We have all experienced that moment when a particular scent hits our nostrils and we are instantly driven down a memory lane. Whether it's your grandmother's recently baked pumpkin pie, the salty air of the beach or a simple freshly cut grass, we find ourselves out of the sudden with a flow of vivid images of older times.
What's up with that?
Well, you see, there's this thing called “odor-evoked autobiographical memory” or the Proust phenomenon and it kind of goes like this.
Research has found that the reason behind this happening it has to do with the way our brains process odors and memories. The smell-analyzing region is closely connected to our amygdala and hippocampus, both areas in charge of memory and emotion. And, interestingly, visual, auditory, and tactile information don't go through any of these brain areas at all.
But as inexplicable as it may sound, we have all been there.
I often find myself reminiscing about older times whenever my significant other wears his Polo Blue by Ralph Lauren perfume. In the blink of an eye, I am suddenly placed in all of those date nights we spent together back when we first met; drinking awfull gas-station coffee by the beach, talking about everything and nothing at all, until the sun came up.
And whenever my mother wakes up in one of her cooking days, and she spends the whole day inside the kitchen baking whatever crosses her mind, I always feel like I'm ten years old all over again.
Unfortunately, it’s not only positive associations and memories that are brought back by different odors. Some scents are known to trigger disturbing memories in people with post-traumatic stress disorder. And I'm not alien to that either.
There's a specific brand of soap that I can't use anymore because it was the one I used in the hospital back when I had my apparently-pretty-simple surgery that ended up being an oops-you-almost-died kind of surgery. There is something that instantly triggers me into believing I'm in danger, and honestly, I just hate the way it makes me feel.
As much as I would like to offer more information about this phenomenon, oddly, there really isn't much to begin with. Our brain is a complicated organ on its own, and despite having very well-known factors influencing the way our memories come to mind, there is still a vast amount of unknown ground on this particular subject.
To the point, there are still many questions waiting to be answered. Would this mean that by improving our sense of smell we will be able to have more vivid memories? Is this reliable enough to use to our advantage?
I guess we'll just have to wait and see what the researchers in the matter come up with.
Another question for many would be Do we want to have more vivid memorys?
If this were possible the applications could be countless, yet it would very much be a double edged sword. Personally one I would take up without hesitation. The more you feel, the more you live, whether good or bad.
But of course I'm lucky, I don't have too many memory's that could slice into my psyche and wrap it in constant agony, thankfully. For many, they don't have such luck and thus would probably feel different.
That's actually a very interesting question. I would definitely want to have more vivid images too, but I get what you are saying, and I agree. Some people would just hate the idea of going back to a place that made them feel bad, or even miserable.
As I said, it's not only positive memories that come back, but I feel like it would be interesting to research more about it.
Definitely a topic we should learn more about, that's for sure.
These questions remind me of the condition of hyperthymesia. I recall watching the special on 60 minutes on the topic and the parents of a child with the condition reported their son recalled being scolded on a given date years prior and commented on the potential sadness those situations created. Those situations must be very tough, as a child has difficulty understanding at the time, however hopefully these people can apply their memories to using the past to better inform their futures.
Wow It's incredible how our brain works.
"Whether it's your grandmother's recently baked pumpkin pie, the salty air of the beach or a simple freshly cut grass" -as I was reading these lines, I wanted to close my eyes for a moment and dive into sweet old memories.
As for disturbing memories.. I remember I used to use my dad's Cologne water of a specific brand to rinse my wounds. Thanks Gd my dad doesn't open it anymore... Otherwise it would remind me of pain all the time.