Sometimes it is enough to cross the threshold of someone’s house or pass a bakery for the smell to catch our attention. For a split second, an image from the past appears – grandma’s kitchen, a specific table, conversations and emotions. The memory comes by itself, without any effort. It can make you smile, move you, and sometimes make you feel anxious. This is because smells have a direct effect – they bypass rational filters and reach directly the areas of the brain responsible for emotions. That’s why Christmas aromas – tangerines, spices – are so recognizable. Not only do they let you know that December has arrived, but they make the holidays feel “real.”
Olfactory memoryalso called olfactory memory, is the brain’s ability to remember smells and connect them with emotions, situations and specific events. This is one of the oldest and most primitive memory mechanisms that humans have.
How does olfactory memory work? It all starts in the nose. Odor molecules reach the olfactory epithelium (lining the nasal cavity), where they are captured by receptors. From there, the nerve signal travels to the brain, specifically the olfactory bulb (a structure in the front of the brain that is a key center for the initial processing of olfactory information). Then, importantly, it goes directly to the structures responsible for emotions and memory, such as the amygdala and hippocampus. Unlike visual or auditory stimuli, smell reaches emotions faster, almost by shortcut.
This process is called odor coding. This means that the aroma is stored in memory along with the entire context – place, people, mood, and even temperature and sound. Therefore, the smell of a Christmas tree is not just the aroma of a tree. It is often also a whole package of memories – the warmth of the house, the light from the lamps, the excitement and joy of the upcoming holidays.
Importantly, olfactory memory is formed very early. Even infants react to familiar and unfamiliar smells, and the child’s brain intensively records sensory associations. The question remains whether it is smells that trigger the recording of a given moment, or are smells also recorded along with remembering a specific moment? The specialist explains:
“The olfactory bulb, to which the olfactory stimulus (smell) reaches via the olfactory nerve, is connected by various neuronal pathways to the cerebral cortex and the structures of the limbic system and hippocampus. Thanks to these connections, the human brain combines olfactory and emotional traces into memories. So it is not easy to say which of them is first – human memory is a network of complex connections and processes, but smells and emotions certainly play in one team! The key to remembering and making associations is repetition (just like learning new information), which consolidates the memory trace, which then turns from a short-term memory trace into an element of long-term memory. It can be assumed that thanks to this, the annual peeling of tangerines by the lit Christmas tree will evoke Christmas associations, even when we peel the tangerine during a breakfast break in the office break room,” explains Agnieszka Wierzbicka-Fijołek, MD, a specialist in child and adolescent psychiatry.
Aromas associated with holidays are so durable because as a result of recalling them every year, they become embedded in long-term memory. If during the first few years of life, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day smelled of tangerines and cinnamon, the brain “learned” that this was the smell of joy, peace and security. He will remember this for decades.
The smell of gingerbread or freshly peeled tangerine immediately brings to mind winter and the upcoming holidays, even in the middle of summer. Olfactory memory acts as an emotional shortcut – takes us back to moments when these aromas were present before.
Similar, positive reactions are caused by other smells from childhood – or cocoa drunk in winter after returning from sledding. These are not only memories, but also the emotions that cling to them – a sense of security, carefreeness, and being cared for. Smell becomes the key to the emotional archive.
Smell memory also works the other way round. The smell of gas or burning immediately triggers an alarm – before you even think that something is wrong. The smell of a hospital can cause tension in a person who has been there many times, and gasoline can cause anxiety related to being involved in a car accident. This is proof that Olfactory memory also has a protective function – warns against danger, mobilizes to react, prepares the body for stress.
Why is man equipped with such a mechanism? Mainly to interpret reality faster. Smells help regulate emotionsbuild a sense of identity. They can calm you down when they are associated with something familiar or mobilize you when they signal danger. During the holiday season, they remind us that it is a special time, different from the rest of the year.
The power of olfactory memory was quickly noticed by scientists, but also by sales and communication specialists. Aromamarketing, that is fragrance marketinginvolves the deliberate use of scents in commercial and service spaces to evoke specific emotions and behaviors in customers.
A classic example is the smell of fresh bread in supermarkets. Often it does not come from a bakery, but from sprayed aromas that are supposed to be associated with home, warmth, freshness and encourage people to buy the products. The scent of coffee, cinnamon or orange has a similar effect in cafes and shopping malls. It evokes associations with relaxation, holidays and a moment of rest. The feeling of safety and comfort translates into the willingness to stay longer in the store. Being relaxed also makes it easier to spend money.
It also uses olfactory memory catering industryoffering the so-called comfort food. These are dishes that are assigned sentimental value and to which we return, for example, to console ourselves after a difficult day and feel joy. They are rarely sophisticated, more often they are childhood dishes, inextricably linked with specific aromas. It is the smell, not the taste, that is sometimes the first impulse that triggers the need to reach for such food. When we enter a restaurant and smell the smell of cabbage rolls like grandma’s, we will immediately order them.
Olfactory memory is also used in 5D cinemas, where smell becomes one of the elements of immersion. During the session, aromas matched to the scenes are sprayed to stimulate the senses and enhance the emotional reception of the image. When a garden or forest appears on the screen, viewers can feel the smell of plants, which triggers associations with nature, peace or summer. Such a stimulus means that the presented world is no longer merely observed – it also begins to be experienced. Smell helps “anchor” emotions, making the scene more memorable and longer-lasting.
Knowledge about olfactory memory is also used in therapy. Aromatherapy uses natural essential oils to support relaxation, relaxation, improve sleep and reduce tension. Lavender is one of the best examples – its scent can lower stress levels and help you calm down.
In psychotherapy, smell is also a tool for working with memoriesespecially in the context of trauma, where gentle stimuli help regulate emotions and shape a sense of security.
The brain gives meaning to aromas by storing them along with emotions and experiences from the earliest years of life. Smell memory works quickly, intuitively and extremely effectively, which is why it has such a strong impact on our well-being. No wonder the aroma of cinnamon and tangerines has positive associations, if in fact – for the brain – it means a joyful Christmas.
Sources: Terazgotuje.pl, institutearoma.pl, cefarm24.pl
