Smells and Bells

Smell, memory, and emotion are deeply connected. The Olfactory receptors (where smell is processed) are directly connected to the limbic system (center of emotions). This interaction happens before the cortex can recognize the odor itself. Emotional responses and memories linked to the scent are triggered by the primitive brain before other parts of the brain can cognitively recognize the scent separately from the individual's personal connection with it (11). Something I wonder about is if the reason aromatherapy is effective is because of the scent itself or the memories attached to it. Do we smell floral oils and the brain produces chemicals in response to that scent or does our brain take a trip back to a springtime of our younger selves when the flowers were blooming and we were calm, happy, and carefree? According to Dr. Herz, smell is not hard-wired. People will react differently to smells based on their past experiences and memories with those smells. What calms one ...

Smelling Smells My Most Influential Sense  Out of all of the senses, I would say that my smell sense has the most influence. As mentioned in "A Natural History of Senses" by Diane Ackerman, olfactory is connected to our memories. When picking through my memories and trying to find the memory I'm looking for, its much easier to do if I smell something I associated with it, than have someone tell me about the memory verbally. Post my traumatic brain injury in 2013, smell has always been the best way for me to connect to the memories I don't consciously remember.  I have an oil diffuser in my dorm room, as i'm sure some of you also do. I have three oils that I rotate using to make my room smell good: orange citrus, eucalyptus, and "ocean breeze". Ocean Breeze is my favorite because rather than smelling like the salty air I associate with the ocean, it smells like clean, fresh out of the dryer laundry. I was disappointed at first, but grew to love...

Sunday morning I had a conversation with my friend and we casually talked about how our days were going. He almost immediately began by telling me of the horrible stench he faced upon walking into the hallway of his building. It was after a long weekend of neighbors and visitors drinking while lounging on the couches outside of his room. He described the smell as "putrid" and went on to describe it as a terrible combination of vomit and lacrosse equipment from the athletic team down the hall. As he went on to describe this unspeakable smell, his tone was of awe and bitterness. It seemed to have ruin his whole morning despite it having just begun. I was interested in whether it was the fact that it was his own place of living that was partially vandalized that gave him such an emotional reaction, or if the smell itself had resonated and evoked emotion on its own. Nonetheless, if the hallway was a mess but smelt pleasant, I'm sure he would only be mildly irritated. Bu...

https://www.amazon.com/Alive-Inside-Dan-Cohen/dp/B00OPCF3EW When my grandmother was first diagnosed with dementia, my mother began researching the topic as a coping method but also because she wanted to be prepared for what was to come. She came upon a documentary called “Alive Inside: A Story of Music and Memory” which tells the story of the nonprofit organization Music and Memory providing music therapy for dementia patients. The documentary tells the stories of several patients and how the music therapy helped patients who had become catatonic be brought to life by the music of their past. We soon tested out this effect of music on dementia with my grandmother and found the connection between music and memory to be incredibly significant. As soon as the song “Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree” by Dawn featuring Tony Orlando came on, it was like someone had opened a window and my grandmother took her first breath of fresh air in months. She instantly began humming and ...

Looking back into my childhood I remember my mother cooking dinner every night for my family, except for special occasions where we would order out. The most eventful outing would be when we ordered Chinese food and my father would ask if anyone wanted to come for the ride. I've always loved car rides with my dad, so I was always first to perk up and join him for the ride. There was nothing like sitting with the warm food in my lap and getting to pick at the food before anyone at home had their opportunity. We would spread it all out on the table and our family of six would devour it, but always leave just enough to save as leftovers. Chinese food was a common oder in our family as everyone loved picking their favorite foods for each box. One night when I was around 10 years old, I was sick in my bedroom that was only a staircase away from the kitchen. I kept myself tucked away and tried to keep myself as occupied as a sick 10 year old could be. This was one of the nights where ...

We've discussed (and experienced) the interesting ways in which smell is closely tied to memory. The experience of a scent is instantaneous; without conscious thought, we are taken back in time to when we smelled the specific aroma either for the first time or in a particularly important or memorable time. It is no question that each of us could come up with an example of this without giving it much thought. In talking about taste, we have also uncovered that most of our sense of taste is actually smell. Dr. Rachel Herz showed us this in action when she had us plug our nose and eat jellybeans. When we were unable to smell, we were unable to taste individual flavors; our experience of the jellybean was reduced to a sense of sweetness. So, then, wouldn't it mean that taste and memory are also closely related? Take for example the Disney movie Ratatouille in which the icy exterior of the harsh food critic is melted when he takes a bite of the title food and is instantly tran...

Deborah Green explained the importance of metaphor, simile, and metonym in describing scents, because of the connection with emotional reaction.   In the Song of Songs, she states, “we must assess the scent comparisons and even the emotions they may evoke, completely and on their own terms, however difficult this may be” (85).   The link between the words shemen (oil) and shem (name) is important as the name of the individual and fragrances are not mentioned, rather the words discuss flowing oil.   By using the word shemen, a metaphor is used to generate a connection between scented oil and the lover.   This metaphor also indicates that that both the name and fragrance of their lover’s perfume is pleasing.   By using scent, the woman is able to yearn for her lover when he is not present by recalling his perfume, indicating a seductive aspect to fragrance.   Scent becomes erotic through references to spices, flowers, and even vines, because they are used ...