by Heather Dickson

Created on: March 09, 2009

Aromatherapy is a big business now, and as it has developed over the past decade or so, we see more and more scents coming out in candles and oils that are designed to create comfortable, relaxing atmospheres in the home by bringing back memories of "better times." While scents such as rose and lavender still sell well, now we find scents ranging from sugar cookies and pancakes to clean laundry and scents of the seaside. From grandma's kitchen to your honeymoon cruise, you're certain to somewhere find a scent that will bring you back. But how does this process work, and what triggers these memories?

While humans may not have the need for smell to the extent of other animals, our own noses do more than warn us of gas leaks and burned dinners. The sense of smell is such a delicate one that it will actually work to provide an emotional response beyond that of something we see or hear. The reason? Olfactory nerves are linked directly to two areas of the brain, the amygdala and the hippocampus. The amygdala dictates the expression of emotion, and the hippocampus controls our process of forming and retaining memories. Put these together, and we can see why the smell of a certain perfume may remind us so much of our mother, or how the smell of magnolia blossoms can remind us of the house we knew as a small child.

Not always are the memories evoked pleasant ones, however. Perhaps a whiff of a familiar cologne on someone walking past conjures up the night you broke up with a boyfriend who wore the same scent. The smell of burnt popcorn in an office could give you flashbacks of a house fire you survived. Even visiting someone with cats can bring back memories of a beloved pet who passed when the litter box wafts your way.

Why not try an experiment of your own? You'll need a clean room, free of any scented items, and two pictures or paintings that you have not seen before. For the first round, bring in the first paining and study it for 5 minutes, learning every detail that you can. The next day, without viewing the painting, write down as exact a description as you can of the painting, recalling as many details as possible. Next, bring the second painting into the room, this time with a bit of scented oil of your choice on a cotton ball. While studying the second painting, casually wave the scented oil under your nose and inhale it as you commit the details of the painting to memory.

The next day, use the same scent on a cotton ball and, again without viewing it, write down as many details of the second painting as you can remember. Does your scented study allow you to recall more detail, or more emotion? Try using a different scent for other things you may be casually studying and see if the details are easier to recall.

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