How Does Aromatherapy Work

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Aromatherapy works on our sense of smell and by absorption into the bloodstream. About 15 percent of the air we inhale goes to the roof of the nose, where olfactory receptors transport odors straight to a part of the brain called the limbic system.  This area is connected with instinct, mood and emotion, and it's thought that aromatherapy may stimulate the release of chemicals which in turn play a part in unlocking emotions.

Aromatherapy works on our sense of smell and by absorption into the bloodstream. About 15 percent of the air we inhale goes to the roof of the nose, where olfactory receptors transport odors straight to a part of the brain called the limbic system.  This area is connected with instinct, mood and emotion, and it's thought that aromatherapy may stimulate the release of chemicals which in turn play a part in unlocking emotions.  (Does the smell of lily of the valley remind you of your Grandma and bring back happy memories?)

Smell plays a significant role in how we perceive places and situations.  Good smells help us to feel good, bad ones depress us.  Think about walking into a beautiful room, immaculate in every way.  How would you feel about that room if it smelled terrible?  Regardless of what you saw, the bad scent would make you uncomfortable.  Likewise, imagine arriving at the door of  the worst place you ever saw but, upon entering, discovering it smelled of roses.  Your sense of smell would likely diminish you discomfort with the place, and make you a little more willing to explore it.  Unless, of course you have experienced a direct negative experience with the scent of roses in the past.  Then your anxiety level may actually increase due to this previous scent-conditioning experience.  People often associate the smell of a place such as a hospital, nursing home, or funeral home with what they experience there.  although these places may do their best to create a clean or comfortable environment, people often have negative emotions tied to the time they spent there and the scent they remember.  People often tell me the don't like the smell of gladiolus because they remind them of the funeral they attended as a young child. Our experience of a pure essential oil is different than a learned-order response.  When an essential oil is inhaled, various neurochemicals are relased in the brain and inhaler expereinces a psyiological change in body, mind and spirit.  when lavender is inhaled, for instance, serotonin is relased from the raphe nucleus of the brain, producint a calming influence in the body.  the effect is altered, however, if the individual has had a direct negative experience with lavender.  Stop back soon to learn the healing effects of essential oils.