Smell is the longest lasting memory of the human brain-aroma diffuser
December 15, 2020
Smell is the longest lasting memory of the human brain-aroma diffuser
At the moment, the use of smell seems to be getting more and more attention. There is an inevitable connection between vision and memory, and there is also a certain
correlation between hearing and memory. When we hear a certain piece of music, we will naturally recall the memory carried when we listened to the song. What about
smell? In fact, smell plays a very important role in our memory process.
Scientists in the United States conducted an interesting and explanatory experiment on mice. They asked these little guys to remember certain odors during sleep, such
as the taste of their favorite food, the odor of other mice, and so on. The reason why the mice are chosen to fall asleep is to eliminate other interfering factors.
Because mice will have visual, taste, and touch sensations when they wake up to help memory, we need to exclude these in this experiment and examine the role of smell
alone.
When the mice were awake, scientists observed that the mice exhibited abnormal behaviors when exposed to specific smells. More specifically, the scientists used
instruments to detect the part of the mouse brain responsible for memory, observed changes in related physical and chemical data, and further verified from the
microscopic cellular level whether odors help the production of memory.
The results of the experiment also confirmed that when the mice were asleep and exposed to odors, the neurons in the brain connected to the memory storage,
transporting and storing the smells during sleep to specific areas of the brain. After waking up, the memory brought by this smell is still very effective. It was
confirmed that the mice did remember the smell during sleep, that is, smell played a key role in the formation of memory.
When we think of movie theaters, we think of the taste of popcorn. When we think of supermarkets, we always think of the tempting aroma of bread. The tempting smell
can be smelled even if you don't want to smell it. Because you are in the environment, the olfactory organs will continue to feel the smell, so it is the easiest to
establish contact with the environment. The olfactory organ is not only the number one sensory organ of human beings, but also the earliest organ formed. Its
relationship with the brain is even closer than we thought. Scent can often be our most accurate path to memory.
When you smell a certain smell, the corresponding scene will be stored in the human brain. In turn, it means that the sense of smell and human memory can be cultivated
oriented.
What are consumers' deep impressions of Starbucks? Martin Lindström, the author of "Sensual Brands," once conducted a public survey, and the two most common answers
were the sound of the machine grinding coffee beans and the smell of milk. Many years ago, when Schultz was traveling in Milan, he was fascinated by the atmosphere of
Italian cafes. What impressed him most was this unique smell. After that, he promoted the cafe culture to the world and made Starbucks a "third space" outside of home
and space. Now, the burnt aroma of coffee behind the glass door of Starbucks has become a sensory experience that many people can evoke only with the mermaid logo. Of
course, because of cultural differences, some people do not like to drink coffee, but the smell of coffee is not rejected.
Smell can arouse people's appetite, which is what people do in business with smell, and the same is true for the bakery next to the subway passage.
In addition, smell is also an indispensable method for creating environmental distinctions. The Ritz-Carlton Hotel has adopted the method of distinguishing the
fragrance of different regions: Tokyo Ritz is darker because of the hotel color, the fragrance is chocolate, Guangzhou Ritz is black orchid, Kyoto Ritz is green tea,
Tianjin Ritz is the rose, Shanghai Ritz is the rose.
Many literary and artistic youths also use this technique in their lives. The perfume that they wear when they go out is fruity, while the scent of pillows is lavender
and other sleep aid perfumes.
This is especially true in business. The brand memory exists because the experience scene is built first.
The retention of people's memory is the instantaneous fusion of the five senses. Our cognition is logical and structured, but our memory is fragmented. When the memory
is awakened, the momentary emotion will become an important basis for us to judge a thing.
According to a research report published in the British journal Neuron, scientists at the University of London have recently discovered that out of all sensory
memories, smell is the least likely to be forgotten. People's memories of things are scattered and stored in the various sensory centers of the brain and are recalled
by the hippocampus of the brain. If a sensory stimulus makes a certain kind of memory, then the scene perceived and remembered by other sensory organs will also
appear. Moreover, this smell-related memory can continue to be preserved after the brain's hippocampus cannot function. Therefore, some people with amnesia can still
recall the smell they smelled in childhood.
Visual memory may fade in a few days or even hours, but things that produce smell and taste can last a long time.
