- Design Psychology
- How Our Sensory Responses to Aromas
Create Happy Homes
- By Jeanette Joy Fisher
Our sense of smell elicits
strong emotional reactions and triggers powerful memories, whether
we're consciously aware of it or not.
Scents and Feelings
Our olfactory system sends
a chemical message about the scents around us through the limbic
part of our brain, which is the oldest part of our brain. In
seconds, that message is telegraphed to our central nervous system,
which, in turn, controls how our body functions and how we feel
about those smells.
Scents also influence the temperature
we feel emotionally. For instance, a grass matting floor covering
has a pleasant scent, and makes us feel cooler, while the aroma
of fresh baked bread creates a warm feeling of being loved. Marine
scents, such as salty sea air, refresh us, while spice and wood
scents bring warm thoughts.
The Evolution of Aromatherapy
The ancient civilizations of
Arabia, Babylon, China, Egypt, Greece, India, and Rome all used
the aromas of scented plants, flowers, and woods to heal and
protect. Religious and spiritual ceremonies have used aromas
to arouse mankind’s deeply spiritual nature from the dawn
of time. Today, the science of aromatherapy, which is a holistic
healing practice, uses essential oils and herbs, to treat stress-related
illnesses, muscular, circulatory, respiratory, and digestive
ailments, and even skin problems.
The Effects of Scent on
Emotions
Essential oils influence our
emotions within seconds of inhalation. For instance, clary sage
stimulates the thalamus to release a hormone called encephalon,
a neurochemical that creates a sense of euphoria and provides
pain relief. Lavender and chamomile fuel the release of serotonin,
which has a calming effect on fear, stress, aggravation, or insomnia.
Scents activate the deep part
of the brain, where memories are stored. You can recreate pleasant
memories and share them with your family and friends through
the use of smells. For instance, my mother often baked a cake
just before we kids arrived home from school. Now that I've grown
up, we don't eat as much cake in our home, but sharing a vanilla
scent with my children often prompts them to share stories about
their grandmother.
Smells are a powerful link
with the memories of our past. My mother used to tell me stories
of her grandmother, whose home smelled like baked cinnamon rolls
in the morning and exotic, tangy spices in the evening.
The sense of smell, a potent
tool in Interior Design Psychology, brings a feeling of harmony
and serenity to any room in a home. Embrace the scents you love
and those that conjure pleasant memories, and make the use of
scent an integral part of your overall design plan.
Copyright (c) 2004 by Jeanette
J. Fisher
- _______________________________________
-
- Jeanette Fisher, Design Psychology
Professor, is the author of Joy to the Home eNewsletter. Discover
innovative Interior Design Psychology and makeover your home
to support happiness, productivity, and well-being. For Design
Psychology information, see http://www.designpsych.com/ For more information
about “Joy to the Home,” see http://www.joytothehome.com/
-
- Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/
- _______________________________________
ARTICLE POSTED
April 10, 2005
|
WHAT'S NEW?