Smell is the sense responsible for detecting and processing odors. It is a chemo-receptor in which the particles act as a stimulant aromatic or odoriferous detached from the volatile bodies, which enter the olfactory epithelium located in the nose, and processed by the olfactory system. The human nose distinguishes between more than 10,000 different smells. Smell is the strongest sense at birth. (Taken from Wikipedia)
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In the article A sense of smell is said: “We are constantly surrounded by smells. Our environment, objects, animals and people are an endless source of good and bad smells.
Although many underestimate the smell, it is not a crucial survival mechanism, this stands out for having an enormous sensitive capacity . One of the main features of the sense of smell is that it acts to small stimuli.
The smell can capture at a distance and in low concentrations the molecules that react with its specialized organs.
While we have no olfactory sensitivity of animals such as dogs, our sense of smell contributes to the stimulation of appetite and digestive secretions, and prevent the presence of gases harmful to our health. “
As creative beings we are fascinated with aromas. They are always around us, make those special moments of our lives unforgettable. Just as the smell of your newborn, the perfume she wore on her first date, the scent of your child’s favorite blanket, the smell of a particular spice that reminds you of your grandmother’s kitchen, or your childhood. Odors stimulate the brain, well all the senses do this function, but being the strongest it makes us transcend the parameters of time and take us to the past, or perhaps what we’ll accomplish in the future.
In 2006 I had the opportunity to see the movie “Perfume, the story of a murderer” (an adaptation of a novel), ” is the first novel by German writer Patrick Süskind, published in 1985 under the title Das Parfum, die Geschichte eines Mörders. The novel explores the sense of smell and its relationship with the emotional meaning that scents may carry. Above all this is a story of identity, communication and the morality of the human spirit. The story focuses on Jean-Baptiste Grenouille, a perfume apprentice in 18th century France who, born with no body scent himself, begins to stalk and murder virgins in search of the “perfect scent”, which he finds in a young woman named Laura, whom his acute sense of smell finds in a secluded private garden in Grasse.” (Wikipedia)
Let’s perceive our world through the sense of smell, and transform our experiences into words. To do this we must find the aromas we like, those that relax us, those we don’t like, and those that, well, go unnoticed because they are constant in our daily lives, for example, the smell of your home.
Search the smell of food, perfumes on your dresser, the soap that you wash with… Take a trip and visit the garden nursery near your home, and dive into a world of strong, subtle and distinctive aromas, such as mint, rosemary, dill, the oregano. Look for roses, orchids, Maragarita… Inhale, perceive! Stroll through the section of the spices and vegetables at your local market. Start cooking! Then take a minute and write what comes to mind, all the feelings, memories and places the scent carried you .
Unfortunately, the internet does not yet have a device so you can smell odors from other places to explore the world without leaving your computer. Fortunately, smells surround us daily and we can experience them forever.
Share your experiences with us! What was the one aroma that took you on a journey to the past or to an unforgettable moment in your life?
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- Our Two Senses of Smell (danapress.typepad.com)