The function of the human brain is only 10% active, is that correct? what researchers say?

The brain is one of the most important organs in the human body. You could say, the brain is the engine that drives the body because the brain is responsible for a variety of complex functions. Starting from emotions, body movements, thoughts, memory storage, behavior, until your consciousness is all regulated by the brain. You may have heard the saying that humans only use about 10% of their brain power.

That said, if humans could really harness the capacity of the brain to its fullest extent, this would unlock the potential to develop many superpowers - such as reading minds and controlling them, for example. Is it true that we only use a fraction of the full brain function?

Is it true that humans only use a fraction of the potential function of the brain as a whole?

Until now, scientists still do not know the overall function of the human brain. The limited knowledge of humans about one vital organ then underlies the idea that during his lifetime, humans only use about 10% of the maximum capacity of the brain. So, the remaining 90 percent is not used, right?

Eits wait a minute. Many scientists and health experts have debunked this outdated myth. Reporting from Scientific American, Dr. Barry Gordon, a professor of neurology at the School of Medicine and professor of cognitive science at the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, is one scientist who disagrees with the above assumptions.

Gordon asserts that humans actually use every part of their brain actively all the time. This means that you are not only using 10% of it, but all of your brain functions are always active at its maximum capacity.

Gordon continued, the origin of the myth "humans only use 10% of their brain capacity" may be rooted in the aspect of self-deprivation of every human being who feels that he has not fully utilized all his brain's abilities to the fullest.

Certain parts of the brain may be more active at certain times

On some occasions, certain parts of the brain may indeed work harder than others. For example, most left-brain dominant people may have more refined cognitive abilities (thinking, counting, language), while right-brain dominance is usually shown by more artistic people as it relates to recognition of emotions, faces, and music.

However, this does not mean that the remaining 90% is useless. This also does not mean that in people whose right brain is more dominant, then their left brain does not work at all (and vice versa). There are several parts of the brain whose functions are focused on things such as shape recognition, consciousness, abstract thinking, maintaining body balance, and many more. All these brain functions remain active as long as you live in the world, but the intensity of their strength may vary from person to person.

A neurologist at the Mayo Clinic named John Henley agrees with Gordon's opinion. Through the evidence of MRI scans of the brain, Henley found that the brain function that regulates the work of the body's muscles remains continuously active for 24 hours, even during sleep. During sleep, certain areas of the brain (such as the frontal cortex, which controls consciousness, as well as the somatosensory areas that help sense the environment) are also active.

Every part of the brain is connected to each other

Although the brain is divided into several parts, each area is always involved in constant communication with one another. The harmony of communication between each part of the brain is what allows you to experience life as it is now, being able to perform all bodily functions simultaneously.

For example: when tripping over a stone, the frontal lobe area of ​​the midbrain will make the decision to quickly seek a grip while the cerebellum (cerebellum) which is responsible for coordinating body movements and balance will send a message to quickly grab hold of the hand and foot. quickly stepped on the ground. At the same time, the brainstem and midbrain work together to regulate your respiratory system and heart rate.

This communication between each part of the brain takes place with the help of a group of nerve fibers consisting of more than 100 billion nerve cells. These nerve fibers allow you to efficiently process and share data between different parts of the brain.

Recent research published in the journal Neuron states that the brain is more efficient at performing certain tasks if there is an area devoted solely to that function.

This also makes it easier for the brain to multitask, aka doing several tasks simultaneously at one time. For example, one part of the brain plays a role in speaking, then another part plays a role in recognizing faces, places, objects, and maintaining our balance.

However, brain function can decrease

Although all brain functions are actually running actively in their maximum capacity (and can be continuously improved), the brain's performance can also decline.

Decreased brain function is generally affected by natural aging and can also be accelerated by a bad lifestyle. For example, by consuming alcohol, smoking, intake of fatty foods, and lifestyle habits. Moreover, decreased brain function has also been linked to degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and dementia which can further dull your brainpower.

So if you want to make sure all your brain functions run optimally, support it with a healthy lifestyle. Also make it a habit to continue to train your brain with “simple brain sports”, for example filling out crossword puzzles, playing puzzles, and playing sudoku.