Do We Really Need a Brain?

"Imagine going to the doctor for a minor problem, like weakness in your leg, and you are told that 90 percent of your brain is missing. Sound impossible? It happened to a 44-year-old French civil servant. This case, and others like it, challenge everything we thought we knew about the brain's role in human consciousness and intelligence. Perhaps the most interesting question isn't how someone can function without a brain, but rather, where else might intelligence reside in the human body?"

"In 2007, researchers published a fascinating case report in the medical journal The Lancet. The patient was a married father of two who worked as a civil servant. His life appeared to be normal, despite the fact that he had severe hydrocephalus, a condition that involves a buildup of fluid in the brain, resulting in the brain being squeezed into very thin layers."

"But this wasn't an isolated case. The story continues with British pediatrician John Lorber, who in the 1980s reported an equally fascinating case. The Mathematics Student With "No Brain" Lorber's case involved a mathematics student at Sheffield University who had an IQ of 126, which is well above average, and graduated with first-class honors. When he was examined, the student was found to have such severe hydrocephalus that his brain was compressed to less than 1mm"

A 44-year-old French civil servant functioned with 90 percent of his brain missing, maintained employment and family life, and had an IQ of 75. Severe hydrocephalus can compress brain tissue into thin layers while preserving everyday abilities. John Lorber reported a mathematics student with an IQ of 126 whose brain was compressed to less than 1 mm yet who graduated with first-class honors. The heart contains roughly 40,000 neurons involved in decision-making and emotion regulation, and the gut houses hundreds of millions of nerves that learn and adapt independently. These observations imply intelligence-related processing occurs beyond the brain alone.

Read at Psychology Today