"Nothing revives the past so completely as a smell that was once associated with it."
"Neurobiologists have identified a mechanism that allows the brain to recreate vivid sensory experiences from memory, shedding light on how sensory-rich memories are created and stored in our brains. Using smell as a model, the findings offer a novel perspective on how the senses are represented in memory, and could explain why the loss of the ability to smell has become recognized as an early symptom of Alzheimer's disease."
[sciencedaily.com]
I remember the smell of roses in the backyard, my mother's baking, the smell of people burning leaves in the Fall.
The smell of cucumbers reminds me of the beach. Growing up we lived an hour from the beach so every Sunday during the summer we would drive to Myrtle Beach State Park. Back then you could park under the trees next to your picnic spot. My mother would make a tomato and cucumber salad while my dad maned the grill. My job was to cut up the cucumbers. The smell brings me back every time.
People are so visually sensitive they negate out other senses. Men visual as hunters. Women as audio to hear baby cries. My hearing is so sensitive that what is minor sounds to others over welms me. Smell often brings memories back. Oatmeal baths. Freshe wet cement. Sour beer.
Sound can be very powerful as well. I LOVE the original Star Wars Trilogy. I was 8 when I saw the first movie. When the first trailers came out for Episode 7, there was the scene with the X-Wings flying over the water. The sound transported me back to being 8 years old. It was so cool feeling like a kid again.
Yes, for me it is music.
Walking past a display of cheap rubber flip-flops and getting a whiff of that acrid cheap rubber flip flop smell instantly conjures up my childhood summers in Florida and NC before anyone ever heard or thought of crocs or sport sandals. It's funny how an odor that isn't even that pleasant can spark such pleasant memories. It's my "smell of summer". If I ever were to be able to smell a bottle of the old formula of Sea&Ski that would do likewise, I'm sure.