Scent Memories

A photo from my walk. Taken outside The Vic Theatre.

I've recently developed a habit of taking hour long walks at night to clear my mind. Tonight, I decided to go along a different route and found myself recalling a fond memory. A few years ago I went with some friends to a Kooks concert at the Vic, which is now not far from my apartment. As I walked under the brightly lit awning, I began thinking about that night. Not the faces, the people, or the music...my memory was focused on the smell. The concert was on a humid night at the end of May, so it smelled like summer rain.  Despite the brisk early fall breeze this evening, all I could smell was summer. Where did my mind take me next? To the land of contemplating the link between olfaction and memory of course.

It seems that certain smells evoke memories or thoughts about specific people or places. Recently, I gave a few sweaters to a friend who compared wearing them to a "big Kristina hug" because they still smelled like me. Personally, smell evokes the strongest memories for me...closely followed by music. It's as if one whiff envelopes me in an intoxicating synesthesia and suddenly I'm smelling emotions or colors. I searched the internet for an article I'd read a couple of years ago (you can find it here). The bottom line is that research has suggested a direct neural link between the hippocampus (region of your brain concerned with memory) and the olfactory cortex.  The article also links to this paper if you want to read more.

What I find most interesting is how emotional these odor-evoked recollections can be. It's a testament to the complexity of memory. Not only are we able to recall events, but we can recreate the entire scene down to the smell of the air. In a way, these memories inject new life into the past. The dimensions of our recollection interact once again, producing a new manifestation of an event, person, or place. This manifestation can subsequently influence our present emotional state and create more interconnected memories. The cycle can perpetuate the essence of a single memory throughout our entire lives. In the end, the amalgamation of these memory cycles is what we call...well..life...

On a lighter note, I guess I should start giving more thought the perfume I decide to wear for a big event...

"Look Good, Feel Good, Do Good"

Picasso's Girl before a Mirror from moma.org

That is what my high school physics teacher always told us. He was a huge proponent of dressing up on the day of an exam to boost your confidence.

In college, I'll admit this didn't always happen. Who wants to throw on their best outfit after being awake for a couple days straight? No one. Masochists, maybe. This all came flooding back to me while I was watching random TV episodes on Hulu (GRE study break, forgive me...). I happened upon an episode of a show called "Unleased by Garo" where a fashion designer custom makes outfits for individuals who are looking for a "change". He professes himself to be not only a fashion designer, but a therapist. He claims his art heals people. At first I shook my head and thought, "This guy's nuts." But after seeing his clients' reactions to their transformations, I began to contemplate the possibility.

The idea of image transformation as therapy (or a self-esteem boost) is nothing new. Television producers have capitalized on the concept for years with shows like "What Not to Wear". It's even part of our everyday knowledge (i.e. how to dress for an interview). What I find most interesting is the choice to transform the image rather than the individual (the physical body). Transforming someone's image with the right clothing cuts and makeup is much easier than losing weight and MUCH cheaper than plastic surgery, but which is more effective in the long run?

There is a wealth of literature on both topics, but I struggled to find anything that compares their long-term psychological effects. Looking at this through the scope of learning and human development (my areas of interest) you can think about how self-esteem influences motivation and in turn how motivation influences classroom performance (which is the point my physics teacher was trying to make). There is also a ton of research on student motivation, so you can check out those articles if you're interested.

My last thought concerns the influence image and body have on each other, if any. Is it the case that first transforming the superficial image could lead to a self-esteem and motivation boost, which someone could use to fuel a body change? Would an image or body change alone be enough? Perhaps this is something that could be useful to doctors, nutritionists, and therapists who are fighting "America's war on obesity," in terms of motivating patients to adopt a more healthy lifestyle.

Anyone have any thoughts or recommended readings? Think I'm nuts?