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Scientific research suggests that the sense of smell is the strongest memory trigger. Almost everyone can relate a specific scent, odor, or smell to a personal experience from the past. For better or worse, no matter what the smell, we all react differently when we sense a particular odor.

The delightfully sharp smell of grass being cut often triggers a positive and fond memory of childhood and is reminiscent of the long lazy days of summer. The scent of wood smoke from a campfire or fireplace also inspires another pleasant memory suggestive of autumn leaves or cozy snowy nights by an open hearth. The unique aroma of a special perfume or cologne can trigger the memory of an old flame or high school date, as much as the smell of baking cookies can remind us of grandmother’s kitchen.

As the olfactory system functions and gathers sensory information, the data processed inside the nose is immediately passed on to two distinctive parts of the brain. The limbic system is a part of the brain that controls emotions, memory and behavior, and the cortex is a region in the brain that controls conscious thought. Strong specific memories, emotions, and conscious reactions, are triggered by the simultaneous stimulation of two different parts of the brain. We react to the sense of odor and smell in a more complex way than we can react to sight and sound. Odor is sensed at a molecular level unlike light and sound that are absorbed in waves. We relate and react to the sense of smell more because conscious thought and memory are accessed at the same time.

Ironically enough, my strongest and earliest memory trigger of Florida occurred when I was about 10 years old and vacationing with my parents in Fort Lauderdale. We were driving along and suddenly there was road construction with backhoe excavators digging up the streets to work on sewers. As we cruised along, the “Old Florida” smell of unearthed tidewater loam invaded the car. As the smell became stronger, my mom reacted as most ladies do. “What is that horrible smell?” she said.

“Oh you get used to that,” my dad answered. “That’s just Old Florida coming through. Whenever they dig into the saltwater table, that rotten-egg sulfur-smell just comes out of the ground. It’s just what happens when you dig in Florida and especially near the ocean.”

To this day, whenever I cruise by excavating backhoes, and smell that low-tide sulfur smell, it brings me right back to that time in the car with my parents on vacation. I just can’t help it, as disgusting as it might sound, that Old Florida smell triggers that memory and transports me back to the happy recollection of an excited kid on a fun-filled vacation in Florida.

Another story relates to a friend from Fort Myers beach. After spending two years away from home while serving in the coast guard, Jim came home and knew he was home when he smelled that Old Florida low-tide odor. For Jim, after those years away, he knew he was back to his roots, when that old memory trigger was stimulated.

When a memory trigger activates, it could very well be for better or worse, depending on a particular smell and a situation from the past. Even the worst smell can sometimes revive a favorite childhood memory, just as a normally pleasant whiff of perfume can bring back the memory of the ladies in church who wore so much Ode de Toilet that it made your eyes water.

Memory formula from howstuffworks.com:

10 drops rosemary oil

6 drops lemon oil

1 drop clary sage oil

2 onces distilled water

Combine ingredients and use as a spray. Without water, this formula can be used in an aromatherapy diffuser, or sprinkled on a cloth and smelled while working or studying.

When studying for a test, smell the aromatherapy cloth and afterward, bring the cloth to the test and recall the test material.