Amidst the Pandemic

The Power of Smell

Why are smells so memorable? Why can smells so easily trigger memories and emotions? 

           

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These are questions I have always wondered, but have never been able to answer. I think that Ackerman’s use of the above quote from Helen Keller perfectly describes my own relationship with smell. Different aromas constantly fill the air, but indeed there are only certain scents that trigger emotions of memories for me. Where does this powerful connection come from? Why do some smells trigger my memory and others pass right through? In Ackerman’s chapter on smell I sense that a main point she is driving at is how we as a population have been obsessed with smells (although specifics have varied) since biblical times. Smells, have helped us survive and procreate, smelling what may cause us harm or what is safe. Smells, have drawn us to the people we are most attracted to. It is obvious that smell is a critical part of our lives and has continued to evolve with us as a race.

            It is also clear that smells have an interactive impact on the human body. Dr. Herz re-affirmed this belief for me. She explained to us that the olfactory bulb is part of the brain’s limbic system; this system is connected to memory and feelings. This olfactory bulb is close with the amygdala (this processes our emotions), and also the hippocampus (responsible for associative learning). This close wiring begins to explain the scientific nature of why we have these connections between memories and smells, but conditioned responses also play an important role. We must be conditioned to certain smells, and experiences, these are influenced by our life styles and cultures.

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http://www.enchantedlearning.com/europe/italy/

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I know that from personal experiences smells easily trigger my memories and emotions.  One of my most powerful scent memories, as I like to call them came from Italy. I was six years old and my Aunt was cleaning the floor with something I had never come in contact with before, ammonia. I remember that I smelled it from my room and followed the smell to the outside deck where she was cleaning, it was early morning and the Sun was shining brightly, we were about to head to the beach for the day. Today when I smell the powerful sent of pure ammonia this is where my mind takes me, back to Italy.