The
term ‘nostalgia’ describes sentimentality for the sublime past,
typically for a period or place with happy personal associations. Since each
person experiences different things in life, the association between scents/fragrances
and emotions/memories is unique to every individual.
How many
times have you caught a faint whiff of a scent fills you with nostalgia and that
immediately reminded you of the ‘good old days’ or long forgotten events in
your life with stunning lucidity? It transpires our unfathomable minds that
have filed some events neatly in some unreachable corner of the brain, primed
for instant retrieval.
Human
beings tend to emphasize vision over all other senses. Still, scent is intimately
related to memory; despite not playing a major role in our daily lives, even in
today’s visually driven world, it often triggers a strong déjà vu like
sensation. It contributes to shaping our perceptions of the world and our
psychological makeup by sending memories through a rose-tinted filter that
redefines them as "good times".
Despite the
fact that the sense of smell in humans is somewhat pitiful when compared to
most animals, it is still highly acute and has the ability to magically
transform millions of invisible odor particles into what science calls ‘involuntary
recall’. It is amazing how a few simple airborne molecules trigger such vivid
recollections.
Nostalgic
Smells - Pungent Memories
Baked cakes:
Take a bite
of food and think about how it tastes. Then, pinch your nose and take another
bite. Notice the difference? It's just another reason to appreciate your
knockout of a nose!
Baked foods
such as cakes, biscuits and baking bread made up the largest category of
nostalgic smells. It takes me back to my childhood memories, the times when we
were free from the responsibilities and anxieties of adulthood.
Nature:
The elusive
odor of nature as I peep outside my room’s window reminds many of my carefree
childhood days. It makes me feel fresh and rejuvenated. The fragrance of soil
after a shower of rain that brings relief and makes you feel alive again.
Phenyl smell:
The pungent
odor of phenyls used for cleaning messy floors.
Ambi Pur:
I use it
for clean, fresh, and smelly air in my little home. It is heavenly!
New books:
The
nostalgic smell of an old paper turned yellow or the fresh scent from a new
notebook page. My favorite novel that remains untouched for days due to my
hectic life!
Kitchen:
My mom
makes the best mutton biryani, and I can vouch for that! Especially, the
biryani odour and the daal tadka smell seem to increase my hunger all the more!
The combined smell of Ghee and Elaichi while making a sweet, the aroma of
sizzling hot Bhajjiyas in the monsoon, the redolence of fresh coffee and masala
tea bring simple pleasures in life. Your sense of smell warns you of dangers
such as smoke and poisonous gases. It also helps you appreciate the full flavors
of food and drinks.
Flowers:
My mom
loves flowers! The perfume of roses and other flowers lingers in my home. The
fragrance of Jasmine and Mogra gajra’s my mom gets often leaves me refreshed
after a hectic day.
Bathroom:
Ah! This
place is a collection of fragrances. The smell of freshly washed towels, aroma
of shampoos, soaps, Dettol, etc. that lingers in almost every household
bathroom.
Health:
The healing
smell of Vicks inhalation that brings you instant relief when you are irritated
with cold and cough.
New Shoes:
The
nostalgic smell of new shoes and its box - that glorious smell of unspoiled,
sweat-free fabric that surrounds you each time you pull it on.
This post
is a part of Indiblogger’s
– Ambipur Smelly to Smiley Air contest.
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