Smell Hallucinations

[barry1010]

Not sure if that is the correct expressions but just wondered if anyone else experiences this.

I can very often smell something that isn't there when my memory is triggered. If I see a picture of old terraced houses I can often smell putty - my dad replacing a broken window pane.
A Victorian style junior school will trigger a very peculiar smell from my schooldays - returning to school after going home for dinner every Thursday. It was the school dinner I could smell but could never identify what it was.
Gasworks - rotten eggs.
The list is endless and includes the smells of mothballs (gran's house); coal fires; TCP; stale beer (from the open pub doors of my childhood); vomit; a horse's grassy breath; wet dog; pipe smoke (dad); bread toasting; hot tar from roadworks (breathing it in was good for my chest apparently); bonfires (dad again); washing scorching in front of the fire....

It doesn't bother me and I often enjoy the smells apart from the smell of rotting flesh from the meat wagon that collected the scraps from the butcher twice a week. I could literally taste that smell and it stayed for hours. I just wondered if anyone else has experienced similar.

[eleanor2]

Are you ok otherwise Barry?

[barry1010]

I have sjogren's syndrome and controlled type 2 diabetes but apart from that I'm fine :) I've always been able to smell things that aren't there.

[eleanor2]

Had to look that first one up Barry. Well, that's a weird one regards your sense of smell!

[Sqad]

This is a well known phenomenon the intimate association of smell and memory and has no unfortunate significance.
It is an anatomical fact that the smell centre ( olfactory centre) is in close proximity to the memory area ofthe brain.

[emmie]

i can sometimes smell plastic burning, its horrible and brings back some awful memories

[bednobs]

its more often the other way round for me - the smell will trigger a memory, but ive never had it your way round

[barry1010]

A few times I've had to get up in the night because I can smell gas or smoke. That's the only inconvenience it causes me

[William51]

Yes. The mind plays tricks on us and i have experienced the same.

[douglas9401]

Maybe the things you think aren't there are just out of sight round the corner.

[barry1010]

Thank you, William.

I doubt that's the case every time, douglas, although it is possible on occasions, I suppose.

[Peter Pedant]

// It is an anatomical fact that the smell centre ( olfactory centre) is in close proximity to the memory area ofthe brain.//

Hi Sqad - yup - large part of the first nerve apparatus ( hippocampus etc ) given over in man to memory

Barry may look up synaesthesia -
smells usually trigger memories ( obvious reasons see above) and not the other way round.

[Peter Pedant]

This is quite an intersting read on the usual

I am not alone in being aware that perfume can bring back childhood memories

https://www.livescience.com/why-smells-trigger-memories.html

[Peter Pedant]

Synesthesia is an extraordinary phenomenon where a sensation in one of the senses, such as hearing, triggers a sensation in another, such as taste. ... In comparison, odor-color synesthesia is more unique, with only 6% of people with synesthesia having visual experiences when they smell odors.21 Aug 2017

is not quite 'it'

[lankeela]

The other way round for me too - the smell of Cousins Imperial Leather reminds me of a relative who lived in the lodge of a big country house, the smell of waxed bread wrapper reminds me of grandma making sandwiches for my uncle's snap tin.

[Peter Pedant]

oh, try googling

synesthesia smell pictures

a lot of personal accounts to work thro' considering it is a first for most of us

[ferlew]

Both my sons have reported smelling Mr F's aftershave since he died.
Not on the same occasion as one lives in Yorkshire and one lives in Bucks.

[fourteen85]

Every now and again i can smell the first day at work ( Upholstery workshop) from 1972, I dont know what triggers the memory but it is a memory and not an actual smell

[AuntPollyGrey]

Barry: Look up Clairalience

[gness]

I think PP could be correct with synesthesia, Barry. Google the writer Alix Fox Synesthesia. She seems to have similar experiences to yours I think. It's one of the rarer forms of the condition.

I have the common colour synesthesia but still find the colours and pictures that I see fascinating. Makes for a very colourful world!

[barry1010]

Thanks everyone, some interesting links and information :)