Our sense of smell is an often underestimated superpower. You probably don’t give much thought to the aromas that you encounter every day, from your morning cup of coffee to the scent of your favorite hand cream. However, the amazing abilities of our olfactory organ is not to be sniffed at. Here are six fascinating facts about our sense of smell!
There are more scent receptors in the brain than for other senses
The olfactory bulb is a neural structure in the forebrain that interprets odors detected in the nose cavities. It has more direct connections to the other areas of the brain than for other senses, such as sight and hearing. The human brain can process up to an astonishing 10,000 different smells.
Smell can impact on our subconscious behavior
We do not always process smells unless they are very strong, but even subtle scents can influence our mood and behavior. Research into essential oils has shown that lavender makes us feel relaxed, while peppermint and rosemary can help to aid memory and learning.
This is why the power of scent is now being harnessed as a marketing tool. For example retail stores will often use a scent diffuser to emit an ambient background fragrance that will subtly influence customer behavior. This could be simply by creating a welcoming and relaxed atmosphere, or by using a specific smell designed to drive sales.
It is possible to smell emotions
Anyone who works with animals will know that they can smell fear and danger. This is not surprising when you consider that dogs have 220 million odor detecting cells, compared to our paltry six million. It is often said that animals have a nose for danger, but why is this the case?
Experts believe it is because we release certain molecules in our sweat when we are afraid, and this odor is picked up by animals. Scientists are researching whether this particular scent could be used as a stimulus to keep people alert in critical situations.
Smell is the first sense we know
New born babies are born with a fully developed sense of smell, unlike the other senses which develop more slowly. Therefore smell is embedded in our deepest emotional memories, because it’s how we first bond with our caregivers and relate to our surroundings.
Our sense of smell can play tricks on us
A condition called cacosmia causes the unfortunate symptom of making everything smell very unpleasant. Even agreeable fragrances such as freshly cut grass or flowers can smell of vomit or of rotting waste. It may also affect the sense of taste, which as you can imagine seriously puts the sufferer off their food.
Smell triggers happy memories
Our sense of smell is strongly linked to our emotional memories, and catching a waft of a scent on the breeze can transport us instantly back to a certain place or time in our lives. It is much stronger than visual recall, particularly in relation to happy memories.
