Volume I: How to Smell Something Real
IMAGE by Paul Cézanne, "Dish of Apples" (1876-77) via The Metropolitan Museum of Art Open Access
It's a simple concept, honestly. We live in a world where we are surrounded by things scented with smells that don’t exist in the natural world. Our noses are bombarded by fragrances created in a lab, put together by scientists who are talented at creating things that smell beautiful. Beautiful, but not real.
Springtime Meadow, Linen & Sky, Pumpkin Spice, Bamboo Breeze, Santal 33 - all created synthetically in a lab, named, and sold. These synthetic scents are beloved by many, but not what I prefer. For me, I want to smell something real.
Something real is something that exists in, or comes directly from, the natural world. It is something you can hold on to and create an association with IRL. This type of scent reminds you that you are human and alive in the world at this moment.
While so much of what we buy is scented and flavored with “Frankenscents,” all around us are natural scents that are recognizable to the nose, complex to experience, and accessible. Outside, in the plants and flowers in our neighborhoods, or in our homes, in the refrigerator, or spice cabinet, there are things to experience with your nose. This is an experience you can have, daily.
Take a moment today, to smell something from the natural world. Perhaps it is a flower in your neighborhood, an orange in your refrigerator, or some cinnamon in your spice cabinet. Stop for five seconds, bring that flower, that fruit, that spice to your nose, close your eyes, and inhale. Allow the scent molecules to float into your nose, and light up a part of your brain that is ancient, deep, personal. Don't try to describe, define, or learn - simply experience.
Do this today (and if you can, for 5 to 10 seconds, every day) as an act of curiosity. Smell the same thing every day for a week to see how what you notice changes from day to day.
Maybe the smell feels warmer to you on one day and colder on another, or perhaps it always has a sweet scent, but today you notice a hint of spice that you didn't notice yesterday. Pause for a moment as you smell, and get to know yourself - your brain, your thoughts, your experiences, your emotions, what moves you - through the simple act of smelling and being aware.
We are surrounded by smells, everywhere. We only have to notice them. The act of noticing, experiencing, contemplating, and understanding scent - even in the smallest way - is an act of self-reflection and an opportunity for introspection: it is the first step on the journey to self through scent.