THE SENSE OF SCENT

Humans are born into the world with our five senses. It is through these that we discover, interpret and live our lives. From the moment we are born, the sense of smell is our first sense that is intact. This is how we find our mother's breast, creating connection and security while our other senses of touch, sight and hearing continue to develop within us.

Fragrance memories

When we are born, our first scent memories are also created. Scent memories follow us throughout our entire lives and are so strong that they can also bind several existences together. In many cultures, the sense of smell is considered our sacred or exalted sense, above others. An inner key to the sacred and in many cultures incense has also been considered a portal to the heart of God, or the Creator.

Limbic system

Our sense of smell is our only sense that has a direct influence over the limbic system in our brains, which is said to control our intuition, dreams, visionary experiences, higher thoughts and feelings of spiritual connection. Fragrances have a direct impact on scent memories, associations and thus also our thoughts and feelings.

Affects feelings and memories

In Marcel Proust's classic novel "På paning efter den tid som flytt" it is described how the smell of the Madeleine cookies rekindles strong childhood memories. Fragrance memories have a unique ability to evoke emotional experiences and transport us back in time. Modern research supports this notion, showing that our memories of smells are different compared to sight- and hearing-based memories. The sense of smell has a direct connection to two basic functions of the brain: memory (hippocampus), and emotions (amygdala). This unique property of the sense of smell means that scents have an incredibly powerful impact on our memories and emotions.