Olfaction and Sensibility

Overview

Focusing on the relationships between scent and memory, emotion, and impression, we consider the influence of scent on human sensibility.

Research Perspectives

Questions

Why, the moment we sense a certain scent, do we sometimes remember an old place, a season, or time spent with someone?
How does scent preserve the memory of a culture?
Might odors function as landmarks in spatial memory and navigation?
Why is the same scent felt differently by different people?
What can we see about the relationship between olfaction and sensibility, from Japan's unique sensory culture of “listening to scent”?

From the Research Notes

“Scent has the power to make us remember spaces and people in a way different from vision.”

— From the research note “Thinking About Scent and Japanese Culture”

“The moment we sense a certain scent, we may remember an old place, a season, or time spent with someone.”

— From the research note “Thinking About Scent and Japanese Culture”

Related Research Notes

Thinking About Scent and Japanese Culture

Lab Notes | Aug 21 | 4 min read

How has scent been treated and felt within Japanese culture? Taking fragrant wood, incense, literature, religion, and everyday life as our clues, we consider the relationship between the people of Japan and scent. …

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Thinking About the Scent of Space

Lab Notes | Aug 21 | 5 min read

We sense space not only with our eyes, but through sound, temperature, touch, and scent. Where does scent exist within a space, and how do we recognize it? …

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