The sense of smell can be extraordinarily evocative,
bringing back pictures as sharp as photographs of scenes that had life the conscious mind.
- Thalassa Cruso, To Everything There is a Season
The other day I had a doctor's appointment and the smell of the place hits me as soon as I walk in the door. I'm flooded with memories - and bad ones at that.
See, I was at my oncologist's office and there is just a certain smell that lives there. It's a perfectly normal doctor's office. Maybe it's the chemotherapy drugs or the paper tape or the plastic I.V. bags. Whatever it is, to me it reeks. And unfortunately it conjures up all those anxious feelings I had about treatment.
I guess there is a complex reason why certain smells trigger specific memories and feelings. Apparently, it has to do with olfactory neurons but I am not a scientist nor will I pretend to be one, so read the link if you are interested in knowing more.
I'm told that there is a proven method to help wipe out associating certain smells with certain memories. It's called EMDR or Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. I haven't personally experienced EMDR but I'm definitely giving it some serious thought. I'll keep you posted.
For now, I'd rather smell and remember these:
The liquid soap in the hand dispensers at Hoag Hospital. It reminds me of how Audrey smelled after she was born. I actually filled up a travel size bottle of this soap when I was visiting Hoag daily for radiation!
Hawaiian Tropic suntan lotion or any combination of coconut and pineapple. It always brings me back to visiting Hawaii.Or the smell of fresh cut grass. It reminds me of my dad mowing the lawn at our house on Blackthorne Avenue.
Do certain scents bring back memories for you? Please share!