Aromatherapy Provides the Key to Accessing Childhood Nostalgia
Aromatherapy has long been known for its beneficial effects on mental and emotional health, and recent trends in scientific research has narrowed the scope of study to focus on the direct correlation between scent and memory, especially those formed in early childhood. For example, perhaps the warm, yeasty smell of bread baking in the oven calls to mind the memory of a warm welcome home after a long, cold winter's walk back from primary school. All these years later, when the scent of fresh cut grass floats by on a soft breeze, many of us are transported to a simpler time, one of carefree summer days when we'd while away the hours on only the most bliss-producing activities. Most of us could name, at least, a handful of aromas offhand that conjure up intensely positive emotion or a specific, vivid , typically uplifting memory. And, there are specific neurological and physiological processes at play when triggering nostalgic autobiographical memory recollection that not only increase positive emotions but have the potential to reduce stress levels of all kinds, including systemic inflammation markers.
In a study done by the US National Library of Medicine meant to examine the age at which a group of older adult participants experienced peak memory recollection, researchers provided a group of older adult participants (those past the timeframe when we're believed to create the most visceral memories) with three stimuli, each intended to stimulate the sense of sight, hearing, and smell respectively. They then asked the subjects to focus on one memory induced by the sensation and describe it. The results show a clear distinction between the age at which participants made the memory associated with sight and sound versus the one associated with smell. When subjects were exposed to the sight or sound, their memories largely took place in their teens and twenties; however, the age at which participants made the memory they associated with smell was much younger--an average of 5 years old!
Odor-evoked memories create the most evocative and emotional sensations within us when compared to other modes of sensory stimulation because of the unique position in which they exist in the brain. The olfactory, or scent, cortex includes the amygdala, the brain's emotion- processing plant, and the hippocampus, the area in our brain dedicated, in part, to associative learning. So, the instant we smell a fragrance, our "amygdala-hippocampus cortex" is activated, and the memories stored there are some of the most cherished we have because they are more rare, less thought of, and were typically formed in the early years of our life, specifically the first decade. Now that we have evidence-backed data which shows we can control our minds and our emotions with scent, it's time to mine the psychological and physical benefits of odor-evoked memory therapy for ourselves.
One of the easiest ways for us to use the knowledge of scent-therapy in our own homes is by burning candles or by warming wax or essential oils. Wax and oil warmers come in a wide variety of options, including night light and Himalayan salt lamp models. But, our favorite is candles because there's nothing quite like the warm glow of a steady candle flame under any conditions. Try a soy-based candle in a summer scent you connect with like "pineapple" or "ocean breeze." Or, to conjure up memories of winter night spent with loved ones, pick up something cinnamon-y or festive. Whatever you choose, you'll know it when you smell it.
The science is empowering, as it suggests that there's an attainable and even enjoyable method of taking control of our own bodies in a way we can now define and easily access. With that knowledge, your next candle- or wax-burning session becomes an opportunity to tap back into your younger self and re-experience joyous childhood memories.
