‘Nothing brings to life again a forgotten memory like a fragrance’ ~ Unknown
Looking at all our senses, the scent is the most powerful trigger of emotions and memories. We are 100 times more likely to remember something we smelled compared to what we saw, heard, touched or tasted. Smells can also bring back long-term memories, memories that otherwise would have been lost to the conscious mind. It becomes part of our emotional memories because it is stored in the emotional part of the brain, as opposed to memories that are stored in the thinking part of our brain.
Smells evoke both feelings and emotions – the positive as well as the negative. Scientists estimate the human body has at least 1 000 different smell receptors and only four types of light sensors for touch.
Let’s look at some scents that always elicit emotion and memory, no matter how young or old you are.