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Why Do We Dream In Only Sight And Sound? - Science/Technology - Nairaland

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Why Do We Dream In Only Sight And Sound? by Nobody: 2:35pm On May 16, 2016
It is well known our brains are responsible for processing the feel, smell and taste of things in our environment. It is also common knowledge our brain stores these as memories. Many people who've worked in an organization learn quickly to associate the smell of coffee with start of official duties. Some people pick a whiff of perfume which sends their mind back to childhood memories. This highlights how good our brains are at picking sensory cues no matter how irrelevant and retrieving them when least expected.

With all this said, why do our dreams consist of only sight and sound like TV sets? I've never heard anyone say "in the dream I was surrounded by flowers and they smelt out of this world" but I hear constantly "I saw gates made of gold and heard the roars of lions". Wouldn't it make more sense if our dreams replicated real life where we feel fire burn and not see it burn alone? I always hear of people having delicious meals in dreams which they only describe visually but never in detail how it tasted exactly.


Discuss.

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Re: Why Do We Dream In Only Sight And Sound? by tripplephi: 2:43pm On May 16, 2016
charix:
It is well known our brains are responsible for processing the feel, smell and taste of things in our environment. It is also common knowledge our brain stores these as memories. Many people who've worked in an organization learn quickly to associate the smell of coffee with start of official duties. Some people pick a whiff of perfume which sends their mind back to childhood memories.
With all this said, why do our dreams consist of only sight and sound like TV sets? I've never heard anyone say "in the dream I was surrounded by flowers and they smelt out of this world" but I hear constantly "I saw gates made of gold and heard the roars of lions". Wouldn't it make more sense if our dreams replicated real life where we feel fire burn and not see it burn alone? I always hear of people having delicious meals in dreams which they only describe visually but never in detail it tasted exactly.


Discuss.


Hahahahaha Op thinking you are opening a thread but you are actually exposing a problem you have... When you truly dream... It contains all senses that's why people eat in there dreams too. So speak only for yourself. And kindly seek spiritual or psychological help. The synergy of all senses occur in a dream state but it's not always we determine facts by smell. It's the part of your physical body and senses you use most that determines which you will use in your dreams.

This thread is good but not the truth... Just your personal experience and a few others.
Re: Why Do We Dream In Only Sight And Sound? by Nobody: 2:52pm On May 16, 2016
tripplephi:


It's the part of your physical body and senses you use most that determines which you will use in your dreams.
I believe this is the answer here. Using our sight as the primary sense in the real world combined with regular training in the form of watching tv and reading books make it obvious why we see things mostly in dreams. It wouldn't surprise me to hear deaf people have silent dreams while blind people dream in audio and a combination of abstract colors.

Just your personal experience and a few others.
It'd surprise you how many people will identify with the problem.
Re: Why Do We Dream In Only Sight And Sound? by Nobody: 6:07pm On May 16, 2016
Short Answer : The reason why most people don't smell in their dreams is because they are not involved in the scent (smelling) industry. I remember reading an article on BBC where they said people in perfume companies actually smell in their dreams....

And why?? Because th nordern trend places extreme importance on sight and sound rather than smell. Also Nature rates sight and sound over smell, anyway. You can see why smell would be "relegated" so to speak.


Or so I think anyways.

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Re: Why Do We Dream In Only Sight And Sound? by Nobody: 6:17pm On May 16, 2016
SirWere:
Short Answer : The reason why most people don't smell in their dreams is because they are not involved in the scent (smelling) industry. I remember reading an article on BBC where they said people in perfume companies actually smell in their dreams....

And why?? Because th nordern trend places extreme importance on sight and sound rather than smell. Also Nature rates sight and sound over smell, anyway. You can see why smell would be "relegated" so to speak.


Or so I think anyways.
Makes sense, a lot of sense and straight to the point. The first commenter had me thinking deeper on the issue: animals for which sight is their secondary sense eg. dogs I'm sure are able to smell in their dreams.
Using your stated example I'd believe people in the textile industry who're used to feeling textures all day're also capable of feeling things in their dreams.
Re: Why Do We Dream In Only Sight And Sound? by tartar9(m): 6:31pm On May 16, 2016
charix:
It is well known our brains are responsible for processing the feel, smell and taste of things in our environment. It is also common knowledge our brain stores these as memories. Many people who've worked in an organization learn quickly to associate the smell of coffee with start of official duties. Some people pick a whiff of perfume which sends their mind back to childhood memories.

With all this said, why do our dreams consist of only sight and sound like TV sets? I've never heard anyone say "in the dream I was surrounded by flowers and they smelt out of this world" but I hear constantly "I saw gates made of gold and heard the roars of lions". Wouldn't it make more sense if our dreams replicated real life where we feel fire burn and not see it burn alone? I always hear of people having delicious meals in dreams which they only describe visually but never in detail how it tasted exactly.


