Bust a Myth, Boost Your Brain

Recently, a reporter asked me, "Is it true that we only use 10 percent of our brain?" As a neurologist, I reassured her that this idea is patently false. It's unclear how this myth came to be so widely propagated. Most often, its origin is attributed to William James, a Harvard psychologist, philosopher and physician. In "The Energies of Men," a musing on psychology, published in 1907, James wrote, "We are making use of only a small part of our possible mental and physical resources."

Despite the tremendous advances in neuroscience, it's hard to believe that this belief persists. Scientists estimate that the human brain is composed of 100 billion neurons, with about 100 trillion synapses. It is the most complicated structure in the entire universe! And when you think about it (pun intended), this is not surprising, given the astounding number of tasks and feats our brain performs on a daily basis. Every thought, emotion and mood is generated by our brain. It interprets each sensation and controls every movement. Our brain orchestrates every organ throughout our body via chemical messengers in the blood, called hormones, and through the nerves that extend from the brain and spinal cord. It bestows consciousness and allows us to learn and remember. In fact, there is nothing that we do that is not ultimately overseen by our brain. Even when we sleep, our brain is incredibly active.

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