Aromatherapy makes use of Essential oils. This
second part of this 3-Part article will discuss way essential oils effect mind and emotions.b) The Way Essential Oils Effect Mind and Emotions The Mind and Emotions, or rather way we think and feel, are effected by essential oils via our sense of smell, as are all odors we consciously and UNCONSCIOUSLY detect.
The Sense of Smell forms greater part of our Sense of Taste (note how your sense of taste and smell is affected when you have a head cold or blocked up nose. The sense of smell is also affected by pollution, smoking, trauma to nose itself and a mucous forming diet).
The sense of smell of our ancient ancestors was far superior to ours. They identified one another by smell as well as sight, and could even detect usefulness of a plant by its smell. They also tracked animals by smell. The sense of smell helps us to distinguish between 'good' and 'bad' odors, which tell us if food is fit to be eaten or if there is disease or hygiene present.
ODOURS & DISEASE A couple of hundred years ago, physicians would use sense of smell as a diagnostic aid. Arthritis and rheumatism have an acid smell, a good midwife could tell a post-partum haemorrhage by smell of blood passed, diabetes gives an acetone smell to breathe and urine, perspiration can give us clues as to health of kidneys and lymphatic system, smell of faeces also can tell us type of disease in digestive tract. Natural medicine still uses this method of diagnosis.
The human nose has ability to distinguish many thousands of different odors, and memory of these odors is stored deep in our sub-conscious minds. (See R. Tisserand 'The Art of Aromatherapy" pages 60-73).
When we inhale air molecules which, are carrying ‘odoriferous’ molecules of an essential oil, these molecules adhere to our Olfactory nerve endings in back of nose, producing stimulation of these nerve endings.
Sensory stimulation of Olfactory centre is by a relay of nerve impulses from sensory nerve endings in nose to brain.
This is a very rapid and direct pathway to part of Brain which directs, controls, interprets and responds to sensory input.
This pathway is very different to sensory stimulation of sensory nerves in skin which is more complex, being transmitted from a sensory nerve ending to spinal cord, to brain, back down spinal cord, down a motor nerve ending and then to appropriate organ. For example when we touch a hot object, heat affects sensory nerve ending in say finger. This nerve relays a message along sensory nerve fiber to its root in spinal cord. The impulse is carried to brain. The brain says “ouch !!! that’s hot, take finger off now”.
This message is relayed down spinal cord to motor nerve root, and then to appropriate muscle(s) organ(s) etc. to remove finger from hot object. As you will know from your own experience of touching something hot, there is often a time lag between touching hot object and recognition of pain.
