Katrina #12: Power of Smell
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| https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2020/02/how-scent-emotion-and-memory-are-intertwined-and-exploited/ |
Our sense of smell not only can be used to detect different scents, but it can also serve as a memory trigger.
According to Life Sciences Professor Raymond Leo Erikson and Harvard’s Venkatesh Murthy, it is because of the brain’s anatomy that smell and memory are so closely linked (Walsh). The olfactory bulb, located in the front of the brain, controls smells. Olfactory signals get to the limbic system very quickly, meaning odors are directly linked to the “amygdala and the hippocampus, the regions related to emotion and memory” (Walsh).
Because of the evocative power smells possess, people and businesses have tried to use this to their advantage. The film industry during the 1950s invented the Smell-O-Vision, where movie theaters were infused with certain scents so viewers could be more engaged with the scenes. Presently, people can experience this in 4DX movie systems. Additionally, in 2014, there was the invention of the oPhone, a “smell-based device” that can share texts and photos (Powell). The sender could send these texts and photographs with a scent they customize; when the receiver gets the message, they would be able to actually smell the aroma. Developed by Harvard scientist David Edwards and former student Rachel Fields, this invention was intended to “bring [people] closer” and “add another sense to digital communications” (Powell).
Nowadays, scent branding has become more popular across various industries: from hotels that “pump their signature scents into rooms and lobbies” to Nike having “the smell of a rubber basketball as it scrapes across the court” to produce “immediate and memorable connections between brands and consumers” (Walsh). Realizing what smell can do and how it has been used so far, I wonder how else brands and businesses can utilize smell in the future.
Hey Katrina! It certainly is interesting to think that smelling something can lead to a memory, but not altogether surprising since just remembering what smell is probably requires you to dredge up some associated memory with that smell. However, I had no idea that I even associated smells with brands until you brought it up in your blog and now I can’t not see how each hotel has a distinct smell and that I really do associate those smells with those places. An interesting application too, that someone would have a smell based phone. I already know I’d give bad scents to people who I don’t like just so that I wouldn’t even have to see what they said before realizing that I do not in fact like them.
ReplyDeleteHey Katrina! I know that a lot of smells can lead to memories and bring up nostalgia. It's definitely happened to me before. I commonly associate the smell of tanbark to the playgrounds of my elementary school days where I used to spend the majority of my recess playing in. However, I never really thought about how businesses used the nostalgia that comes with smell as a business tactic. This only makes me ponder how companies utilize our other senses to attract our subconscious. This was a really interesting read! Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteHi Katrina! The fact that our sense of smell is linked with our memory is actually really cool. I don't think I've ever actually stopped to realize that hotels have different smells, but when thinking of memories, there are a few distinct scents that come to mind. One that especially remains vivid for me is the scent and feel of the large, red rubber playground balls that we used during PE in elementary school. I didn't know that industries actually used scents to brand their products, so that's something I think I'll be looking for now! Advertising companies really know a lot about us and our inner workings that they use to persuade us to buy products.
ReplyDeleteHey Katrina, the effect of smell on our everyday life is one that really is not very recognizable by itself. However, upon reading your article, I can instantly recall multiple examples of how much effect simple smell has. The first example that came to my mind was the smell of the interior of cars. When I was young, I was get easily carsick, and I think my brain somehow correlated that dreading sense of carsickness with the smell of cars' interiors. Because of this, whenever I smell something that has a sense of the interior of a car, I feel an impending rise of carsickness within although I am not in any sort of vehicle at all. There are multiple examples I can give to this: the smell of a locker room, the smell of my room, the smell of a book, are just to name a few that comes to mind. The effect of smell on ourselves really seems to be a major factor comprehended by our brain.
ReplyDeleteHi Katrina! I have smelled many smells that triggered old and distant memories. The smell of rubber reminds me of the ball I used to play with all the time when I was little. I have also heard people describe certain stores in the mall or other places with distinctive smells. The smell of fresh air after the rain has cleared reminds me of playing outside with my friends in the puddles. It was fascinating to learn that there is a scientific reason that causes smells to trigger memories due to the structure of the human brain. I also think it is so cool that companies and people are using this connection to develop new technology and devices to enhance people’s communication.
ReplyDeleteKatrina, this was definitely an interesting blog post to read. It is crazy to think that the smell of something can hold such power. This just shows how powerful each of our senses are and how interconnected they are; they do not just function as one thing. I remember watching a video where they said that throughout the day in Disney parks they spray scents of different types of Disney food to make people hungry, prompting them to buy food from Disney food stands and restaurants. I was shocked to learn that and did not think it actually works; however, after reading this post I now see why Disney does that. Now that I think back to the past, I associate certain smells to certain places which I think is crazy that our brain does automatically. Thank you for writing such a thought provoking blog.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I have a lot of repressed memories and therefore don’t remember much, I do have scents and tastes that remind me of things. I have a specific type of chocolate that reminds me of the consulting room of a bank I went to with my dad once, I have a scent that reminds me of fresh snow on the balcony of the house I lived in when I was 5 in Chicago, I have a candle that reminds me of my comfort person, and all these things that come together. It’s so interesting the pathways that our brains formulate for the most specific and “unnecessary” information but it’s those things that mean the most to us.
ReplyDeleteHi Katrina, I think smell is often undervalued by people, being known as the least important sense of the five. Indeed, it is probably easy to survive without your sense of smell. However, it can be important and serves as another stimulus for our brains. I love smelling nice smells (especially food), and smelling gas/smoke can help in getting out of bad situations as well. I also often associated a certain smell with a person, and whenever I smell that I get reminded of them.
ReplyDeleteHi Katrina, I am very familiar with how certain smells can help me recall certain memories from the past. Whenever this happens, such as when I smell something that is similar to my grandparent’s house or smells that are similar to the foods that I love, it makes me extremely happy. Trying to guess what smell something is similar to is another thing I enjoy about remembering how they are tied to certain memories. Thank you for sharing!
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