Discuss.
I don't really understand the question.Do you mean the memory associated with both touch and smell or being able to feel and smell without any sensory input.
Re: Why Do We Dream In Only Sight And Sound? by Nobody: 7:26pm On May 16, 2016
tartar9:

I don't really understand the question.Do you mean the memory associated with both touch and smell
This is a normal function of the brain. If you smell something whether pleasant or foul right now it goes straight to your memory even without you realizing.

being able to feel and smell without any sensory input.
This is the question I ask. If the brain can conjure images and sound while we sleep(dreams) why don't they feature smells, tastes and textures? Daily we use all our senses, why don't dreams feature all of them instead of only sight and sound?

1 Like

Re: Why Do We Dream In Only Sight And Sound? by edogho(m): 8:42pm On May 16, 2016
tripplephi:



Hahahahaha Op thinking you are opening a thread but you are actually exposing a problem you have... When you truly dream... It contains all senses that's why people eat in there dreams too. So speak only for yourself. And kindly seek spiritual or psychological help. The synergy of all senses occur in a dream state but it's not always we determine facts by smell. It's the part of your physical body and senses you use most that determines which you will use in your dreams.

This thread is good but not the truth... Just your personal experience and a few others.

You're right to say d op is speaking for himself/herself.

I do taste n smell everything in my own dreams when called for. I even sometimes control my dreams but most times ain't purposely planned.

Dreams most times are workings of d mind and brain, but note... if u feel some sort of vibration in ur head, know d dream has more than just a reflection... that's from experience.

long time my bro.

1 Like

Re: Why Do We Dream In Only Sight And Sound? by tartar9(m): 8:56pm On May 16, 2016
charix:

This is a normal function of the brain. If you smell something whether pleasant or foul right now it goes straight to your memory even without you realizing.


This is the question I ask. If the brain can conjure images and sound while we sleep(dreams) why don't they feature smells, tastes and textures? Daily we use all our senses, why don't dreams feature all of them instead of only sight and sound?
I think its because the brain has developed a rather sophisticated inner cognitive structure in terms of imagination and language that deals with seeing and hearing respectively so there exists some sort of direct mapping in this area,unlike in smell and touch.Also,smell and touch requires a direct measurement of air composition and also pressure and pain.
Re: Why Do We Dream In Only Sight And Sound? by Nobody: 12:33am On May 17, 2016
tartar9:

Also,smell and touch requires a direct measurement of air composition and also pressure and pain.
I doubt this. Our brains can manufacture sight and sound which are our primary senses so I see no reason why these would prove any more difficult.

Anyway, it occurred to me once in a while I feel things when dreaming, they're called 'nightly emissions' wink.
This thread has lived past its usefulness, thank you to all who contributed. I'm wiser from your knowledge.
Re: Why Do We Dream In Only Sight And Sound? by tartar9(m): 8:51am On May 17, 2016
charix:

I doubt this. Our brains can manufacture sight and sound which are our primary senses so I see no reason why these would prove any more difficult.

Anyway, it occurred to me once in a while I feel things when dreaming, they're called 'nightly emissions' wink.
This thread has lived past its usefulness, thank you to all who contributed. I'm wiser from your knowledge.
.
Re: Why Do We Dream In Only Sight And Sound? by tartar9(m): 8:53am On May 17, 2016
charix:

I doubt this. Our brains can manufacture sight and sound which are our primary senses so I see no reason why these would prove any more difficult.

Anyway, it occurred to me once in a while I feel things when dreaming, they're called 'nightly emissions' wink.
This thread has lived past its usefulness, thank you to all who contributed. I'm wiser from your knowledge.
OK,but isn't it for the better? Imagine being able to manufacture to a great extent as that of hearing and seeing the experience of pain and smell embarassed.God has his way of regulating things smiley
Re: Why Do We Dream In Only Sight And Sound? by Nobody: 12:26am On May 18, 2016
tartar9:

OK,but isn't it for the better? Imagine being able to manufacture to a great extent as that of hearing and seeing the experience of pain and smell
Logically dreams should replicate real life in all the senses engaged. I'm sure there's a good reason some are omitted compared to others. I've gotten my answer so I don't need to delve deeper into this.
Re: Why Do We Dream In Only Sight And Sound? by Nobody: 12:28am On May 19, 2016
Sight and sound are actually embedded in the brain. part of the brain is devoted to processing sight. It's called the visual cortex and it keenly interwoven into the brain structure. and in fact, the only thing that happens in dreams is sight. we see things.

Wait, forget that, this reminds me of the time I was learning how to play the guitar. During that time, I actually dreamed and felt it. I felt the pain of the strings as they cut into my fingers. i even had this dream one time where I was cutting my fingertips with a butter knife.

