AROMAPROFILES

Memory Enhancement, Mental Clarity and Efficiency

As we saw in Chapter 2 in The Sense of Smell, when an aroma molucle hits the oilfaction receptors on the cilia of the olfactory bulbs, they are actully connectin with a part of the brain. The olfactory bulbs are imbedded in the 'limbic system', a part of the brain that deals with, among other things, memory.

Usually we experience this connection Passively, when an aroma reminds us of something that happened in the past.
in aromatherapy we use this connection in an active way, by stimulating the memory to recall information we previously studied.

Basically, what happens is this: while you study, and your mind is absorbing information, you use a particular essential oil nearby - in a diffuser or on a tissue or hanky from which you can occasionally sniff. The information thus becomes associated with this particular aroma. When the exam comes along, you use that same aroma nearby - this time not in a diffuser, but again, on a tissue or handkerchief.

You can discreetly sniff the aroma, an action which transports you back to the time when you were studying, and this helps your memory recall the information. There are several rules to follow in this process:

1) Try to use a fragrance you have never used before because an aroma used previously may have associations that probably have nothing to do with the subject being absorbed. Make a unique formula especially for each subject.

2) If possible use one fragrance (or formula per subject, and then not too much.

3) Only inhale the aroma when you need to remember the studied information - in a test exam for example, and not at other times. If you use it all the time, your memory will get confused . Be very precise about this.

4) Be discreet. There are no rules, as far as I know , forbidding the use of essential oils during exams, but it could be construed as an unfair advantage!

5) Do not rely solely on this method. The aroma-memory connection is meant to be an additional aid, not a replacement for hard work. Don't just scan your textbooks expecting everything magically to go in. Sorry, it's not that easy. You'll have to put in the time and read your material thoroughly, and check with your tutors that you have understood.

The memory has a horrible habit of slipping away . you can listen to a general knowledge quiz on the TV, merrily shouting out the answers but, if you were actually in the studio, in front of the TV cameras and glaring lights, aware that millions of people were watching, the same information you know, slips away. You go blank! Essential oils wont make you remember things you simply don't know, but they'll help you bridge the gap between knowledge and recall.

This advantage can be a difference between pass and fail. As I have said, you can use essential oils to do this but good choices , for example, would be Basil, Bergamot, Lemon, or rosemary - or a blend of two of these . Basil gives the mind tremendous clarity while Bergamot is terrific for giving confidence . Rosemary is renowned for memory and Lemon is great for concentration.

Years ago I heard a young man being interviewed on radio. He'd just passes fifteen 'O' levels in the school year - the highest number passed in Britain by one student. The interviewer asked him how he'd done it. Apparently, he'd put a pile of books and papers reklating to all his home work on his right, on the desk, and took the first book off the pile, opened it, and worked at it until he got to the point where he couldn't continue.

Without wasting time worrying about his inability to finish, he moved that book to the left of him. He then took the next book/papers and carried on with them until he got stuck, immediately putting them to the left, and so on. So he worked through the pile on the right, actually finishing a couple of homework projects, leaving him with the pile on the left. He moved the whole lot to the right, and continued the process again.

By the time he'd gone through the process a few times , he was left with a couple of subjects he was truly stuck with on the next day he referred to the teachers for help. The npoint was, when he came to looking at the sticky subjects, either on the second look, the third, or fourth or fifth, his mind could approach them slightly differently - The 'lateral thinking' effect I supposed it would be called-and on these subsequent looks he could grasp the point, solve the problem , or whatever. When you're completly overburdened (as I have been myself on occasions) his advice comes in really handy. Try it.

Reference: The Fragrant MInd: Valerie Ann Worwood