by Karen Stokes, RN

The scent-memory connection in the brain is interesting indeed. It’s amazing how certain odors conjure up memories. Certain scents bring up particular personal memories. Good and not so good memories can be associated with various odors. The smell of lavender reminds me of the days when my three daughters were babies. In the evenings gentle message with lavender essential oil diluted in a little almond oil was part of our “nighty-night” ritual. The little boo-boos of childhood lovingly healed with a drop of lavender on a bandage. There was a lot of lavender around our house while I was raising youngsters. To this day when I get a whiff of this wonderful purifying and healing oil, I go right back to those pleasant days of being a young mom. These memories bring a smile to my face. That feeling of love between parent and child is precious. To me this is a strong scent-memory connection.

Patchouli reminds me of my best friend who recently made her transition into spirit. She made her distinct personal perfume blend of patchouli and other essential oils. It was the only perfume that she would wear. Whenever I pick up this scent in a room, I remember Maria and some of the wonderful and fun times that we spent together. Whenever I get a whiff of patchouli somewhere, I vividly get a picture of my dear friend. It feels as though she is in the room. The love between long time friends is also precious. The scent-memory link once again.

Scientists have long linked aromas and memory. They recognize that particular smells have an impact on certain areas of the brain. Some of these connections seem instinctual in nature. Perhaps these are memories passed down from our ancestors or even past lives. Others come from our own personal experiences of the recent and remote past. The process of smelling something, the storing and retrieving memories from the brain is complicated and fascinating. We have only a miniscule amount of knowledge about this incredible organ.

Is there a type of cologne that reminds you of someone from the past – someone that you had strong romantic feelings for? It seems that aromas linked to very romantic and sensual experiences have a very powerful effect on our emotions. Memories like these certainly impact us. Keep this in mind if you would like to be remembered by someone special to you. Leave a little of your personal signature scent somewhere where they will encounter it in your absence. A pillowcase, on a handkerchief cleverly left behind or even a drop in the ashtray of the car. Perhaps a pleasant memory or two will be sparked as this aroma gently diffuses. It’s easy to blend your own special signature blend. With time and experience you can learn about this wonderful art.

February and Valentine’s Day, of course, are associated with love, romance and passion. It’s a good time to formulate your own personal aroma. None of that ready-made artificial stuff is allowed. No synthetics or toxic chemicals. Just pure and natural distilled essential oils from real botanicals. The art of creating your own memorable scent is fun as well. The possibilities are endless.

Get to know a few of the essential oils that you are particularly attracted to. Learn the physical, emotional and spiritual effects of these oils and put a drop or so of each on some blotter paper on a tissue. Remember too that there are unique differences among us in regard to scent preferences. What one person loves, another might find repulsive. There are many reasons for these differences, including the scent-memory link.

Think about the emotional properties of various oils. What effect do you want to create? After all you will be the one smelling your blend most. Perhaps a feeling of “grounded-ness” is what you would like to create. Grounding oils like patchouli, sandalwood, vetivert or spikenard could be selected for your perfume. Grounding oils are good for times where concentration may be difficult and there seems to be too much going on. They evaporate at a relatively slow rate and tend to linger for a long time. Use them in very tiny amounts or they will overpower your combination. Uplifting citrus oils like pink grapefruit evaporate very quickly and are considered top note scents. They tend to be the first scent that you pick up in a blend as well as the first to disappear. Top note odors like the citrus family don’t last long but they do bring in a feeling of sunshine and light. They are great for sparking creativity. Pink grapefruit, lime, lemon and orange are wonderful for lifting that feeling of heaviness. For relaxation, lavender, chamomile and clary sage would be helpful. The possibilities are endless.

I have a few signature blends that I like to use for different occasions. I try to balance my blends by using an essential oil from each of the groups of evaporation rates. My Love Potion Number Nine is a combination of grounding and aphrodisiac essential oils. Sandalwood (base note) Ylang ylang (middle to base) Patchouli (base) Petigrain (distilled from the leaf and stem of the bitter orange tree) is a favorite of mine so I use it in this blend as a top note to create balance in the fusion of odors. Here is the recipe.

Love Potion Number Nine

15 drops of Mysore sandalwood. I prefer the oil from this particular region of India
10 drops of ylang ylang. A classic aphrodisiac
8 drops of petitgrain. Light and refreshing.
2 drops of patchouli (more if you are a true lover of patchouli) Another aphrodisiac.
Combine the above essential oils in a one ounce glass bottle. Add one half ounce of almond, apricot kernel or jojoba oil and mix well. I like to put some in a glass roller ball bottle for easy and convenient application.

We know so little about the brain, but it is evident that all animals use a sort of olfaction (process of smell) to find food, mates or the way upstream (like the Coho salmon).

There truly is a connection between scent and memory, especially when powerful feelings of love are involved. Explore your individual scent-memory links. Whether your intention is relaxation, cheerfulness or sensual pleasure, this phenomenon can be used in many ways,

Karen Stokes, RN Herbalist is a member of the American Botanical Council and the Michigan Holistic Nurses Association. She can be reached at (248) 515-9863 or karen.stokes@yahoo.com.