I think the reason why we dream mainly in sight and sound is because they are the most predominant senses. the brain is constantly bombarded with sight and sound, our eyes never get tired. neither do our ears. but our nose does. humans have very lazy noses. our skin as well. And since the human brain has a tendency to work only with the most, it tends to dream with sight and sound only.

This suggests that if a person were to be subjected to torture for a length of time, the feeling might follow the individual into his dreams. and that chefs and perfume makers can smell in their dreams.

1 Like

Re: Why Do We Dream In Only Sight And Sound? by Nobody: 4:36am On May 19, 2016
Teempakguy:

Wait, forget that, this reminds me of the time I was learning how to play the guitar. During that time, I actually dreamed and felt it. I felt the pain of the strings as they cut into my fingers.
Residual memories; part of a learning curve. Reminds me of another dream I had where I could feel. I was learning to lift weights and once in a while dreamt of the experience - the dream of lifting weights felt exactly like real life apart from the exact poundage lifted; a kilogram felt exactly the same as a hundred no matter how much I added or reduced to the barbell.

I think the reason why we dream mainly in sight and sound is because they are the most predominant senses.
In man. Majority of animals possess sight as a secondary sense.

our eyes never get tired. neither do our ears. but our nose does. humans have very lazy noses. our skin as well.
First time I'm hearing this, I need proof.
I believe it has something to do with us conciousy using them in our daily lives compared to other senses. A lot of people actively look for opportunities to watch fights or hear others' secrets than find a flower to sniff or discover the textures of surfaces.
The opportunity to exercise your sense of sight and sound present themselves even when you as an individual are not in the mood for it(loud bangs, car sirens and flashes of light). Seldom do our secondary senses receive as much stimulation because I can count how many times a month I smelt something bad yet I'm looking at my phone posting this while listening to music trying to drown out the sound of loud generators.

And since the human brain has a tendency to work only with the most, it tends to dream with sight and sound only.
An agreement we've all come to: the primary senses of an animal are what it exercises the most in dreams.

This suggests that if a person were to be subjected to torture for a length of time, the feeling might follow the individual into his dreams.
True. Modern torture techniques are designed to maim victims more mentally than physically; they end up reliving portions of the torture over and over again even decades after been set free.

A funny thing I watched once though, a man was kidnapped and subjected to multiple rounds of physical beatings. His brain performed a trick, it switched off his pain receptors during 'interrogation' sessions and changed his point of view - he claimed he could see everyone in the room as if he was looking down from the skies and watched himself get beaten over and over again. It felt like a dream where he viewed himself as a separate entity.
Re: Why Do We Dream In Only Sight And Sound? by ValentineMary(m): 11:05am On May 19, 2016
Teempakguy:
Sight and sound are actually embedded in the brain. part of the brain is devoted to processing sight. It's called the visual cortex and it keenly interwoven into the brain structure. and in fact, the only thing that happens in dreams is sight. we see things.

Wait, forget that, this reminds me of the time I was learning how to play the guitar. During that time, I actually dreamed and felt it. I felt the pain of the strings as they cut into my fingers. i even had this dream one time where I was cutting my fingertips with a butter knife.

I think the reason why we dream mainly in sight and sound is because they are the most predominant senses. the brain is constantly bombarded with sight and sound, our eyes never get tired. neither do our ears. but our nose does. humans have very lazy noses. our skin as well. And since the human brain has a tendency to work only with the most, it tends to dream with sight and sound only.

This suggests that if a person were to be subjected to torture for a length of time, the feeling might follow the individual into his dreams. and that chefs and perfume makers can smell in their dreams.
We also develop d ability to dream witg sight because our conscious mind has experienced it. That's why someone bornblind can't dream with sightbecause his conscious mind has never experienced it.

1 Like

Re: Why Do We Dream In Only Sight And Sound? by Feraz(m): 4:39pm On May 19, 2016
charix:

I doubt this. Our brains can manufacture sight and sound which are our primary senses so I see no reason why these would prove any more difficult.
Anyway, it occurred to me once in a while I feel things when dreaming, they're called 'nightly emissions' wink.
This thread has lived past its usefulness, thank you to all who contributed. I'm wiser from your knowledge.
I have actually felt pain - I was a victim of false accusation that would have led to something serious, in a dream where I was crying only to wake up with little tears in my eyes. . . grin

What of laughter? cheesy grin
Re: Why Do We Dream In Only Sight And Sound? by Nobody: 4:37pm On Jun 21, 2016
Feraz:
I have actually felt pain - I was a victim of false accusation that would have led to something serious,
Sights and sounds alone can represent this.

in a dream where I was crying only to wake up with little tears in my eyes. . . grin
I find this hard to believe.

What of laughter? cheesy grin
I don't recall myself or anyone else having a funny dream although it's possible. We laugh at comedies so our minds can conjure similar images. Sadly dreams're mostly lean to the strange and often scary in entertainment value.

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