Why do smells trigger memories?

Why do smells trigger memories?




 Why do smells trigger memories?


  Everyone has that one smell that takes them back through time, reminding them of an experience they once had. What's the reason? Ever Wondered Why Do Smells Trigger Memories? Let's see...

  According to Proust Effect, named after Marcel Proust, our long-term memory stores the odors we smell as a mental diorama. Associated details such as emotions, people, locations, plants, animals, etc., are stored with it.

  It's as if the brain makes a aid to memory of that experience using the smell as a key. Smelling such odors again will trigger the recollection of that particular situation. This phenomenon is also called as 'olfactory memory'.

  This is because the scents bypass the thalamus and go straight to the brain's smell center, known as the olfactory bulb. The olfactory bulb is directly connected to the amygdala and hippocampus, and they are responsible for emotional information and learning respectively.

  Thus, smells trigger memories...
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