smell memory
Odor-triggered reminiscence
The vivid recall of a past experience triggered by a scent.
Smell has unusually direct access to memory and emotion, so a whiff of something—sunscreen, a particular perfume, fresh-cut grass—can instantly transport you to a moment from years ago.
The smell of cinnamon rolls is a smell memory of my grandmother's kitchen.
Also called olfactory memory.
- nostalgiaLonging for the past
- scentAirborne odor detected
- fragrancePleasing olfactory quality
- perfumeFragrant liquid for wearing
- aromaPleasant distinctive smell
childhood · grandma's house · recall · trigger · evocative · grandmother · baking · cologne · familiar · attic · home · mothballs · rain · petrichor · summer rain · pine trees · burnt toast · roses
smell memoryvisual memory
Recollection of seen things
auditory memory · taste memory · muscle memory · photographic memory · mental image
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