Nose Hunger

Who hasn't smelled fresh coffee coming up the stairs early in the morning and found yourself unable to resist a cup? Or smelled the enticing scent of a summer barbeque in a neighbors yard drifting over the fence, and become instantly hungry for corn on the cob and fried chicken? This is nose hunger, a type of false hunger that is inspired by current smells around you that trigger memories. You are actually hungry for the memory, the lost experience, not hungry for actual food.

Your sense of smell is your most visceral of the senses. It connects you to the earth, to the present moment. It makes memories come alive. The smell of something from the past can bring you back to that moment, making it alive again. If I smell salt in the air, I am instantly transported to my childhood days on the beaches of Long Island, NY. If the smell is connected to a traumatic event in the past, you may experience revulsion, or be struck by the emotion connected to that experience. For example, maybe you become saddened by the scent of gladiolas after smelling them at a dear friend's funeral. The intense aromas of different foods also have this effect. Say your first date with your eventual life-partner was at an Italian restaurant. The smell of pasta always make you feel happy and loved.

• Consider these questions:
• What are your favorite smells?
• Name some foods that smell good to you. Why?
• What did your breakfast smell like this morning?
• What smells do you remember from your childhood?
• What are some smells of food from the past, connected to the experience of happiness?
• Which smells make you happy? Feel at home? Feel upset? Feel sad?

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