Smelling something that isn’t present in the surrounding environment. Also known as phantosmia. Can be caused by seizures, brain injury, or psychiatric illnesses such as schizophrenia.
Example: The patient complains of an intensely foul odor, which nobody else in the room can detect. A few minutes later, the patient has a seizure.
Last reviewed: By John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on 1 Sep 2011
