Fragrance Stirs Emotions
What is it about fragrance that stirs emotions so powerfully? Part of the answer lies in the nature of our sense of smell. Smells of all kinds reach us via receptor cells that line the insides of our noses — as many as 10 million of them. These long nerve cells convey signals directly to a relatively primitive part of the brain called the olfactory bulb — a rounded structure that lies directly above and behind the nose.
Consider rose Constance™
(Austruss), pictured here, with her deliciously fruity scent of apple and pear
Emotions and Memories
In fact, smell is the only one of our five senses in which sensation is communicated directly to the brain—and to a part of the brain strongly associated with emotions and memories. Think of the important role that smell plays in the lives of other animals — maybe your dog or cat. For humans, likewise, it triggers an instinctive response. When we succumb to the power of fragrance, we allow ourselves to be stimulated in a primal way, unmediated by conscious thought. Do certain smells evoke memories for you? If so, you’re not alone. And memories can also be created, and later revived, when you make fragrance part of a significant event, like a wedding!
