Do you ever catch a whiff of a scent that smells unmistakably of something really random like the twenty-third day of first grade and you’re just like hOW DID I REMEMBER THAT
For most of us, the memories we can access in our minds are tied to language. We can find them because we have flagged them with little word labels.
But our sense of smell was ticking long before that, and scents can serve as very distinctive markers as well. For example, the smell of a rose. Those of us who don’t work in the perfume industry probably don’t have words to tease out the elements that make up that smell, but most of us know it instantly when we encounter it. So sometimes, these markers will dredge up connections with other memories that you never put word labels to. Especially things from when you were very, very young before language really crystallized in your head.
If you start deliberately paying attention to scents, it can be a powerful memory tool. And it makes the world a slightly more interesting place. 🙂
I wonder what would happen if you started associating scents with, like, flashcards or something.
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