text: i read that magnetism and electricity are basically the same thing. if i put a large magnet to my skull...? will it affect the electrical activity of my brain? the 'electrical' activity of the brain is largely chemical, and is mostly unaffected by magnetic fields.  however, magnetic fields can be used as part of a system to measure what's happening in your brain.  these various scans are a medical diagnostic tool and also a research tool.  nuclear magnetic resonance imaging can distinguish among differing tissue types.  and no, magnetism and electrically are not the same.  they are interdependent, but are both independent of gravity.