How much of our brain do we use?

CptColumbo

Just One More Question
CptColumbo
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I've often heard in science fiction stories, and from psychics that humans use only 10% of our brain. However, when I took Psychology in college, I seem to remember the professor (ironically an expert on memory) telling us that humans use close to 100%. That much of the brain is used to maintain our involuntary operations, as well as memory and thought.

Could someone out there give me the steaming poop on this?

Keep in mind I was a Theatre Major, English minor.
 
I've often heard in science fiction stories, and from psychics that humans use only 10% of our brain. However, when I took Psychology in college, I seem to remember the professor (ironically an expert on memory) telling us that humans use close to 100%. That much of the brain is used to maintain our involuntary operations, as well as memory and thought.
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I think this is a fine example of why it is generally better to listen to scientists and experts rather than science fiction and psychics.
 
It takes mine, firing on all cylinders at 110% WARP drive, just to remember where the car keys are.

If I only used 10% , I'd be a total idiot.









Why are you all looking at me like that?


By the way, my keyboard has 102 keys and I use less than 1% of them at any time. Think how fast I could type with twenty hands.
 
Brain

Hello Ashles,

I have never heard any reputable psychics/mediums claim that humans use hardly any brain matter. Plenty of scientists say that, yes.

I have got to be honest. I think I use up all of my brain capacity, and that's not a lot - ha ha!

Patsy.


:p
 
Brain

Hello Sam,

Yes, if you were typing with twenty hands, the rest of us wouldn't get a word in edgeways!

Patsy.
:D
 
Plenty of scientists say that, yes.
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What scientists say that?

I have never heard one say that or heard of one who claimed that.

I ran a search on google and the first site which wasn't aware that it is a myth was this one
No one knows the ultimate power of the human mind today. Being psychic from the age of eight, my experience suggests the following theory. Evidence suggests that we only use about 10% of our brain. The brain is divided into two parts. The left logical side, which produces rational thought, and the right, creative side where imagination and intuition reside. Most of our time is spent in the left logical mode. I believe that when we balance the left and right sides of the brain, it opens up a pathway to the 90% part of the brain that we don't use. It is in this part of the brain where psychic ability and the ability to self-heal exists. This is just my theory. However, recent scientific studies are now coming to light which support acceptance of this theory.
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But the "scientific studies" are not mentioned.

And, to be honest, we have a little difficulty around here knowing what is meant by a "reputable medium" as many of us are sceptical about the ability of anyone to do this. So how do we differentiate between one group of people and another when we are not convinced either group are genuinely mediums?

I'm just mentioning this to show the sceptical viewpoint about these matters.

That said welcome to the board and stick around. I hope you find it interesting.
 
Brain

Hello Ashles,

Thank you for your reply. I shall indeed stick around on the board. There are some very interesting discussions going on.

Well, I read in the 'New Scientist' that humans don't use all of their brain power. The research was conducted quite widely (I'll look up some and send to you.) I never believed it because what would we humans do with half a brain? (Don't answer that! Heh!)

Reputable psychics/mediums - I do know many. I also know that some people put themselves forward as such and are nothing of the sort, as plenty of people here have said. It is these few that make it bad for the genuine ones, sadly. I don't know where you live Ashles, but any Spiritualist church in the UK will only employ good mediums, no charlatans (so-called.) I cannot speak for those people who work on their own, they could be any old bod 'creaming it off.' Caveat emptor are the watchwords. That applies to anyone providing a service, which is was mediumship is when advertised to the 'paying public.'

I would agree with most people here on JREF that there are some good and bad psychics. Avoid the bad ones like the blinking plague. I really do not mind speaking of my experiences here but that really wasn't my intention when I joined. Experiences like these are purely subjective, and quite often no 'evidence' as such can be transmitted via a web forum.

I am looking forward to joining in with the discussions.

Patsy.
:)
 
Re: Brain

songstress said:


Reputable psychics/mediums - I do know many. I also know that some people put themselves forward as such and are nothing of the sort, as plenty of people here have said. It is these few that make it bad for the genuine ones, sadly. I don't know where you live Ashles, but any Spiritualist church in the UK will only employ good mediums, no charlatans (so-called.) I cannot speak for those people who work on their own, they could be any old bod 'creaming it off.' Caveat emptor are the watchwords. That applies to anyone providing a service, which is was mediumship is when advertised to the 'paying public.'


