Smells like nostalgia!
A waft of something unexpected has the ability to take you back to your childhood or a specific moment in your life. It is the power of our sense of smell and nostalgia.
While all the senses are connected with memories, smell in particular can spark a flurry of emotions. Very often you cannot identify the odour, but you can identify a memory that is associated with it. For example, the first time you smelled malva pudding, you may have been in your grandmother's house and every time you smell it, whether you have made it or someone else, it takes you back to those days.
Dr. Ken Heilman, who is a Professor of Neurology and Health Psychology at the University of Florida says the following:
Smell goes into the emotional parts of the brain and the memory parts, whereas words go into thinking parts of the brain.” This could explain why memories sparked by smell feel nostalgic and emotional, rather than concrete and detailed
What smell instantly takes you back? Listen to the podcast below: