English Version | Humans have bad memory, but scent doesn’t forget

That, until the moment we stop, cold in our tracks, frozen amidst the world, not because something caught our eye, but more so because something caught our nose. Better said, because our nose caught a whiff of something. A whiff of memory. Raw, visceral, unfiltered memory. 

Science says the scent is the last sense to go. Off go the lights, the volume around us slowly dims, sweets and sours just don't taste, and the feels and caresses are lost amidst folds of wrinkles and old skin. But scent? That stays. She stays until the very end. Ironically, the last scent we smell might just be a couple rooms down from the first sniff we ever took in. 

We humans have bad memory. But scent, she doesn’t forget.

Alchemists say that memory and scent are intrinsically linked, like a destiny forged eons ago amidst the stars. They blame it on the limbic system, the command tower of emotion and memory in our brains. Turns out, scent has a direct pathway into it, bypassing all the filters and barriers of logic and rational contemplation. Inherently, this primordial and primitive love affair grants the sense of smell powers only she holds over the emotional tartarus that is our true memory. With just one whiff, she can summon from beyond the ghost of a lover’s embrace or the laughter of a dear friend we once knew, weaving an invisible thread that binds us to the humans we once were. 

Smells is a damsel, and memory is her realm. 

She is the conductor of our most cherished recollections, even if we ourselves are not aware of the gems hidden deep within our brain. In the realm of memory, fragrances are not merely scents; they are portals to our past selves, repositories of emotion and experience. Each scent becomes a note in the symphony of our existence, whispers tales of love, loss, and the passage of time. 

Think back on your own life. There is only so much we can see, only so much we can hear. Distant tunes sometimes play through the static of our own mind and vague ideas of what something would have looked like present like a déjà vu in the most random of moments. Sometimes even the touch of our mother feels like a jamais vu compared to the comfort and safety of what it would've been in our younger years. Even then, sometimes here or there, we’ll come across the silent damsel that is scent and in her hands we’ll find the key to a life we lived, but that only through her we can now unlock. 

Many compare nostalgia as something that we feel or something we taste, nonetheless, for one, nostalgia is not something that can intrinsically be seen or captured, ultimately, it’s something to be smelt. One might forget how they look, how they sound, but, for better or worse, might never be able to forget how they smell. Scent is the silent witness to our joys and sorrows, the silent companion that walks by our side on our journey through life's myriad landscapes. While our eyes or our ears might fail, our nose diligently records, even without us knowing, and saves for later, perhaps to never be remembered, but to be stored, just in case. 

Maya Angelou once said, “people will forget what you said and forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel”. Scent says, “they might forget what you said and what you did, but will never forget how you smelled”. In the tapestry of our lives, fragrances serve as both anchors and wings, grounding us in the present while carrying us aloft on the wings of reverie.

Life is no more than a complex, unique, creation of a scent that is as sweet as our heart, as deep as our soul, and as bright as our mind. 

For scent, a freshly cooked meal on the stove or the smell of wet grass isn’t just as it literally is, but it’s the scent of a mother’s love and a joyful day at home. Mom smells like mom, but mom also smells like freshly washed sheets, our favorite dish, the old Christmas decorations stored in the basement, and the spring flowers dad used to buy her. Mom smells like mom, but mom also smells like comfort, safety, protection, and peace.

Fragrances are not static entities; they evolve and morph with the passage of time, mirroring the shifting contours of our lives. Organic beings that grow and change as we, life, and existence change with them. Our childhood home’s scent may blend with the aroma of freshly baked bread, intertwining with the musky notes of nostalgia as we journey into adulthood. What today is a smell that brings emotions of intensity and adrenaline, tomorrow might bring feelings of peace and solace.

Scent is a guardian that creates with aromas and notes a safe realm, void of space and time.

Think of that one you love, think of that one you seek for when life’s ups and downs get to thee. Their scent isn't merely a pleasant fragrance or smell; it's a tangible reminder of their presence, their warmth, and the moments shared together. With each inhalation, we are transported to a realm where time stands still, where laughter echoes in the air, and where love wraps around us like a gentle embrace.

But scent is not just a passive observer of our lives; she is a narrator, weaving stories of longing, adventure, and discovery. The smell of distant land carries with it the promise of adventure, while the aroma of old books whispers tales of wisdom and knowledge accumulated over centuries. In the symphony of life, fragrances are both melody and harmony, setting tone and pace with their subtle nudges and nuances and leading with their summoning power. Scent is the red thread that binds us to our past, yet also serves as a beacon towards the one we’ll be tomorrow. She is the silent companion that walks by our side in the journey through the tapestry of existence. And while she can transport us to distant memories, she can also serve as a beacon through the labyrinth of life. 

Scent is the manifestation of a collective memory that is yet to be experienced. 

She herself  is both the ultimate agreement and the most polarizing divisor. What is sweet for one might be intoxicating for another, what is warm for two, might even be repulsive for the latter. Yet then, to most, if not all, there is a collective agreement on scents across space and time. Like a consensus of a shared memory being passed down from elders back in time. They who said that the powdery embrace of lavender shall evoke lazy summer afternoons spent amidst fields of lilac, while the tangy sweetness of citrus will conjure memories of sun-kissed orchards and laughter-filled gatherings. Each fragrance holds within it a universe of stories, like Pandora’s box, aching to be discovered and set free into the world. 

But could it be that in a world of scents and memories, we’ve forgotten we have the ability to smell? 

Memory can be a painful thing. In the worst of moments, she reminds one of the things one wished to forget. Like a despised oracle, she comes with tragic tales and recounts of stories one tried hard to let go of. But it takes two to tango, and in the dance that is our mind, scent is the one that can keep up with the steps memory sets on the ballroom. It takes pain to enjoy peace, and hurt to cherish health. One must hit ground to be able to fly again, and scent is the one that can allow us to fly without having wings, travel without moving, and see the cosmos itself without opening one’s eyes. 

In a world that hyperfixates on clinical environments and digitally designed universes, it is easy to overlook the subtle nuances of scent and take for granted the profound impact it carries on our everyday existence. Memory keeps making itself, and scent keeps walking by her side, yet we fail to stop and smell. We rush through our days, chasing after fleeting pleasures and tangible accomplishments, often forgetting to pause and savor the delicate fragrances that surround us.

In the end, it is not the grand gestures or the eloquent words that define us, but rather the indelible imprint of our scent on the hearts and minds of those we encounter along the way. So, let us leave behind a trail of fragrance, a legacy of love and kindness that lingers long after we are gone, a testament to the enduring power of the human spirit. Even as memories fade and moments slip through our fingers like grains of sand, fragrances remain steadfast in their ability to preserve the essence of who we are. 

We humans have bad memory, but scent remembers, and she shall tell our story. 

Originally published in The Memories Issue, from April 2024. Full stories and credits are in the print version.