagine what you could achieve! The truth is that you use more than 10% of your brain.
So, can you use 100% of your total brain capacity, and is it worth it?
The following article takes a deep dive into the 10% brain capacity myth, including what the latest research says and steps you can take to boost your mental prowess.
The 10% Brain Capacity Claim Is a Myth
The idea that people only use 10% of their brain started with psychological studies completed in the late 1800s. Many people credit psychologists Boris Sidis and William James with starting the myth.
Psychologists claimed that people only use a fraction of their full mental capacity. The 10% concept spread over the following decades, especially during the self-help movement that sprung up in the 1920s.
In a forward to the popular 1936 book, How to Win Friends and Influence People, Lowell Thomas claims that a professor from Harvard stated that the average person only develops 10% of their mental ability.
Fast forward to modern times and we continue to believe the myth. Yet, a renowned neuroscientist thoroughly debunked the concept in the late 1990s.
Six Reasons Why Humans Must Use More Than 10% of Their Brains
In 1999, neuroscientist Barry Beyerstein presented six key pieces of evidence to refute the 10% myth:
- Slight damage to any area of the brain can impair cognitive function
- Brain scans show that all areas of the brain remain active
- A brain that only uses 10% of its capacity would unlikely survive natural selection
- The brain has distinct regions for processing different information
- Microstructural analysis displays activity in a single brain cell
- Inactive brain cells tend to degenerate
Beyerstein argues that if we only use 10% of the brain, most brain injuries would not result in lasting consequences. However, even a small injury can create permanent impairments.
Brain scans also show that we utilize all regions of the brain, which would not make sense if 90% remained inactive. Yet, the main reason to doubt the 10% concept is cellular degeneration.
The brain cells that you don’t use tend to die. If you only use 10% of your brain, the remaining 90% would gradually degenerate.
The Challenges of Measuring Brain Activity and Capacity
Several of Barry Beyerstein’s points are based on brain scans and tools for measuring brain activity and capacity. Unfortunately, precisely measuring brain activity isn’t easy.
The three most used methods for monitoring and measuring brain activity include:
● Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI)
● Magnetoencephalography (MEG)
● Electroencephalography (EEG)
The use of fMRI equipment involves measuring brain function based on changes in blood flow. The active neurons in your brain need oxygen. Yet, an fMRI scan is not perfect, as it requires the patient to remain completely still for an accurate reading.
MEG machines measure the magnetic fields created during neural activity. As with an fMRI machine, the patient must lie completely still during the scan. However, a MEG machine can provide a clear image of the structure of the brain to help researchers determine which areas are active.
An EEG measures electrical activity in your brain. Researchers can use EEG machines to record brain processes after exposure to audio or visual stimuli.
While these machines are useful for analyzing brain activity, they still don’t paint a full picture of what’s going on inside your head.
Why Deploy 100% of Your Brain Capacity?
As the science is still out on exactly how much of your brain you use, you may wonder whether using more of your brain is beneficial.
Studies show that using your brain may help protect against dementia. For example, a recent study found that education and language skills can predict who may develop dementia.
Yet, using 100% of your brain capacity may not be worth it.
The brain uses a lot of energy. If you truly use 100% of your brain’s capacity, it would require a significant increase in energy, which means that you would need to consume much more food.
A lack of nutrition would also likely have a larger impact on brain function. Without enough energy, you would struggle to utilize your brain’s full capacity.
Researchers also suggest that using 100% of your brainpower could increase your risk of experiencing seizures. Seizures are the result of excessive neural activity, which means utilizing your entire brain would likely prove fatal.
How to Boost Your Brain Power
So, you can’t use 100% of your brain, but you can use much more than 10%. Here are a few tips to help boost your brainpower and protect against cognitive decline.
1. Work Out Regularly
Exercise is a great way to protect the brain and increase your mental capacity. Research suggests that working out helps your brain make new neurons. Whether you prefer to walk, jog, cycle, or lift weights, exercise allows the hippocampus to produce new brain cells.
A study involving mice found that exercise increases the number of new neurons created in the brain. Researchers also found that getting more exercise early in life may have more of a profound effect later in life by supplying your brain with more neurons.
2. Eat Healthy Food
Eating more “brain food” is another solution for boosting brain power. Studies show that the best foods for your brain are ones that promote better blood flow. Good circulation is needed to provide your brain with oxygen.
Some of the best foods include green, leafy vegetables. Start filling up on spinach, broccoli, and kale to power your brain. Eating whole fruit may also help, as a diet rich in fresh fruit also promotes better circulation.
3. Get Enough Sleep Each Night
Your brain needs rest each night to process the events of the day. A lack of sleep makes it more difficult to learn new skills and develop new memories.
Your brain stays active during sleep but uses this period of rest to reset itself. Without enough sleep, you may struggle to unlock the full potential of your brain.
How much sleep do you need? Th e answer depends on a variety of factors, but the average adult needs about seven to nine hours of sleep each night. If you find yourself needing a nap in the middle of the day, you are likely not getting enough sleep.
4. Play Brain Games
Playing brain games is known to help boost or maintain cognitive function. Clinical trials have shown that specially developed games and apps can improve your brain’s processing speed, memory, and attention.
Completing crossword puzzles, memory games, and other challenging games help maintain the neuroplasticity of your brain, which protects against degeneration.
Even video games may help boost your mental capacity. Games that require you to think, solve problems, and react to things on the screen can use different parts of the brain.
Finally
These are just a few ways to power your brain. You likely use much more than 10% of your brain’s capacity. The next step is to incorporate the tips discussed to maximize your brain’s potential.
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