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Why is it that you never think anything is weird when you are dreaming, it’s only when you wake up you realise how strange things actually were?

Sarah Jenkins
Sarah Jenkins
Lead Content Curator · Jan 22, 2026 · Updated Apr 13, 2026

To be brief, during a dream it's basically your brain taking a rest. So like a computer it shuts off all non-essential functions, and one of them is called the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. This part of the brain controls things such as memory and judgement.

125
Words

1 min
Read Time

#56
of 500 in Human Body

+81%
vs Category Avg

The Short Answer

To be brief, during a dream it's basically your brain taking a rest. So like a computer it shuts off all non-essential functions, and one of them is called the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. This part of the brain controls things such as memory and judgement. Thus, without this part of the brain "on" you lose the ability to a) remember the real world and b) judge that the dream you're in is weird. On top of that, a dream is only weird because it doesn't usually follow the same laws of science that you're used to in reality. So after waking up it might be weird, but during the dream without the ability to recall the "true" laws of science, you don't think it's weird.

Analysis

Key Concepts: Dream, weird, brain

This explanation focuses on dream, weird, brain and spans 125 words across 6 sentences. At 81% 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: “To be brief, during a dream it's basically your brain taking a rest.” It then elaborates by presenting a contrasting perspective, ultimately building toward a complete picture across 6 connected points.

How This Compares in Human Body

Ranked #56 of 500 Human Body questions by answer depth (top 12%). This places it in the comprehensive tier — the top quarter of most thoroughly answered questions. Questions at this depth typically involve multi-faceted topics requiring nuanced explanation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a simple explanation for why it that you never think anything is weird when you are dreaming, it's only when you wake up you realise how strange things actually were?

To be brief, during a dream it's basically your brain taking a rest. So like a computer it shuts off all non-essential functions, and one of them is called the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. This part of the brain controls things such as memory and…

How detailed is this explanation compared to similar Human Body questions?

This is one of the most thorough answer at 125 words, ranked #56 of 500 Human Body questions by depth. The key concepts covered are dream, weird, brain.

What approach does this answer take to explain it that you never think anything is weird when you are dream?

The explanation uses root cause analysis and contrasting perspectives across 125 words. It is categorized under Human Body and addresses the question through 2 analytical lenses.