Related
Resources

Aromatherapy Bookstore

Aromatherapy Recipe Sampler

Scents - Descriptions And Uses

Recommended
Reading

Aromatherapy: The A-Z Guide to Healing With Essential Oils
by Shelagh Ryan Masline, Barbara Close

Introduction To Aromatherapy

The Healing Power of Aromatherapy
Aromatherapy and the Mind
by K. Myers, 03-28-1998

As we smell scents our mind is busy working on a subconscious level - deciding whether we like it and determining whether we recognize it. This is happening in the limbic system - or more accurately the information is sent via the nerves to the olfactory epithelium which is part of the limbic system in the brain where it is interpretted then sent on to the thinking part of the brain.

The limbic system is the oldest part of your brain - it stores information about every scent you have ever smelled. It also gives instructions on how to react to various stimuli. It is considered the seat of memory...

Scent is a molecule that disconnects itself from its carrier and drifts in the air - arriving through the nose to the mucous membrane which has approximately ten million odor-receptor cells and sixty million cilia, which can catch and identify any scent at any time. Unlike all other senses, the nerve system for smell is directly exposed to its source of stimulation - this explains the immediate effect of scents on the nervous system.

Explaining Our Reactions

Understanding how the limbic system is working allows us to possibly understand better why sometimes we may have a pleasant reaction to someone if their scent reminds us of a loved one - or conversely why we may experience an aversion to a particular odor associated with something unpleasant in our past.

Our ability to learn and capacity for sympathy is also located in the limbic system. Feelings of sympathy and antipathy are often associated to smell. Add to this, the limbic system houses the basis for creativity, inspiration, and all automic life processes (breathing, digestion, heart function, hormones, etc., etc.,). Scents effect each of these areas too and cause the body's organs and systems to react.

Do you realize how many decisions you are automatically making in your life owing to the smells you are receiving? Imagine how many areas of your life and health you can improve by working WITH the limbic system through aromatherapy.

Let's continue our exploration of Aromatherapy with a brief look at how it can help us in our everyday life in "General Uses".

Please Note: The information contained in this Web site is not a substitute for medical advice. Please consult your health care provider before beginning any health-related program.