Olfactory culture and why smells matter | EPI 022 All Paths Lead to Aroma Podcast
The podcast 'Todos os caminhos vão dar ao aroma' is sponsored by Jarilo. In this podcast, Mariana, the founder of Jarilo, explores the world of perfumery and tries to discover how a perfume is made.
This article is the transcript of EPI 022. Olfactory culture and why smells matter
[Start of transcript]
↳ Hello everyone!
Today I want to talk to YOU about OLFACTORY CULTURE and WHY smells matter.
↳ Let's read the definition of CULTURE in the dictionary, in this case Priberam:
↳ According to Priberam, CULTURE means different things, so I will only read the MEANINGS that relate to our topic:
↳ MEANING 08
The body of knowledge acquired by a person or group.
↳ MEANING 09
The totality of customs, traditions, beliefs, moral standards, artistic and intellectual manifestations, and other characteristics that distinguish a society or social group.
↳ MEANING 10
The set of moral, intellectual, artistic characteristics, and customs or traditions of a particular people, nation, place, or specific period.
↳ And also according to Priberam, OLFACTORY means [obviously] RELATING TO SMELL.
↳ THEREFORE:
With these two definitions, it is concluded that OLFACTORY CULTURE is a set of acquired knowledge, customs, traditions, beliefs, artistic, intellectual, and spiritual manifestations of a person, group, society or social group, people, nation, place, or specific period related to the SENSE OF SMELL.
↳ Simply put: OLFACTORY CULTURE is a term that describes the importance of odors/smells in human life and in different societies around the world.
Just as we have art, gastronomy, and entertainment, we also have a variety of cultural experiences linked to smells.
Smells are part of our cultural identity, which depends on the particular society in which we live and our individual experiences within it.
↳ An example: in Japanese culture, Kōdō is the art of appreciating incense, a ceremony where one smells with attention and respect.
↳ Now, it is worth noting that we live in a very visual and auditory way, and therefore we often overlook and forget the importance of SMELL.
This ability to smell the world around us is part of the human experience and has a great influence on our lives.
SMELL is a deeply intimate sense directly linked to the limbic system, the part of the brain that manages our emotions and memories.
It also fulfills alert and survival functions, thus keeping us away from dangers (when the brain detects the smell of gas or smoke, for example) (or also when we smell food and realize it is spoiled).
↳ THEREFORE:
SMELL is linked to our emotions and memories, and actively contributes to our survival.
↳ It is also because of SMELL that we savor food; a large part of the gastronomic experience comes from the nose — our mouth only detects sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami — and all the remaining sensory/chemical experience we have while eating comes from the NOSE.
↳ It is curious that we humans, being beings who love to eat and share meals at the table, pay so little attention to the sense that most directly contributes to this experience.
↳ Just as there is an infinity of colors and sounds, there is also an enormous diversity of odors.
From the fresh aromas of nature to the heavier notes of more elaborate perfumes, smells can be simple or intricate, pleasant or repulsive, familiar or exotic.
Exploring this diversity can be an exciting and enriching journey that connects us more deeply with the world around us.
↳ With this, I mean that our OLFACTORY CULTURE deserves to be celebrated and explored.
By recognizing its importance, we can develop greater sensory awareness and more deeply appreciate the immediate environment in which we live and act.
↳ We can use aromas in daily life with planned care and intention — that is: not only as something decorative and pleasant but as something intrinsically significant in our experiences.
↳ So, in the end, let's ask: WHY do smells matter?
↳ And let's answer: Because they are always present and have the ability to affect our emotional states in a way that is as immediate as it is effective.
↳ A smell can confront us as much as it can [even better] comfort us.
↳ If a smell can attract us immensely, another smell can concurrently elicit deep repulsion.
↳ Any fortuitous aroma can also cross our memory processes, transporting us to a distant time and place, revisiting an almost forgotten episode from our already distant childhood.
↳ Many times, we wait for the right emotions to do something.
We wait to be fortuitously motivated to start a project, calm to sleep, inspired to create, energetic to exercise.
But it is possible to purposefully activate these emotions through aromas if we know what smell makes us feel what we want.
↳ For example:
If lavender calms us, we can then decide to use it in moments of greater anxiety.
If lemon gives us additional energy, we can then use it in moments when more encouragement is required.
↳ When we become aware of what each smell provokes in us, we can use aromas intentionally — strategically — with method.
↳ Now, an invitation to practice.
↳ Next time you go out for a walk, jot down all the smells you encounter along your path — note the ones you liked and disliked, note what you felt when you smelled them, what emotions (good or bad) they evoked, whether any memories were activated or not.
This way you will GRADUALLY gain awareness of your own, personal, and untransferable OLFACTORY CULTURE.
↳ Next week, in episode 023, I will share useful resources for those who are learning about or are interested in perfumery.
↳ I also take this opportunity to inform you that at JARILO we have launched a free ebook — the complete guide where you can learn all the tricks to enhance the aromatic diffusion of your candles.
I'll leave the link in the notes of this episode.
↳ I also remind you that we have moved our Jarilo store and it is now located not at
but at
↳ Thank you for listening to this episode of the podcast 'Todos os caminhos vão dar ao aroma'.
If you liked it, don't forget to subscribe — share with friends — leave a comment — or send an email to todososcaminhosvaodaraoaroma@gmail.com.
↳ I hope to receive an email from you, telling me about your own OLFACTORY CULTURE.
↳ See you next week.
Happy olfactory experiences!
[End of transcript]
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