Power of Scent
Scents have been used for
centuries for pleasure and well-being. Ancient
Egyptians kept aromatics used for medicine
and perfume in beautiful bottles, which have
been preserved in their tombs. The writings
of ancient Greeks, Romans, Chinese and Hebrews
all mention medicinal and aromatic scents.
Many of the essences used thousands of years
ago are still available today.
Moods
and Scents
Aromachology
References
In present time we also use fragrances
to make the products we use and our environment
more pleasant, with perfumes and body lotions being
obvious examples. Other examples include:
Aromatic Candles
Diffusers
Sachets in
our Lingerie Drawers
Fabric Fresheners
for our Clothes and Bedding
Enhance the flavor of food
Make cleaning products more appealing
Improve the ambience of a room
There was even a short-lived movie
concept called smell-o-vision, and an idea for
a cell-phone that released “smell-tones” when
a call is received. (The idea was scrapped because
people didn’t like the idea of their pants
being soaked with perfume every time someone calls.)
Science of the Sense of Smell
The science of the sense of smell, Aroma-Chology,
focuses on our perception of smells. It refers
to collection of data to study the interrelationship
of psychology and fragrance technology to transmit
a variety of specific feelings and enhance behavior
through the olfactory experience.
Research seeks to establish the effects
of aromas on human behavior. It focuses on the
olfactory system, which provides us with our sense
of smell.
The olfactory system is comprised of neurons
called olfactory sensors, which recognize odor
molecules and then send signals to the olfactory
bulb, located above the eyes.
Signals from different sensors are
targeted to different spots that form a sensory
map. From there the signals reach the olfactory
area of the cortex, the area of conscious thought.
In addition, the information travels to the limbic
system, which is the primitive part of the brain
that include areas that control emotions, memory
and behavior.
Memories of smells are stored in
the hippocampus, and through relational memory
certain smells trigger certain memories. Researchers
continue to use brain-mapping to determine how
the olfactory system works.
Because olfactory information goes
to both the primitive and complex parts of the
brain it affects our actions in more ways than
we think. The connections between odors and
emotions have an obvious survival value for our
species. The smell of good food is appealing,
while the smell of rotten food is not. We
recognize either the “yecchh” or the
attraction of smells, without cognitive awareness
of the actual source of the aroma. Aromachologists
use these emotional ties, as well as scientific
studies to substantiate hypothetical effects of
scents, when formulating aromas to foster moods.
Aromatherapists have long used essential
oils for healing, emotion and mood. Aromachologists
focus on the ambient odors provided by these oils,
and combine these, as well as other scents, to
produce complex perfumes.
Aromas such as vanilla, bergamot
and lavender have been found to produce a calming
effect, while those in the citrus family and geranium
are considered purifying. Vanilla, jasmine,
rose and ylang-ylang are warming notes, while sage
clary, cinnamon, and spearmint are known to stimulate
alertness. Rose, jasmine, and ylang-ylang are thought
to have aphrodisiac properties, spearmint and petitgrain
are felt to provide mental stimulation.
The combination of various scents to produce
a particular fragrance is both an art and a science. The
perfume industry is using research tools such as
post exposure questionnaires or motion-logger watches
to substantiate claims that certain scents affect
mood or enhance the quality of sleep. Physiological
changes in the brain associated with the sense
of smell are being identified. Researchers are
working on scents to alleviate anxiety, scents
to aid in sustaining attention, improve interpersonal
relationships, and those that may make repetitive
or dull tasks more pleasant.
The connection between scent and
mood is endemic to our species, but we are just
beginning to scratch the surface of the intricacies
behind this relationship, and also how we can use
this interrelationship to improve our quality of
life.
References
Brain Briefings. Smell and the olfactory
system. Society for Neuroscience, Summer,
1995.
Calvert, Gemma and Osterbauer, Robert. The
scent of color. Aroma-Chology Review,
Vol XI, No.1, pp. 1-6.
Damian, Peter and Kate. (1995) Aromatherapy
Scent and Psyche. Healing Arts Press.
Evans, Mark. (1996) Instant
Aromatherapy for Stress Relief. New Life
Library.
Hancock, Elsie. A primer on smell. Johns
Hopkins Magazine, September 1996.
Haviland-Jones, Jeannette. An
environmental approach to positive emotion: Flowers. Evolutionary
Psychology 3, 2005, pp.104-132.
Pines, Maya. The mystery of smell:
the vivid world of odors; finding the odorant receptors;
How rats and mice – and probably humans – recognize
odors; The memory of smell. Retrieved from:
http://www.hhmi.org/senses/d110.html
Samsung Develops ‘Smell Tones’ Mobiledia,
March 24, 2006.
Tisserand, Robert B. (1977)The
Art of Aromatherapy. Healing Arts Press.
Wormwood, Valerie Ann. (1996) The
Fragrant Mind. New World Library.
Sense of Smell Links
www.senseofsmell.org
www.hhmi.org/senses/d110.html
http://www.jhu.edu/~jhumag/996web/smell.html
http://www.sciencefriday.com/pages/2000/Mar/hour2_031000.html
http://www.mobiledia.com/news/45439.html
http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/bb/neuro/neuro00/web2/Ito.html
http://www.thenakedscientists.com/HTML/Columnists/peterbrennancolumn.htm
http://www.colorado.edu/iec/FALL297RW/Pheromones.html
http://www.news.harvard.edu/gazette/1999/04.08/smell.html
