How much do we communicate through smell? - Historum

**Jake10** · November 6th, 2012, 03:47 PM

So, if a person experiences fear he/she can communicate that through their perspiration, making others feel the same way. Does this work in other ways?

Quote:

As the researchers predicted, women who were exposed to chemosignals from “fear sweat” produced fearful facial expressions, while women who were exposed to chemosignals from “disgust sweat” produced disgusted facial expressions.

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RoryOMore · November 6th, 2012, 04:53 PM

People from different cultures can have different sensitivities to smell, so that it can be difficult for some people literally to pass the sniff test with each other.

Angelica · November 6th, 2012, 06:54 PM

Scent:

Pheronomes used by animals as a form of communication.
In humans it provides information about identity, sexual receptivity.

This scent triggers off receptors in the brain that stimulates sexual arousal. It is also a magnetic pull towards intimacy from a potential mate.

Yep...scent plays an important role

**Jake10** · November 7th, 2012, 09:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Angelica

Scent:

Pheronomes used by animals as a form of communication.
In humans it provides information about identity, sexual receptivity.

This scent triggers off receptors in the brain that stimulates sexual arousal. It is also a magnetic pull towards intimacy from a potential mate.

Yep...scent plays an important role

How about people wanting to be left alone? Women not wanting some men to hit on them? Would they secrete smells to do that?

I wonder how much our other emotions such as sadness, content, anger or eagerness are affected by smell.

Angelica · November 8th, 2012, 09:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jake10

How about people wanting to be left alone? Women not wanting some men to hit on them? Would they secrete smells to do that?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jake10

Tell the individual (s) to back off "plain and simple". No need to secrete smells because verbalizing it is more effective.

I wonder how much our other emotions such as sadness, content, anger or eagerness are affected by smell.

I think they are effected by external conditioning....however sometimes individual may associate a smell to a type of condition. For instance chemotherapy patience associate bad "nauseated feeling" with the scent of the hospital.

**Brisieis** · November 8th, 2012, 09:08 AM

Do you think that we can smell someones hormonal scent without even being aware of it?

For instance, you know when you feel uncomfortable around someone for no apparent reason...?

Since some people believe that attraction can be due to scent, maybe repulsion can be too or even weariness?

**Jake10** · November 8th, 2012, 04:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brisieis

Do you think that we can smell someones hormonal scent without even being aware of it?

For instance, you know when you feel uncomfortable around someone for no apparent reason...?

Since some people believe that attraction can be due to scent, maybe repulsion can be too or even weariness?

I've heard men talk about their wives no longer wanting to have sex with them. The explanations they give don't really make sense, since they still love their husbands, but scent could be causing this. I know that animals detect had health in potential mates through scent and reject them based on this.

**Brisieis** · November 8th, 2012, 11:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jake10

I've heard men talk about their wives no longer wanting to have sex with them. The explanations they give don't really make sense, since they still love their husbands, but scent could be causing this. I know that animals detect had health in potential mates through scent and reject them based on this.

I don't think that is to do with scent, Jake, but external factors in the relationship such as the development of apathy.

**Jake10** · November 9th, 2012, 04:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brisieis

I don't think that is to do with scent, Jake, but external factors in the relationship such as the development of apathy.

We need to keep an aspect of the human brain in mind. The brain comes up for reasons to justify emotions produced by chemical reactions. Basically, if you perform an experiment where you artificially introduce chemicals into the brain or stimulate different areas, the person will quickly have a change of mood. One section is stimulated, and the person feels happy. When asked why, he/she explains that he/she is thinking of a pleasant event in the past. If another section of the brain is stimulated, the person will become upset and explain that it has to do with a person in his/her life who is making trouble. Stimulate another section and the person will laugh, explaining he/she thought of a joke. What is really happening here is that the brain is coming up with reasons for the induced emotions. Women not wanting to sleep with their husbands may feel that way due to external factors, or they may justify their feelings with that.