Are we relly using the human brain to only 4%

Discussion in 'Eastern Philosophy' started by cool slayer, Jan 16, 2004.

  1. cool slayer Registered Member

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    Are we really using the human brain to only 4%

    I've often heard people saying that humans are using their brain to only 4% of their capacity. Is spirituality related to developing it's capacity. And what's the illumination of the human brain.

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    Last edited: Jan 16, 2004
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  3. Persol I am the great and mighty Zo. Registered Senior Member

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  5. sargentlard Save the whales motherfucker Valued Senior Member

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    Contrary to the popular belief most of the brain is being used at all times. Certain parts are more active during certain activities but on average the brain is active all around.

    That 4% reference is reffering to the us using only 4% or 10% (many figures are thrown around) of our cognitive ability and so much power untapped...while there are parts of the brain lying dormant it doesn't work the way we like to think it does.

    Most of the brain is active at all times.

    No, it isn't.

    If you are reffering to the fact that humans have the ability to grow their cognitive processing ability then it has been speculated. To wake up sleeping brain cells and form more neuron connections to increase thinking capabilities. It has been proven that through regular exercise sleeping brain cells can be used to add or replace dead brain cells but it will not make you a genius from a dunce.

    The popular beliefe that if we used our brains to the max we can lift things with out minds...well so far it is just science fiction.

    You can not increase capacity in the brain, only mold it with different talents through rigrous exercise and good health. Reading, learning new things etc etc etc. You may feel your IQ has gone up but in truth you are only applying yourself and working your strongest muscle.
     
    Last edited: Jan 16, 2004
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  7. Persol I am the great and mighty Zo. Registered Senior Member

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    That 4% reference is reffering to the us using only 4% or 10% (many figures are thrown around) of our cognitive ability and so much power untapped
    But is this anymore than a guess? What could this possibly be based on? An assertion like this just seems very very messy.
     
  8. sargentlard Save the whales motherfucker Valued Senior Member

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    Thats what i meant..just in badly phrased way.
     
  9. river-wind Valued Senior Member

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    even more specifically, there is brain mush and the there are nuerons. At one point when researching this 4% or 15% or whatever number, I realized that at one point, this number appeared to correlate with the amount of brain matter which people used to think did the thinking: the nuerons. They were ignoring the rest of the mush, assuming it was filler and glue. Today, we know better - that mush and glue actually has alot to do with the proper function of the brain. The jury is still out on exactly how it works, but we're gaining more understanding daily.
    Look at MRI's of a functioning brain, you can see that much more than even the highest number attached to this false idea (15%) is used during thought.
     
    Last edited: Jan 16, 2004
  10. kmguru Staff Member

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    The 10% comes from brain activity scans when people are sitting or lying while the scan is taken. Basically not doing much except thinking when they would get out to take a pee break!
     
  11. chunkylover58 Make it a ... CHEEEESEburger Registered Senior Member

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    Yeah, I think the original hypothesis was that we never use more than 10% of the brain's function at any given time. We focus its efforts on the task at hand. If we're working on a complex math problem, the right brain isn't going to be trying to conduct a musical score or painting a pastoral mountain scene at the same time .... and vice versa (although I am aware if the mathematical qualities of music). However, over the course of a day, given the performance of various different tasks, it's used to its fullest capacity.

    This 10% (or 3 or 4 or whatever) is often taken by New Agers and psychics and others to convince people that we as a species have yet to unlock our true potential. Many take the path that the remaining percentage of the brain "power" that was lost over the centuries explains why we no longer possess the ability to levitate or prognosticate or read minds or see ghosts and angels.
     
  12. kmguru Staff Member

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    ability to levitate ....

    I think we will levitate on our biological body when the plants develop vocal cords and start talking to us.

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    The reason God (or nature) gave us a brain is to develop tools to do what our physical bodies can not. New Agers miss that - because they are not playing with a full deck of cards....

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  13. rainbow__princess_4 The Ashtray Girl Registered Senior Member

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    I always thought the myth was that we use 10% but anyway, that was "proved" by some screwy scientist in the 1800's who supposedly cut out pieces of rat brains and they lived until they had only a tiny amount left. Of course we know this is false because you cut out any brain (from a rat at least) and it dies if not from the removal of brain, but bleeding. So the whole thing is crap.
     
  14. kmguru Staff Member

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    It may be crap, but the myth goes on.....crap sticks....

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  15. geotech Registered Member

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    The Brain is Complex

    The brain is working like a machine. No certain percentage is being used. the brain activity spikes constantly. Pieces and parts of the brain are always working together to form complete thoughts and emotions. The brain is many parts working as a whole, if only a certain percentage were thinking at one time, you would most likely be dead.
     
  16. VitalOne Banned Banned

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    I wonder where that 4% or 10% brain myth came from....but anyway we are only consciously aware of less than 0.00001% of our thoughts....so consciously we don't use all of our brain....but unconsciously we do...
     
  17. kmguru Staff Member

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    I am sure those people who say such things truly using their brain only 4%. Rest are just not there...Not all can be smart...you know...

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  18. James R Just this guy, you know? Staff Member

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    [enc]Urban myth[/enc]
     
  19. iam Banned Banned

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    The other 96 percent is under contract for future renovation for the unforseeable, indefinite future.
     
  20. Ophiolite Valued Senior Member

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    10% of people who are told that it is false to believe we use 0nly 10% of our brain go on believing the falsehood.
     
  21. spidergoat pubic diorama Valued Senior Member

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    If all of your brain were working at the same time, the results would be impossible to translate into words, and very difficult to percieve, much like a psychedelic trip.
     
  22. Ophiolite Valued Senior Member

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    Also, steam would come out of your ears due to the overheating.
     
  23. kmguru Staff Member

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    That is what the hair is for....as a heat exchanger....
     

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