Why do we have such specific images or sensations when we smell something
It’s common for people to associate certain scents or smells with specific memories, sensations, images, or emotions. Here is why we can have such sensations when we smell something and how scent connects to an individual’s memories;
When we smell anything from perfumes, drinks, people, etc., the neurons in the olfactory receptor cells transmit or convey a message to the olfactory bulb, a brain responsible for coding different odors. This part consists of over 100 olfactory receptor genes that receive and code scents varyingly. The microregion interprets the signals as smells and stored in the hippocampus, the brain part responsible for memory. The olfactory bulb and nose are also connected to the amygdala to perceive emotions easily. The physical link between the nose, memory, feelings, emotions, ad how the brain processes explain why we frequently connect certain smells to specific images or sensations. We tend to associate scents with personal memories also due to; our habits of linking some activities to scents we are used to while doing it, childhood odors that we smell less frequently hence are still vivid in the brain and quick signaling of the limbic system by your olfactory receptor cells.
