My current WIP, The Scent of Memory, got its title from my understanding of olfactory memory, a sensory memory related to smell, believed to be one of the strongest, and most persistent ties to memory. Or so my father used to tell me. Given the importance of scent for animals generally, it is also intuitively believable, and the research is generally supportive.
Given that, in my book, I play with scents as a memory stimulant, which more often creates havoc and barriers to our heroine’s attempt to bring back the memories of her love, now cyborg. When memories return, the internal programming in the mechanical part of the brain kicks in to prevent the memories.
As I delved into the research, I found some really interesting insights about the relationship between scent and memory. Take a look.
Smells may enhance perspective memory, which helps us remember to do things. A BBC post cites one study that showed that students who smelled Rosemary before an exam improved their test results, and this was supported by similar studies of more mature folks (over 65)
Their may be relationship between smell deficits and mental disorder. Some deficits have been used to diagnose depression, other are noted in patients with dementia.
Less surprising, is that the sense of smell is highly emotive. As we have been exploring throughout this theme, memories and emotions are fully intertwined, so if smell is the scent most strongly correlated to memory, than its relationship to emotion would be expected.
Please visit the other authors participating on the April 2018 A to Z Blog Challenge.
I agree, smell is a powerful sense, and it is 1000% linked to emotions. Why else do people hate hospital smells but love the smell of freshly baked cookies?
https://thethreegerbers.blogspot.ch/2018/04/o-is-for-oakland.html
Great examples. It is so true.
This is really interesting. It’s fascinating how a scent can instantly transport us back to the past and let us remember a moment in vivid detail. I have quite a big ‘perfume library’ because I like to wear scents that remind me of different occasions. I never thought about the link between smell deficits and mental disorders before, that is interesting. I know sometimes when people are grieving they smell something like their loved one’s perfume or the scent of tobacco.