Did you know that olfactory memory is the one that lasts the longest over time??
It has happened to all of us at some time that a smell has transported us to some place, to some person, to some memory. The smell of your grandparents' house, the smell that brings to mind that person who is so special, or even the smell that evokes negative sensations when remembering a not so good moment. All this happens thanks to the olfactory memory.
Olfactory memory is what gives us the possibility of storing an aroma in the brain and linking it with emotions., which we can later revive when perceiving that same smell.
How does it work?
The course begins when the olfactory epithelium, contains receptor neurons, detects the scent. The nostrils capture the odor molecules that travel through the environment, and these neurons we are talking about send the smell to the olfactory bulb, a structure in the brain behind the nose that contains sensory receptors that send signals to the limbic structure, which will be in charge of verifying emotional information and consolidating memories. This is all a subjective cycle, because each person will associate a smell with a personal and unique situation or experience.
After this stage of perception, we come to the rest of cognitive process, in which the following phases occur:
- Sensation: we interpret the smell subjectively
- Association: we give it a meaning, we associate it with something
- Footprint: Experience and emotion are connected to finally give rise to the next step.
- Memory: Final phase in which we store the smell together with the experience and emotions that it causes us in the olfactory memory.
It's amazing how our body works, ¿eh? well there is more. An aroma has much more weight in our memory than a sound or an image., since what transmits that smell is not stored in isolation, but it is complemented with the experience and the feeling that was had at that moment, unlike what we perceive through our other senses. And so, every time our brain remembers a smell that evokes positive sensations, it will send signals to the rest of the body to relax and calm down. Instead, if you associate the smell with any negative emotion, it will make the muscles tense to flee or attack and will stimulate feelings of anguish or anxiety.
The importance of choosing a good perfume
A perfume, with its smell, makes our olfactory memory transport us to experiences and evoke emotions in us, It can even make us travel to another part of the world without leaving home. they are powerful, and that is why it is essential to know how to choose the right one for each one.
The perfume that you will use will be your hallmark, it will make you feel unique and represent your personality. Thus, a perfume that makes you feel more you will always be the perfect complement. Floral, masculine and woody, vanilla, citric… ¡The smell that represents you the most!
Trust your olfactory memory and when someone smells your perfume, they immediately remember you!!
