It has been found that there is an area of the human brain called the Angular Gyrus that, when stimulated, produces out of body experiences. That may come as a disappointment to all those who believe they are caused by other, more exotic powers, but for me there is a much more interesting side. You see the Angular Gyrus is also stimulated by human body odour. Not stale body odour, or BO – but by fresh body odour.
Now it may be incredibly flattering – and conceited - to imagine that my partner has an out of body experience whenever she is in close proximity to me. The truth is, I haven’t actually asked her - for fear of having the wind taken unceremoniously from my sails – but it is a fascinating fact. What is interesting is that I have mentioned this recently in my perfumery courses, and two students – at different times – said that when they smell perfumery ingredients it feels as though the sensation runs up through the top of their heads and hovers just above them, outside their body.
When things like this are going on, it does make you wonder how on earth we are ever going to crack the puzzle of how the nose works. It’s difficult enough to get around all the cognitive processes that surround any human study, but now we have influences in the brain about which we are not even aware.
On a more practical level, the question is – do I throw my deodorant away now and go “naturelle”? Mmmm – maybe not just yet.
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