:)
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Hello songstress,

However here is the problem. How can someone tell a reputable psychic/medium form a charlatan? What criteria do the spiritualist churchs in the UK use to weed out the bad psychics?
I think we all agree that there are those so-called psychics out there who are purposly tring to scam people. However there are also those out there that are just self deluded and actually believe they are using thier psychic gifts to help others when no such psychic gifts are there. Are these people screened out by the spritualist churchs?
If so, how?

JPK
 
Patsy, I am subtly and suitably chastised.
Won't stop me rambling on though. ;)

I think there are two sources for this 10% thing. One is that it's a pithy, punchy, easily memorised line, beloved of journalists.

Two. It's true, just as my keyboard metaphor is. In fact, we may be using less than 10% at any given instant, depending what is meant by "using". Brain scans which show activity in specific areas while performing a specific function, are typically highlighting differences in electrical activity, or blood flow. The background level is not zero activity, merely less than peak activity- we've all seen the false colour imagery.

(It may also be true that most neural activity is subconscious processing which filters useful data from distracting noise , dumps 99.999% of all incoming sense data and feeds the remaining 5-50bits per second to the conscious mind.)

Brains are fuel hungry and must shed waste heat like nuclear reactors. If we used all of our brain at peak rate, all of the time, we would need to eat around the clock. We would also be very confused and probably have splitting headaches all the time.
If this description fits anyone you know, you may be nurturing a genius.
 
Well, I read in the 'New Scientist' that humans don't use all of their brain power.
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This is where we get all sceptically.

Lots of people think they recall certain facts, but their memory is not a perfect tool.

An article in the New Scientist would possibly be taking about a specific area of brain function. Maybe it was saying that most people do not use the full amount of memory that the brain is capable of employing. Or that there were certain areas that we don't know what they are for yet. Or something else.
But they would not be saying we only use 10%.

You said that "plenty of scientists" said that, but that isn't actually true.

And we can't really count an article in New Scientist as evidence if you can't remember what it was about or what, exactly, it was saying.

This is one of the differences betwen this and other sites. On other sites people often say things and it is accepted. But here we expect people to be able to back up claims, even small ones like that.
On a psychic board a claim that scientists said that (about the 10%) would probably be instantly accepted. But is that fair if it isn't really a true fact?

That's why I ternd to find I learn a lot on these forums. There are often a lot of references provided for many of the things people say.

And don't worry, we often pull each other up on unreferenced or backed-up statements. It keeps us on our toes.:)
 
What Soapy Sam said. We use parts of our brains for different functions. We can walk, talk, and chew gum all at the same time because each of those functions uses different parts of our brain. In a way it is true: there is no activity that requires 100% of our brain. That does not mean that we don't use all parts of our brains. Just never all at the same time.
 
A: Here's activities that requires 100% of our brain.

1. Being Oneself.
Thinking, walking, eating, talking like one unique individual.
I'm not quite me if some part of my brain is cut away.
If indeed part of my brain is cutoff, and I changed, my friends and myself would take some time to accept that I'm me. After that, I'm me again.

2. Being involved in a brain transplant.
I presume I'll still be me after a brain transplant to another person's body. But If you and I exchanged one same side of our brain hemispheres, I think we'll be in very bad shape.(at least initially).
 
Jyera said:
A: Here's activities that requires 100% of our brain.

1. Being Oneself.
Thinking, walking, eating, talking like one unique individual.
I'm not quite me if some part of my brain is cut away.
If indeed part of my brain is cutoff, and I changed, my friends and myself would take some time to accept that I'm me. After that, I'm me again.

2. Being involved in a brain transplant.
I presume I'll still be me after a brain transplant to another person's body. But If you and I exchanged one same side of our brain hemispheres, I think we'll be in very bad shape.(at least initially).
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Dude, I'd pay money to see that. Where do I get tickets?
 
Only using ten per cent of your brain?

I'm sure it's one of those factoids that are unsubstantiated.

For a start - how on earth could you possibly tell? It strikes me as entirely unmeasurable.
 
Anyone know how this myth started?

I have my own theory.:D

I reckon someone once made a statement to the effect that poeple generally don't use their brain to its full potential. As in, imagine Einstein decided to become a burger flipper. He still would have used 100% of his brain, but only a fraction of its potential.
 
I think I read in some sceptical book that it appeared in an advertisment for one of those "Improve your memory" or "Speed reading" or whatever courses, you know, "Unlock the full potential of your mind, blah blah". Constant appearances in newspapers turned it into the Meme That Would Not Die.
 
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