Imagine smelling the sweet rich aroma of a freshly brewed cup of coffee, wonderful isn’t it. Then a flash of memory floods your mind, and you’re able to remember every element on the periodic table, every atomic number, each exact decimal points of ionisation energies… ever have that happen to you? No, me neither.
Memory recall has a strong sub- conscious reaction to smells. The link between memories and smells is a physical one. The olfactory bulb (the part that picks up smells) sends olfactory information via many interconnections between the amygdala (associative learning) and hippocampus (consolidation of memories short and long term) where odours are processed, analysed and interpreted. And from this odours can be associated in these parts of the brain with pleasant or unpleasant actions, memories, thoughts and responses.
Our brains sub-consciously recall memories, positive and negative, from our past when we smell a specific odour. So can you imagine if we could train and manipulate our brains to be more efficient in this respect? If we could use smells to study, to relate a smell with specific facts. The question that is still to be proven is whether we can consciously and effectively recall amounts of information off just a couple of smells.