In the events of memory, I was walking down the road in an unfamiliar place in the town of Stone Harbor New Jersey when I smelled a familiar smell of my youth. It immediately took be back to the old neighborhood. I could see my house where I was raised, the houses of my neighbors, even the cars I have seen day in and day out. It was a flash of a memory so old yet it seemed so real. Then the smell shifted and the memory slowly faded.
In the process of the smell, it was a sensory long term memory that was made by an implicit conditioning memory. This memory was not consciously made but over time the memory of the smell was conditioned into my memory and associated it my old neighborhood. “Classic conditioning occurs when pairing an initially neutral stimulus taking on new properties.” (Goldstein, 2014)
Another aspect that it’s an episodic memory associated to an historical memory, “Episodic memory is that involves mental time travel- the experience of travelling back in time to reconnect with events that happened in the past.”(Goldstein, 2014) Although the memory was triggered by my olfactory, it took me down memory lane.
This process of isolating a distinguishable smell that triggered a memory seems not to be a common occurrence. There was a study “Effect of smell presentation on individuals with regard to eye catching and memory” (Akira Tomono, Koyori Kanda, Syunya Otake, 2011) which introduce how association of visual objects are better enhanced with olfactory smell. We found that appropriate smell presentation contributes to an object’s conspicuity and memorability. “Analysis of gaze time and retention time showed that when smell is not presented, a viewer’s eye moves frequently in a wide range, thus attempting to acquire as much information as possible. On the other hand, with smell presentation, the viewer is more likely to concentrate on the relevant objects.” (Akira Tomono, Koyori Kanda, Syunya Otake, 2011)
To conclude, the reason why I was able to recall the mental visual picture was because my mind associated that specific smell and bonded it with the memory of my neighborhood. Yet, when I visually imagine my neighborhood, I do not smell the scent nor can I recall it. Hence, the association is one directional and conditioned.
Reference:
Cognitive Psychology- Connecting Mind, Research, and Everyday Experience, E. Goldstein, 2014
Effect of smell presentation on individuals with regard to eye catching and memory, Akira Tomono, Koyori Kanda, Syunya Otake, Version of Record online: 17 FEB 2011
When I read your post, it made me think about all the times where I smelled something that brought a memory back that I longed forgot about. It is amazing how smell, sight, and hearing can all bring back so many memories including long term memories. Every time I smell Jean Paul Gautier cologne I think about a time when I was 14 years old walking through Macy’s at the mall. My friend and I asked the sales lady what do girls like, and she told us that Jean Paul Gautier was the cologne the ladies loved. I remember her spraying it on the card and then handing it to us. We asked her how much it was, and the price she gave us at the time was around $60, mind you this was over 15 years ago and I am sure the price has risen. To this day, no matter where I am, if I smell that cologne I think of that memory. The same goes for music. There are certain songs that I may hear on the radio or when I walk into a store, it immediate takes me back to a memory or place in time were I was when something happened. Music creates and enhances many memories. I think that hearing, sight, and smell all play a major role in the construction and validity of memories.
Great explanation of your childhood memory. I find it amazing how memory works and the fact that we can create false childhood memories. When I look back on my youth, I am not able to remember a lot of incidents that happen. But interestingly enough when someone brings an event to my attention I am able to remember the event through error of familiarity GoldStein 2014). It makes me wonder am I actually remembering the event or am I just able to remember it because of a story someone has told me, hence the false memory. In a study done Elizabeth Loftus and colleagues came to the conclusion that it is very possible to implant false childhood memories. The study contained participants thinking about events that never happen to them like it actually happened. 24% of participants that were asked to imagine an event that never happened during their childhood later reported that it did happen during their childhood. It’s an amazing thought to think that some of the memories we have might have just been created by us.
Cognitive Psychology- Connecting Mind, Research, and Everyday Experience, E. Goldstein, 2014
Lotus, E. F. (1997, September). Creating False Memories. Retrieved from University of Washington: https://faculty.washington.edu/eloftus/Articles/sciam.htm
Great post Paul! I have enjoyed reading your post as I definitely went through this experience several times.I used to always wonder how did this specific smell went through my mental timeline into my elementary classroom or my grandmother’s room.I used to think about what is it about smells that can trigger memories so strong and real it feels like you’ve been transported back in time?Indeed,many studies have indicate that odors are especially effective in creating memories and reminding us of past experiences much more than other senses such as sights or sounds.
In fact researchers believe this is due to the way our brain processes odors and memories. It’s scientifically known that smells get routed through our olfactory bulb,which is the region that analyzes smell in our brain.And its known that its closely connected to our amygdala and hippocampus,brain regions that handle memory and emotions!
This explains why certain smells can take us back in time and get tied to vivid memories. As noted by Psychology Today:“Interestingly, visual, auditory (sound), and tactile (touch) information do not pass through these brain areas. This may be why olfaction, more than any other sense, is so successful at triggering emotions and memories.”
Chu, S., & Downes, J. J. (2002). Proust nose best: Odors are better cues of autobiographical memory. Memory & Cognition, 30(4), 511–518. doi:10.3758/bf03194952
White, A. (1991). Smells ring bells: How smell triggers memories and emotions. Retrieved July 17, 2016, from https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/brain-babble/201501/smells-ring-bells-how-smell-triggers-memories-and-emotions
Great post Paul! I have enjoyed reading your post as I definitely went through this experience several times.I used to always wonder how did this specific smell went through my mental timeline into my elementary classroom or my grandmother’s room.I used to think about what is it about smells that can trigger memories so strong and real it feels like you’ve been transported back in time?