The Scent of a Memory

When modern Marco began, and the first of the Marco Beach Boys and Girls were working and playing on the big crescent beach, a decision was underway to market the newly developing tropical paradise on the southwest coast of Florida after Hawaii.

As most everyone will recall, vacations are all about making memories, and the better the memories, the better the vacation. Anyone traveling to Hawaii will certainly remember the scent of fresh pineapple, the salty tang of a tropical sea breeze, or the unforgettable aroma of Hawaiian leis when the colorful and fragrant flowers became the gift of a blooming necklace to visitors on an island vacation.

Anyone living or visiting on Marco in summer will easily find the Hawaiian leis flowers of the plumeria and the frangipani almost everywhere on Marco, Goodland, or Isles of Capri. One of the reasons the frangipani is so tempting and so popular is because the oil of the Hawaiian leis flowers has been an essential element used in perfume since the 16th century, and whenever a person catches the scent of the fragrant flower, the memory of an amazing vacation or of loving experience is instantly brought forward into recall.

Scientific research reveals the sense of smell is the strongest memory trigger. Almost everyone can relate a specific scent, odor, or smell to a personal experience from the past. For better or worse, no matter what the smell, we all react differently when we sense a particular scent or smell.

The delightfully sharp smell of grass being cut often triggers a positive and fond memory of childhood and is reminiscent of the long lazy days of summer. The scent of wood smoke from a campfire or fireplace also inspires another pleasant memory suggestive of autumn leaves or cozy snowy nights by an open hearth. The unique aroma of a special perfume or cologne can trigger the memory of an old flame or high school date, as much as the smell of baking cookies can remind us of home and hearth, or grandmother’s kitchen.

As the olfactory system functions and gathers the sensory information of smell, the data processed inside the nose immediately travels to separate parts of the brain. The limbic system is a part of the brain that controls emotions, memory and behavior, and the cortex is a region in the brain that controls conscious thought. 

Strong specific memories, emotions, and conscious reactions are a byproduct of simultaneous stimulation of two very different parts of the brain. The only instant prompter for the vibrant stimulation of memory is scent and smell. We react to the sense of odor and smell in a more complex way than we can react to sight, sound, or any of the other five senses. The sense of odor is processed at a molecular level unlike light and sound that are absorbed in waves. We relate and react to the sense of smell much more because conscious thought and memory are stimulating and reacting to each other at the same time.

Ironically enough, many recall the strongest and earliest memory of tropical Florida when they were vacationing with their parents and siblings. Whenever the “Old Florida,” smell of low tide and the scent of unearthed tidewater loam invaded the nostrils, many reacted with rejection and offered a comment. “What is that horrible smell?”

When the Marco Beach Boys were learning the ropes and discovering the idiosyncrasies of working on a tropical waterfront, we learned from our Marco mentors about the familiar smell of the beach and the gulf at low tide. “That’s just the sand that was underwater exposed at low tide, you get used to that,” they said. “It really is old Florida coming through. It also happens when excavators dig into the saltwater table, and the rotten-egg sulfur-smell comes out of the ground.”

For many native Floridians who travel and move away, a homecoming is not complete without that low-tide sulfur smell that brings the memories of home to the forefront of thought and allows time to slow down. When we purposely pause in life to take in a pleasant aroma like a frangipani, we slow down enough to be truly living in the moment.

During the early 1900s, French chemical engineers researching perfume formulae began learning that specific scents and essential oils were the triggers for the attraction of the opposite sex, love, and desire. Another French scientist created the term aromatherapy in 1935 when he began treating burns with the essential oil from lavender.

When a memory trigger activates, it could very well be for better or worse, depending on a particular smell and a situation from the past. Even the worst smell can sometimes revive a favorite childhood memory, just as a whiff of perfume can bring back the memory of a granny in the grocery store who wore so much Ode de Toilet that it made your head ache and your eyes water.

Memory formula:

• 10-drops rosemary oil
• 6-drops lemon oil
• 1-drop clary sage oil
• 2-ounces distilled water    

Combine ingredients and use as a spray. Without water, this formula works well in an aromatherapy diffuser, or sprinkled on a cloth and smelled while working or studying. When studying for a test, smell the aromatherapy cloth and afterward, bring the cloth to the test and recall the test material with the scent of a memory.