The burning of incense sticks in an Armenian church, the cooking of rice pudding seasoned with cinnamon, the iodized trail of the Crozon peninsula… For Hirac Gurden, “ smells are emotional links between the past and the present “. Through the extraordinary powers of smell, the full force of the sensory link is awakened, and this, in utero. A 6-month-old fetus smells amniotic fluid! And when the scientist is asked what a smell is, his answer is simple: “ Smell is life ! »
IN VIEW
Smell sometimes seems to be considered the poor relation of the senses. However, we are equipped with around four hundred types of receptors, biochemical microsensors that react to odors. They work with infinite combinations to detect everything around us. As nature is well designed, all olfactory neurons are renewed throughout life. Hirac Gurden explains: “ The brain’s sensory system specialized in processing odors constructs a mental representation of what we smell. As a result, our sensory memory allows us to adapt our behavior to our environment, using past experiences. For example, a strong burning smell alerts us to the presence of danger and makes us react accordingly. But the moderate one released by a barbecue does not induce the same behavioral effect. There are various types of memory. One of them stores short-term information, which will quickly be erased, while another will preserve memories over time which will remain well stored in our brain. In this framework, information can be organized in the form of episodes. It is to this family of memory, called episodic memory, that Proust’s madeleine belongs. This type of memory is stored in synapses and neurons which are part of the suffering brain structures. »
WHEN SMELL GOES AWAY
In France, around 6.5 million people suffer from a more or less severe smell disorder. In the event of total loss, we speak of anosmia. It can appear after an episode of Covid-19, chronic sinusitis, a cold or because of nasal polyps. It can also be caused by certain neurological pathologies, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. It is then a good idea to resort to rehabilitation protocols using daily olfactory stimulation, for a minimum duration of twelve weeks. Protocols developed by Hirac Gurden, based on the research work of Professor Thomas Hummel, world-renowned olfaction expert. To do this, simply breathe in essential oils of lemon, clove, rose or rose geranium and eucalyptus. Scents to complement with peppermint and coffee beans. Available for free on www.anosmie.org
Hirac Gurden is the author of Feel. How smells act on our brain (Les Arènes)
