To me, there is nothing more comforting than a familiar smell. For example, Christmas at my parents’ house has smelt the same for the last 20 years. Christmas to me smells like a blue spruce in the house, candles and my mom’s famous turkey. Immediately the combination of these scents makes me happy because I get nostalgic of all the happy memories from past Christmases. One Christmas we bought another kind of tree, and to be honest, the familiar Christmas smell wasn’t there. I used Christmas as an example because I’m sure that a lot of people can relate to that, but there are so many other situations where reactions are triggered from smell. From personal experience, I associate scents with the people I love, which is comforting and makes me feel safe. Different scents can remind you of so many things. But why does this happen?
Long story short, the thalamus in your brain sends information about smell to the hippocampus – which is where your memories are stored in your brain (Discovery). This is why a scent can trigger a memory, whether it be a good or bad one. Our brains are so cool! I have also heard of situations where the scents that society usually associates as bad, are still comforting to some people. For example, one of my friends grew up with parents who both smoked. While most people dislike the smell of cigarette smoke, she finds the smell comforting because it reminds her of her family and the home she grew up in.
Another thing that comes up with regard to smell is attraction. Why do the people you like smell so good? No cologne can do that. Your body actually thinks that its natural smell or musk smells good (Hurly, 2018). And I’m not talking about your person smelling like they just got out of the shower. I’m talking about their natural human scent. This is what is called pheromones in humans. We aren’t exactly like animals to give off a scent when we are ready to mate, but if we like someone, we also like the way they smell.
So, if you’ve ever been hit with a memory when you smell something, know that this isn’t a coincidence! Your brain is working very hard to connect your senses to memories. Also, if you like the way someone smells, there’s a good chance that you may like them as a person. This too is your body giving your signals and working in ways that we can’t even see or feel. Our sense of smell is so important! Next time you smell something good, don’t take it for granted!
Sources:
https://www.discovery.com/science/tracking-hurricane-dorian–here-s-everything-you-need-to-know