Five Scents That Awaken Sleeping Memories

It happens like this: a scent arrives gently, in slow motion, and in the very next second, a memory settles back into the present

This is because the olfactory bulb connects directly to the amygdala and hippocampus, without filters. In an instant, scent awakens a deep emotion, and the body responds too. Studies show that the sense of smell triggers memories that are more vivid, emotional, and often linked to early childhood—more than any other sense.

But emotion doesn’t just revive the past; it also helps us imprint new memories. The amygdala acts as an emotional tag, marking intense moments so the hippocampus can store them more strongly. Neutral events, in contrast, tend to fade quickly.

Emotion is present at both ends of memory: it is the key that unlocks old recollections and the ink that writes the new ones

We remember what moves us, what supports us, what strengthens us. Everything else fades into the background.
A memory born through emotion is engraved on the soul.

Scents have a way of touching the invisible, without explanation or logic. They go straight to the heart

Throughout my travels, a few scents took me by surprise with their ability to awaken something I thought forgotten. I share five of them here. Perhaps you’ve crossed paths with some of them too.

1. The scent of toasted sesame in a Kyoto market
In Nishiki Market, the smell of toasted sesame rose between steam and soft voices. It stopped me in my tracks. It was like opening a box sealed years ago. Suddenly, I was back in my grandmother’s kitchen. It wasn’t nostalgia—it was presence.

2. The scent of lavender in Provence
The fields spread in violet waves beside the ancient Sénanque Abbey. But it was the warm scent of lavender that moved me most. As I inhaled, I relived sunlit afternoons reading letters out loud. And it’s no coincidence—studies confirm that lavender not only soothes, but also enhances memory and focus.

3. The scent of orange blossom on a Lisbon street
I was walking between tiled balconies and cobblestones when the air filled with the intoxicating scent of orange blossom. In that moment, a memory from adolescence returned: sun, a white dress, and a plaza I can’t quite place. Memory doesn’t need coordinates. Only a scent.

4. The scent of incense in Istanbul
In a small spice shop, between jars of cardamom and turmeric, a curl of incense floated through the air. That dense, enveloping scent transported me to another time. As if the soul remembered something the mind had not yet named.

5. The scent of aged leather on a Scottish train
In that quiet carriage, I closed my eyes and sensed the scent of worn leather. I was back inside a book I read as a child: a train, a hat, mysterious landscapes. I wasn’t traveling alone—I was traveling with every dream that ever shaped me.

+ The scent of basil and olive oil in my grandmother’s kitchen
Some scents don’t belong to a geographic journey, but to an intimate one. The perfume of fresh basil mixed with warm olive oil is a secret map. It takes me straight to my grandmother’s kitchen, the sound of the mortar, and bread dipped in sauce. And even if it crosses no borders, that journey transforms as well.