Smell and Significance: Meaning and Memory in our Olfactory Glands

    Reading about how different cultures assign different meanings to objects and words, it had never occurred to me that we assign meanings to smells as well. After reading the section from Ackerman on smell, I realized that different cultures assign different meanings to scents, and these meanings vary among cultures. For instance, in the reading it is mentioned that while some cultures like to use animal feces as hair masks, Western cultures view this scent as repulsive and dirty. Yet, children don't learn that these smells are "bad" until they are taught (a point Ackerman makes). 

    Additionally, while the scents may stay the same, timeless in their ways, the meanings we assign to these scents change over time. Even our memories of smells connected to people we love or times we are fond of may change as we experience the scent in new settings, such as in the reading when the smell of eucalyptus and menthol triggered the author's earlier memory of being treated sick in bed with Vapor Rub, but these memories were replaced by those of searching for Monarchs. One thing that doesn't change is the connection between smell and breath, a connection I had not drawn for myself. I did not realize that breathing and smelling are simultaneous and intertwined, making us unable to do one without doing the other. This is another idea from the reading that I found interesting and had not yet thought of myself. 

    Scent will never stop producing emotions, bringing us back to an earlier time and producing within us that exact emotion felt from when the scent memory happened. For me, this is smelling clean laundry, as it reminds me of the days spent home with my mother as a child. I didn't even ponder how much of a tragedy it is to lose this sense. I found the section on anosmia to be extremely moving, because I did not think of the emotional value of smell and how my feelings would change if I were to lose this sense. Although I agree strongly with the author that describing scents is difficult, I think it is important that we try to convey scents to others because of the power they have to produce such strong emotions.

    I found an interesting TED talk from a perfumer who makes similar claims about the importance of smells in our daily lives as initiators bringing us back in time in an instant through our memories. It might be a good resource to compliment Ackerman as the speaker provides supplementary insights from her position at a fragrance company. For example, she provides new claims about how the fragrance industry purposefully designs their products to trigger our fond memories and shape our behavior and meaning of scent.