The idea that humans only use 10% of their brains has been circulating in popular culture for decades. In fact, Encyclopedia Britannica says that this theory is one of Hollywood’s favorite pseudoscience tricks.

For example, the 2014 film Lucy uses this widely held belief as its main plot device. In the film, Professor Samuel Norman, played by Morgan Freeman, says during a lecture, “It is estimated that most people use only 10% of their brain capacity. Imagine if we could access 100%. Interesting things are starting to happen.”

VIEWER CHECK Lucia asked our team if this theory is correct or not.

Do we only use 10% of our brain?

No, we don’t use only 10% of our brain.

According to Eric Chadler, a neuroscientist and professor at the University of Washington, there is no scientific evidence that humans only use 10% of their brains. Instead, all existing data shows that people use 100% of their brain every day.

“We use our entire brain. We do not use only 20%. We do not use only 10%. We use our brain 100%,” Chadler told VERIFY. “Experimental and clinical evidence suggests that there are no parts of the brain that do nothing.”

Scientists often use brain imaging techniques, such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and positron emission tomography (PET), to see how the brain is functioning, Chadler said.

“When you look at an image of the brain, you see that all parts of the brain are doing something – there is no part of the brain that is just in an inactive state. So we can use brain imaging and literally see that the brain is active,” Chadler said.

According to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the notion that humans only use 10% of their brains is one of the “most enduring and widespread myths about the brain.” The Psychological Science Association and Winchester Hospital Beth Israel Lahey Health also refer to the popular belief as a myth on their websites.

Chudler says the origin of this myth is not entirely known, however, there are several theories that explain its origin. Some people attribute this to a statement made by psychologist William James in 1907.

“Psychologist William James wrote in a highly influential book that we use only a fraction of our possible mental or physical resources, it seems as early as the early 1900s. But he never put a percentage on it,” Chudler said. “Some people say that Albert Einstein said it. Some people say that Margaret Mead said it. But I have never been able to find a quote attributed to Albert Einstein or Margaret Mead.”

The Psychological Science Association also notes that James in no way claimed that humans only use a small portion of their brains. Instead, they say that James observed how decorum, social norms, and routine do not use all the resources of people.

“His statement is actually consistent with what we now know about attention and flow states, but James explicitly did not state that most people use only 10% of their mental capacity at all times,” the Association for Psychological Science said in a statement.

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