Why is it that we have no sense of smell in dreams?
As opposed to sight and sound, smell is not stored in the brain in the same way. Close your eyes and you can imagine what your mom looks like. Start thinking about your favorite song and you can hear that artist's voice.
The Short Answer
As opposed to sight and sound, smell is not stored in the brain in the same way. Close your eyes and you can imagine what your mom looks like. Start thinking about your favorite song and you can hear that artist's voice. The same does not hold true for smells. Think of pizza. You know it smells good. You can tell when someone brings in a pizza, but you can't smell it in your mind; you need the actual smell. This holds true for dreaming since dreaming is a phenomenon of the mind.
Analysis
Key Concepts: Smell, true, smells
This explanation focuses on smell, true, smells and spans 93 words across 8 sentences. At 35% above the average Human Body explanation (69 words), this is one of the more thorough answers in this category, reflecting the complexity of the underlying question.
What This Answer Covers
The explanation opens with: “As opposed to sight and sound, smell is not stored in the brain in the same way.” It then elaborates by presenting a contrasting perspective, ultimately building toward a complete picture across 8 connected points.
How This Compares in Human Body
Ranked #127 of 500 Human Body questions by answer depth (top 26%). This falls in the detailed tier — above average depth. The explanation goes beyond surface-level but keeps things accessible.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a simple explanation for why it that we have no sense of smell in dreams?
As opposed to sight and sound, smell is not stored in the brain in the same way. Close your eyes and you can imagine what your mom looks like. Start thinking about your favorite song and you can hear that artist's voice. The same does not hold true…
How detailed is this explanation compared to similar Human Body questions?
This is an above-average answer at 93 words, ranked #127 of 500 Human Body questions by depth. The key concepts covered are smell, true, smells.
What approach does this answer take to explain it that we have no sense of smell in dreams?
The explanation uses contrasting perspectives across 93 words. It is categorized under Human Body and addresses the question through 1 analytical lens.