We often make references of smells in relation to our experiences both good and bad. The smell of fresh cut grass reminding us running in sprinklers as children. The smell of tequila reminds us of a bad night of drinking five years ago. Why is it that certain scents have the ability to bring us back in time? Neuroscientists have discovered the part of our brains that store smells into our long-term memory.

We have learned that long term memory is the system that is responsible for storing information for long periods of time. Long term memory can be something that happened 30 seconds ago or, thirty years ago. So it makes sense that we can become not only aware of the smells we experience in the moment like a candle or the smell of food as its cooking, but also, the smells of our youth or moments and people in our lives that matter to us.

We also learned about the coding that goes into long term memory. Coding, being the form in which stimuli is represented. Through visual, auditory or semantic. When we smell the fresh cut grass, we can visualize the sprinklers spraying and sun shining across the tall green grass. When we smell the ocean we can hear the waves crashing, the seagulls squawking and the wind howling. When we smell that certain perfume, it brings us back to the time we sat in the kitchen with our grandmother as she cooked for us and told us stories.

We know that the prefrontal cortex and visual cortex are involved in working memory. However, as science is progressing we are finding more areas of the brain to include to that list. According to an article by ScienceDaily.com, neuroscientists Dr. Christina Strauch and Professor Dr. and Dr. Denise Manahan-Vaughn have discovered another area of the brain that is triggered  with experiences through odors. The piriform cortex which is part of the olfactory brain while working with other areas of the brain is where these smell memories are stored.

As learn about the brain and its awe-inspiring abilities, its easy to forget how important even something as simple as the smell of grass can be to our memory. How we can have experiences where a certain smell brings back a happy nostalgia or a feeling of love and peace. But, a certain smell can also trigger a feeling of pain or heartache or maybe even a suppressed memory. It also makes one remember how truly brilliant and intricate the human brain is. When talking about therapy studies like these have the potential or possibility to lead to innovation in healing.

Cited Sources:

Mundy, M., Goldstein, E. B., Brockmole, J. R., & Goldstein, E. B. (2017). PSY3051. South Melbourne: Cengage Learning. Pgs 152, 157, 159

How odors are turned into long-term memories. (2017, December 22). Retrieved March 04, 2018, from https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/12/171222092552.htm