We use only 10% of our brain.
A few years ago I was amazed by this overused fact. Already having an interest in mysticism through a philosophy school I attended earlier, I was constantly looking for a way to enhance that lazy 90%. I could write a lot about how I tried to use my psychological issue, the sleep paralysis to take my brain to an uncharted territory but for the moment I'll attempt to stay with more common examples.
During my studies I got pretty close to gonzo journalism and particularly to the life and work of Hunter S. Thompson, father of the genre (gonzo is when the writer uses mind-altering drugs which results extraordinary writings). Well, I was only experimenting with Hungarian wine which proved itself a worthy companion on my road into the unknow lands of my brain. I loved escaping parties in Eger without notice just to get home and type a few lines.
Soon enough some feedbacks made me clear that wine is not necessarily increasing my brain capacity, more like pushing it down. As some posts included parts where I hit the keyboard with my head ('bhkadhrfblrhıbavhleb') and I even considered it as a piece of art by the time when I created them, I had to realize imagination and brain shouldn't be combined with alcohol in order to reach another level.
(...)
I used to lay down on my bed in Szentendre. The rooftop window was just above my head which made stargazing an easy and awesome experience. So here is how my brain messed things up in a morning. As I opened my eyes I could see the light blue sky without any clouds on. But something was wrong. There were tiny, greyish spots on the sky. I just couldn't figure the origin of the mysterious points. My brain was telling me they were stars. But it just sounded nonsense. I learnt it long before that start cannot be seen during daylight. Our Sun is just too close and the stars are too far. However, since I always stargaze from that spot, and the sky was particularly clear, I started to think that my sight is so sharp that I'm really able to spot the stars hiding behind the light of the sun. I was staring at them in awe.
The moment of truth came when I moved my head. The little spots were on my window. Well, I haven't had it cleaned for some months. With dreams broken, I cursed my brain for playing the trick on me.
But what would happen if we'd use 30,50,70 or even more of the grey matter? An icomplete list of all the stuff I could think about with that 10%:
- No religions:
With a perfectly rationalist mind which can explain all the questions around us we certainly won't need a being who listens to our cries and gives us shelter. Why? Cause we'd be too smart to get too desperate or long for guidance.
- No passion:
Sometimes our brain is simply not dominant enough to say 'no' and our heart gets the upper hand. With a super-brain? No way emotions would lead us to reckless decisions.
- The death of the system of economy and governments; the fall of 'world leaders'
When everyone ıs equally genius, it becomes tough to decide who gets into which position. This should result a world where everyone is equal and money and hierarchy are non-existant.
- Golden age of science:
It's hard to argue that the only thing moving humanity forward is science. Thus, a world consisting only high-capacity brains should result a sudden boom in answering the eternal questions.
- Arts morph with science and everyday life:
As the passion is gone, the main reason dies which used to ignite masterpieces over thousands of years. Art gets degraded to the level of convinience, such as designing (clothes, houses, devices) where it can serve us in a useful way.
I can surely say with my ten percent that it sounds like a dystopia I'd never like to live in. As our brain could take over our emotions we'd become something inhuman, something that sci-fis depict as wise but cold androids or computers (see HAL for instance).
And as it's our nature that we are curious about everything, the super-brain would probably kill curiosity as well. So I have to apologize, Mr. Lennon, but (y)our vision of a better world should stay as a fiction forever.
I love my world with all the hate, the sorrow and woe, wars and lies in it. But what I love the most is the 10% that sometimes lets me down, sometimes turns me own, but never, never leaves me alone.
