Abstract
In this chapter, we first look at the expectations of consumers who enter a perfume store for a fragrance consultation. We see that it is the acquisition of attractiveness and beauty as well as the increase in well-being that play a role. Building on this, findings from neuroperfumery on the relationship between fragrance directions, well-being, brain regions and their networks for neuro-olfactory or rather for aromatherapeutic measures with neuroscents (active fragrances) for the treatment of anxiety and stress as well as for reward and increase in self-assertion are presented. We will see that when smelling, especially when “smelling nice” with perfumes, a more or less conscious transformation takes place. At the end of the chapter, a spectacular theory for smelling is discussed: “Cortical Stretching”. It states that the brain evolved faster than the skull and therefore needed space. The only way it could do this was by folding the brain over at the expense of brain thickness and becoming thinner in areas with corresponding performance. More space was needed for higher brain performance such as self-image and certain personality traits. One of these favored personality traits is “openness” in the sense of openness to new experiences. If we transfer this observation to smelling, we can conclude that evolution is interested in “smell openness” in us humans.
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Mensing, J. (2023). Welcome to the Neuroperfumery. In: Beautiful SCENT. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-67259-4_4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-67259-4_4
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