The Power of Smell; Memory- Zach Dagan

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     It was a cool and crisp autumn day back in September 2013. I just came home from school and was getting ready to go to Canobie Lake Park with many of my friends from school. At one point, I washed my hands with a white foamy soap that had a scent very strong. I get extremely vivid images and can even remember bits and pieces of conversations I had with other people whenever I use/smell this apple scented soap my mother bought from bath and body works. The moment I used that soap in the bathroom, the sweet and refreshing scent traveled through my nose and left a mark in my brain, enabling me to have very specific flashbacks each time I use the hand soap.

     I find it very interesting how certain scents can bring back such vivid memories like the one I have with the apple scented soap. It shows to prove how powerful a smell can be, as it so easily is engrained into one's mind so they can remember events from that day for years and years. From Diane Ackerman's book, A Natural History of the Senses, she explains how scents can be engrained into our minds. "A smell can be overwhelmingly nostalgic because it triggers powerful images and emotions before we have time to edit them" (Ackerman 11). Ackerman hits this one right on the nail as this is a great description of the nostalgia a scent can trigger. She then goes on to quote Edward T. Morris from his book Fragrance, "there is almost no short-term memory with odors" (Ackerman 11). As I think about it, that statement is very accurate and there are many other odors that bring back memories when that smell reoccurs as it enters through my nose. Certain scents will forever make unforgettable memories in my head. Smell is such a powerful sense and most people do not realize how often we use it day in and day out as we live our lives.        

Comments

  1. Aidan TravisApril 28, 2020 at 8:13 AM

    I find your story about the soaps so funny! It is amazing how a certain scent can bring someone back to a place that they remember fondly. I found the quote that you used form Diane Ackerman very useful in understanding more about scent and the memories that are linked with it.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Becca MillerApril 30, 2020 at 3:43 PM

    I have the same thing with some smells. I find it so interesting how you might not even know you have this connection until you smell the smell.

    ReplyDelete

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