Key Takeaways:
- Smell has a powerful connection to memory and emotion.
- The olfactory system directly links to the brain’s hippocampus and amygdala.
- Certain fragrances are more likely to evoke positive emotions, like vanilla.
There’s a famous scene in Marcel Proust’s 1913 novel Swann’s Way in which the narrator dips a madeleine cake into his tea, triggering vivid memories of time spent as a child in his aunt’s home. Thanks to this, scent-evoked memory was coined the Proust phenomenon.
Over a century later, scientists better understand this powerful link between scent and memory, and today, we’re breaking it down for you.
Why Do Scents Bring Back Memories?
Smells bring back memories because the part of your brain that processes scent directly connects to the areas responsible for memory and emotion. To understand this pathway, it helps to take a closer look at the olfactory system.
What Is the Olfactory System?
The olfactory system is the part of your body responsible for your sense of smell. There are olfactory receptors inside your nasal cavity that detect odor molecules and send signals to the olfactory bulb in your brain.
From there, the info is passed to other key areas in your brain, including your hippocampus, which manages memory, and amygdala, which regulates emotion.
What Smells Are Commonly Associated With Positive Memories?
Because scent has a direct emotional pathway, odor-triggered memories tend to evoke intense feelings. By using fragrances linked to positive experiences, you can surround yourself with good vibes and happy thoughts all throughout the day.
Vanilla
Whether it’s the smell of your favorite birthday cake or the scent of an ice cream cone on a summer day, vanilla is a fragrance commonly associated with exciting experiences.
Looking to capture this feeling, even on the most ordinary days? Try Vanilla Vice, a sophisticated take on vanilla ice cream.
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Few aromas are as universally comforting as freshly baked cookies. Perhaps you have happy memories of coming home from school to a plate of chocolate chip cookies or baking them with grandparents over the holidays.
Want to bring this feel-good warmth to your home or office? Try lighting up our cookie-scented Mornings at Levain Candle.
Pancakes
Reminiscent of slow mornings in your pajamas, pouring maple syrup at the breakfast table, the scent of pancakes is undeniably sweet and inviting.
Need help staying calm throughout the day? Find the ease and uplifting energy of a pancake breakfast in our Hot Cakes maple syrup perfume.
Sweet Nostalgia
Now that you understand the powerful connection between scent, memory, and emotion, you can use fragrances to evoke positive memories. From the smell of vanilla to chocolate chip cookies or pancakes, take a walk down memory lane with Snif.
FAQs
Why do certain smells bring back memories?
The part of your brain that processes scent is directly connected to the areas in charge of memory and emotion. This is why certain smells bring back memories.
What is the olfactory system?
The olfactory system is the network in your body that detects odor molecules and sends that information to your brain for interpretation.
How does the olfactory system work?
When you inhale a scent, tiny odor particles activate the olfactory receptors in your nose that send signals to the olfactory bulb in your brain. This information can then interact with the parts of your brain responsible for memory and emotion.
Sources:
The Role of Odor-Evoked Memory in Psychological and Physiological Health | PMC
Why (and How) Smells Trigger Memories | Cleveland Clinic
The Connections Between Smell, Memory, and Health | Harvard Medicine Magazine
Amygdala-hippocampus dynamic interaction in relation to memory | PubMed