Improving our Sense of Smell: a Little Wiring

"A new study reveals for the first time that activating the brain's visual cortex with a small amount of electrical stimulation actually improves our sense of smell. The finding published in the Journal of Neuroscience by researchers at the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital -- The Neuro, McGill University and the Monell Chemical Senses Center, Philadelphia, revises our understanding of the complex biology of the senses in the brain."

From the full article Open your eyes and smell the roses: Activating the visual cortex improves our sense of smell

Blackberry and raspberry were very piano. Vanilla had elements of both piano and woodwind

"Sweet and sour smells were rated as higher-pitched, smoky and woody ones as lower-pitched. Blackberry and raspberry were very piano. Vanilla had elements of both piano and woodwind. Musk was strongly brass." Thus claims a very interesting article in the Economist named Smells like Beethoven, focused on the study of individuals comparing sounds to smells.

"Most people agree that loud sounds are “brighter” than soft ones. Likewise, low-pitched sounds are reminiscent of large objects and high-pitched ones evoke smallness. Anne-Sylvie Crisinel and Charles Spence of Oxford University think something similar is true between sound and smell.
Ms Crisinel and Dr Spence wanted to know whether an odour sniffed from a bottle could be linked to a specific pitch, and even a specific instrument. To find out, they asked 30 people to inhale 20 smells—ranging from apple to violet and wood smoke —which came from a teaching kit for wine-tasting. After giving each sample a good sniff, volunteers had to click their way through 52 sounds of varying pitches, played by piano, woodwind, string or brass, and identify which best matched the smell. The results of this study, to be published later this month in Chemical Senses, are intriguing."

The whole synaesthesia experiment has yielded results that show that even for "normal" people some overlap between the senses does happen.

pic Smell.oƒ.Sound. by Allison Kunath via picsy

Synaesthesia

'"Breathe responsibly" is the disclaimer ingenious duo Bompas and Parr greet their visitors with upon entering Alcoholic Architecture, their pop-up bar in London's Soho. Here, they revolutionize the intake of alcohol by letting you inhale rather than drink [...]In February this year they created the UK's first scratch-and-sniff cinema bringing to potent life Peter Greenaway's The Cook, The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover through the powerful aromas of dusty books and rotting meat. That aside, their main obsession is jelly (the English kind not the American), with which they are pushing the wobbly boundaries to explore fluorescence'
An interesting article about the mingling of the senses (what is usually called "synaesthesia" in perfume circles without the medical complications of the condition, nevertheless) can be found on Creativity Online.com

A Game of Synaesthesia

With Marian Bendeth, a conjurer of fragrances, who with sleight of hand and knowledgable intelligence guides us through the opaque landscapes of perfumery into the light of a moment of Eureka.
She reveals her associations with different fragrances for Perfume Shrine, like a puzzle of synaesthetic pieces which fall perfectly into place.


"For me, each and every scent that my nose encounters may be envisioned either as a piece of art, music, gemstone, style of dance, graphic, setting, country, fabric, shape, colour, person, character or environment. It is not easy to put in words, because it is instinctive to me but I will try to give a few examples: (I may not wear some of these particular scents but this is where they take me…)

Climat by Lancome is a Matisse water colour of a sedate Wedgewood-blue sea and sky.

Lonestar Memories by Andy Tauer is a Sioux Tribe camped out at the foot of the Grand Canyon, using hickory smoke to BBQ that day’s hunt.

Rossy de Palma by Etat Libre d’Orange is a Diva’s darkened dressing room filled to the brim with hundreds of long-stemmed red roses and amber candles to light and lift the aroma, like a garland into the air.

Sycomore by Chanel is a perforated flat wooden cedar block with holes where Walnuts and long grasses protrude through. Growing on the base of the block are warm mosses and wet earth.

Chloe is a round yellow powder puff with feathers.

Un Jardin apres la Mousson by Hermes, is an Indian immigrant fondly remembering their home by a silty brown river on a hot day, now living in a cold climate.

Lime Basil and Mandarin is a stick that splinters at the top.

First by Van Cleef and Arpels - a Mozart symphony performed in St. Petersberg.

Bois de Paradis, Del Rae is Gauguin in Tahiti at dusk.

Ralph Rocks is 60’s tangerine, red and purple psychedelic drugs.


24 Faubourg, Hermes is Beige kid leather gloves with a small brass belt clasp.

Vent Vert, Balmain is a Willow tree built on top of wet reeds. Lemons are scattered about. A rose garden is in bloom beyond as a hot wind blows through.

Mark Birley is brown, stony and equine, circa 1910.

Cruel Intentions, By Kilian are the black shadows in a Romanian forest.

Flowerbomb, Victor and Rolf is Mexican Fiestaware.

Eternity for Her is an aluminium monolith.

Chanel No. 22 is Swan Lake.

Femme by Rochas is a fur stole.

Chrome is the boardwalk in Almalfi against the Meditteranean.

Le Baiser du Dragon is an ancient Persian red and black carpet with black laquer accents".

Marian Bendeth
Global Fragrance Expert
Sixth Scents


And you, what are your associations with your own memorable fragrances?

Artwork by Henri Matisse Polynesia,The Sea (1946) Gouache on paper cut-out, courtesy of abcgallery.
Pic of Grand Canyon courtesy of nps.gov
Pucci square scarf courtesy of style.com

Clip of Pas d'action between Odette & Siegfried from Swan Lake -my most favourite part in the ballet- played by Gillian Murphy & Angel Corella with the American Ballet Theatre, originally uploaded by MyDiorella on Youtube.