How Fragrances Can Bring Back Memories

Fragrances affect our bodies and minds in incredible ways. Ever had the experience of smelling glue and instantly feeling that wave of memories from your kindergarten years? Or have you ever caught the smell of freshly baked pie that sent you reeling back to your happy childhood days?

It’s amazing how our brains react to certain fragrances or scents. This makes us wonder: How does a smell make a memory come alive?

Turns out, there’s a term for this. It’s called odor-evoked autobiographical memory. To put it simply, it’s the experience of smelling a scent or odor that makes you remember something from the past. And it occurs because of the way smell and memories are hardwired in the brain.

Light a Chandler and Me candle. Grab a cuppa and take a seat. Take a deep breath through your nose. We’re about to get into the science of smell.

It’s the first sense we use when we’re born. While lots of different senses like sight or taste can also bring back memories, studies suggest that memories linked to smells are more vivid and often stronger!

This is because the way our brain processes smell is different from how other senses like sight, sound, taste, and touch are processed.  All these other senses are sent through the thalamus, the region in the brain that sends them to the appropriate processing sensors. Smells, however, are taken on a different processing route.

After a smell enters the nose, it is processed straight through the olfactory bulb – which is the smell-analyzing region of the brain. This happens to be conveniently connected next to hippocampus and amygdala – the parts of the brain that handle memory and emotion. This close relationship explains why the connection of smells, moods, and memories is strong!

Scents trigger memories that are perceptual rather than conceptual which means when we smell, we remember a particular sensation or emotion rather than facts.

Despite the close link between smell and memories, scents will only be able to trigger memories through conditioned responses. So when we first smell a new fragrance or scent, we need to link it to a certain event, person or moment – the brain then does the trick in connecting it to the visual information. When we encounter the smell again, the link is already present and ready to bring a flurry of memory or mood!

So imagine having a wonderful scent – that reminds you of happy days – at your home? Imagine having a range of scents that you can draw on whenever you needed them. Perhaps the kind of scent that gets you through a rough day?

At Chandler and Me, we have discovered the power of fragrances and how it can positively affect people’s well-being. So we created a solution for you to enjoy the scents you love and bring it home to your family! Our selection of fragrances delivers strong fragrance notes to create any mood you desire!

Add fragrance to your home

Candle making in 3 easy steps. Purchase the Candle Maker from Chandler & Me and have fun with fragrance in your home.