Why bad smells haunt us
Why bad smells haunt us
Anonim

We often have to put up with unpleasant odors, but sometimes they do not leave us for several hours, even when we have long since retired from their source. Psychologists have explained the reasons for this phenomenon.

Why bad smells haunt us
Why bad smells haunt us

Often, bad odor just sticks to our clothes and nose hairs. However, the point is not only in this, but also in the interaction of our brain and the olfactory system. We are able to mentally recreate smells from memory. Psychologist Avery Gilbert in his research on An olfactory demography of a diverse metropolitan population. found that this skill remains with us even in sleep.

To get rid of the obsessive foul smell, you can sniff something with a different scent, such as mint, or even just chew mint gum.

If that doesn't work, you may have some sort of smell disorder. For example, with parosmia, the perception of odors changes and it seems that an unpleasant smell is pursuing everywhere. What smelled good before is now disgusting - or vice versa.

Another disease associated with the sense of smell is phanthosmia. With her, people feel smells that actually do not exist. Smell Disorders are rare in the United States, however. only 1–2% of the population.

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