The power of olfactory memory- the bond between fragrances and memories

Photo by No Revisions on Unsplash

Smell is one of the most powerful senses that we are bestowed with; our olfactory sense is also something deeply connected to our emotions and memories.

Rummaging through my shelf, to search for something important (despite making efforts to place the things at designated places almost a few months ago), i often end up finding things other than the ones i seek out! In my bid to find something else, i come across numerous other things which simply alert my olfactory senses. The scent emerging from an elocution contest certificate reminiscent of the good old high school days or the musty smell coming from old photographs which transport me to the exact timeline are few instances which stop me briefly in my mission to find the desired item!

This need not just denote happiness/positive memories, we also remember smells which evoke unpleasant experiences/memories. The first time we smell something, the scent immediately gets registered deeply in our brain and strange enough, this also produces emotional connection! This emotional connection is so deep that when we experience the same smell anywhere else in the world, it brings an absolute sense of déjà vu.

Whenever i experienced the brisk, musky, and sharp smell of dried autumn leaves (another part of the world), i would be taken back on a pleasant ride back to the days when i spent my summer with my grandparents! I would immediately remember the swaying coconut tree leaves and how the coconuts fell with a thud in response to the pleasant afternoon breeze! It represented wholesome comfort and a feeling of being at home! This emotional connection remains so deep rooted that, no matter where i am, this pleasant feeling comes back to me! Likewise, whenever i smell a fresh stack of paper, i experience a sense of urgency, taking me back to my college/school assignment times!

The reason behind this post on olfactory memories is to also share how they can powerfully serve the client during coaching conversations!

Olfactory memory is also deployed as a powerful learning style in training/coaching interventions. Each person’s learning orientation and representational style is unique. Making the effort to understand the client’s learning/representational style has been a very rewarding lesson in my coaching journey.

The key is to remember that it is all about the client. Mirroring the client, usage of the same vocabulary as that of the client, exploring the client’s learning style are some subtle yet significant ways to build that safe space to be trusted in the process of coaching.

Coming to an olfactory learning style, i fondly recall a client interaction. Through a visualization exercise, the client saw everything in green and could also experience the earthy and fresh smell of the soil that sets in after rains. It transported him to his own pleasant life experiences. Not just this, he could reflect on those events, and it made him put things in perspective with respect to his situation. He also gathered valuable takeaways from this process such as the need for him to take meaningful pauses in between hectic schedules and enjoying things around him to take cognizance of what he had been missing out on. To him, this fragrance meant mindfulness, enjoying the power of the present and acknowledging the gifts/resources he has been endowed with! He committed to incorporating simple habits which would create a shift in him and move him further towards his desired goal. In fact, he had also named this pleasant fragrance of the wet soil as one of his positive triggers which would remind him of his commitment.

Our senses are extremely powerful over and beyond our own biological and physiological functioning. The five senses of hearing, sight, smell, touch and taste offer unique learning experiences. Depending on our preferred style of learning (we rarely work using one sense alone), these senses which work in unison, help us give a new meaning to our experiences, just like the client whose olfactory style of learning helped him reframe the narrative!