Smell Memory and Aromatherapy

            I feel as if smell is the least imprinting of all the senses. I can remember what a rainbow looks like, how ice cream tastes like, how petting a dog feels, and I can listen to songs in my head. However, personally, it is very hard to remember what things smell like. Do you remember what a Christmas tree smells like? Can you really conjure the smell of pine needles just as well as you can remember the other senses? I do not think so.

            However, when physically exposed to certain smells and scents, the memories all come flooding back – with image, sound, feeling, taste. It is as if smell acts as the glue between your memories and senses. This is why when you sometimes smell things you may suddenly recall a distant childhood memory in emotionally rich detail.

            Moving away from the memories of smell – some aromas and scents effect us physiologically. I did some research on some smells that cause some type of reaction within the human body. Here are the most common.

-      -   A faint trace of lemon significantly increases people's perception of their own health.

-       - Lavender incense contributes to a pleasant mood—but it lowers volunteers' mathematical abilities.

-        - A whiff of lavender and eucalyptus increases people's respiratory rate and alertness.

-        - The scent of phenethyl alcohol (a constituent of rose oil) reduces blood pressure.

“Such findings have led to the rapid development of an aromatherapy industry. Aromatherapists point to scientific findings that smell can dramatically affect our moods as evidence that therapy with aromatic oils can help buyers manage their emotional lives. (Psychology Today)

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As someone who has never tried aromatherapy and has always grouped aromatherapy with pseudo sciences such as homeopathy, I find these scientific studies to be wonderful. I very much would like to try these scents and see if I feel a noticeable change in my mood or physiologically.