Scent, Memory and Emotion
The amygdala receives first signals of scent, and a second scent signal, once it is processed by the scent circuit. It then assigns it a positive or negative meaning. This allows for a second chance to mount a fight flight response. Some of the most highly charged emotional memories are evoked by scent. The hippocampus, where memory is stored, also takes a direct connection from the olfactory bulb, linking scent to powerful memories. Furthermore the connections between the hippocampus and the amygdala are numerous and account for the emotional coloring of scent memories.
Scent and emotion are also highly interconnected. Look at the text on page 47 of the Neuroplastic Transformation workbook. Several scents evoke pleasant memory and pleasurable experience to counteract pain. Lavender, rose, spruce, peppermint, spearmint, wintergreen, orange, grapefruit, tangerine and lemon can be used to stimulate brain pleasure centers. Moreover, during periods of traumatic memory and excessive pain processing, these scents can be used to interfere with the stimulation of the circuit between the amygdala and the hippocampus. This can block the fight-flight response accompanying persistent pain.
