https://twitter.com/asym/status/1475598084147138567
It is a common knowledge that dogs have orders of magnitude more sensitive olfaction than humans.
It is also very likely that fruit flies have a lot more sensitive olfaction.
Are there studies or reviews assessing relative olfaction sensitivity of different animals?
What insect or animal has the most sensitive olfaction?
Is there a lower-bound estimate of concentration in ppms of some chemical that can be sensed by a biological, or a non-biological, system?
I have a few questions as it pertains to olfaction (sense of smell) and hypnosis:
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How many of you can actually imagine odors themselves? Apparently, it's a rare ability, but one that can be learned. Olfaction during dreams is exceedingly rare. (Note: You may be able to imagine, say, peppermint, but what you're likely to recall is physical sensations associated with mint. Mint activates temperature (cool) receptors and thus has a physical feeling along with an odor.)
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Do you have luck inducing hypnosis, in yourself or others, through olfaction? Example: Sniffing a certain scent repeatedly to bring up associated memories, and then reliving the memories to induce hypnosis? (Memories recalled via olfaction feel more real because of heightened emotional valence. They are not actually more accurate than memories invoked through other senses.)
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Do you use olfaction (smell) in your hypnotic work, self-hypnosis or otherwise?
Thanks
Please correct me if I'm wrong, but my understanding of the olfactory system is that:
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Olfaction is closely linked to emotion and memory consolidation. Apart from the fact that the olfactory system directly projects to the limbic system, though with anosmia (loss of smell) are highly susceptible to mental disorders such as depression. Nasal breathing appears to improve memory consolidation.
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Olfactory sensation can be improved with practice, not only can you learn to identify more smells (of course), but you can also learn to better imagine the sensation of odors. (Expert perfumers may be able to acquire the ability to imagine smells through practice, and activation of piriform cortex during recollection is evidence of this.)
Given the above, is it possible that through practice and effort you can learn to better regulate emotions and memory consolidation through the olfactory sense?
I have not yet unlocked olfaction after returning to the game from a very long break, but I have been fortunate enough to be able to buy many IOTMs to aid in my HC ascensions. I know how crucially important olfaction has been traditionally viewed, but I am thinking that mapping monsters from CCC combined with the back up feature from the backup camera would actually serve as a comparable substitute? I suppose the feature is somewhat more limited, but I am also hoping I don't need to really push for olfaction as much, please?
I guess the other thought is that olfaction will always be standard whereas CCC and backup camera will not
Edit: Thanks so much for the thoughtful, informative, and entertaining discussion. I learned a lot, and learned that I have a lot to learn, but I love this about the KoL community. So much built up knowledge, and everyone is so willing to share.
The title pretty much explains the question.
(I was going to title this: "Smelly Heathens?" but didn't want to offend. Feel free to take the pun-y alternate, if you like!)
I have seen mention of incense being used on altars, during worship, etc quite a bit--and even a few posts talking about the use of essential oils.
I am very curious about how folks approach the use of scent in ritual: do you normally use it for ambiance? Creation of a sacred space? Does anybody burn incense as an offering per se? If so, how does it affect you psychologically, or what do you aim for it to do?
As a hobbyist perfumer, I am pretty intrigued by how people interact with fragrance, and their sense of smell (olfaction) in general. Even moreso, I am curious about any materials or notes you may associate to particular gods. I know incense, fragrant woods/resins, and perfumes have been used extensively in forms of worship throughout the world for a long time--how does that translate to your experiences and practices?
Have you ever wondered how our sense of smell works, and why certain things smell the way they do? I've written a short explanation on how olfaction works, and I hope this is helpful!
Introduction
Envision yourself in an endless hallway with countless locked doors. Behind each door is a room filled with a scent - vanilla, jasmine, sea spray, you name it - even some that you've never smelled before in your life!
Each lock is unique, but it doesn't require the key to be a perfect fit to be opened; as long as the key is of roughly the right shape and size, it'll be able to open the door, sending the hallway awash with its contained aroma - and sometimes, even an unfurled paperclip would suffice.
In some cases, the locks are similar, too - a key that opens one door can open some others, and as the scents mix in the hallway, you pick up a mixture of smells.
That is the lock-and-key mechanism of olfaction; the keys are the molecules that make their way into your nose, which are known as ligands, and the locks are the olfactory receptors in your nasal cavity, which have a complex 3D structure that the ligand will need to be complementary to in order to bind.
The Lock-and-Key Mechanism
Just like regular keys, the teeth are what controls whether the key will be able to turn the lock; that is analogous to the osmophore and profile, key parts (see what I did there?) of the molecule which enables it to be inserted into and bind to the receptor, triggering nervous signals that your brain interprets as a scent. Without it, the ligand would be completely unable to engage the receptor.
On the other hand, while necessary for the functioning of the key, you could get away with a locksmith making you a duplicate key with a slightly misshapen stem - the key would probably still be able to fit inside the lock, and as long as the tip can be inserted and the teeth line up with the mechanism, you'll be able to open the door - given that the stem isn't completely out of shape or of the wrong size. This is akin to the rest of the ligand besides the osmophore and profile.
*(Note: While the lock-and-key analogy suggests an all-or-none response, the "stem" in odourants or the positioning of the osmophore can help the molecule achieve better binding, which in turn triggers a stronger response - so imagine a key with a poor fit allowing you to open the door by a gap and pick up wisps of the aroma, while a perfect fit would enable you to throw the door wide open, c
... keep reading on reddit ➡Looking for a book that explains smell: what smell is? Evolution of smell, sense of smell in different animals. How we smell (from a neurological standpoint preferably)? How one smell differs from another? How smells affect humans, psychologically? And so on.
I'm not expecting to find one book with answers to all these questions; any book that explains at least one of them would be fantastic.
Along with steric theory and vibrational theory, labeled line is mentioned. Is this just another theory of olfaction? It is described as a receptor would respond to a specific stimuli but that seems like it aligns with the other theories, which are just more specific about how the specific stimuli is detected, either vibration or shape. How is it distinct?
After seeing so many people lose their sense of smell due to coronavirus, I want to see if there are any chemicals that have altered (temporarily) your sense of smell. Bonus points if it’s basically only a sense of smell change, like DiPT for the nose.
"The latest Nguyen et al. study provides neuroscience-based insights into something I stumbled on as a pheromone-driven teenager who wore obnoxious amounts of cologne in the early '80s and discovered that specific smells inspired me to run longer and harder."
Here are some other articles and research studies:
As I posted yesterday, I finally got olfaction done, so my only goal left for this run is level 30 for the trophy.
Following that, I'd like to start grinding some HCCS runs, but wasn't sure how the script worked or what to do to prepare for it. Do I just get the script, have the needed items, then run it and I'm good? I've just never used a script to run an ascension before and it seems a little daunting.
Heres a list of the finalists. What are your thoughts? How many have you tried and which ones are your favorites? I own Behique, Bee, Ganymede and Keman and like all of them for different reasons and I would have a hard time picking a favorite. http://www.artandolfactionawards.org/2020overview/2020-finalists/
I’m trying to figure out if what I am able to do would be considered Hyperphantasia or something else. I actually just became aware of Hyperphantasia so I’m happy I’ve gotten this far.
Basically the first time I look at a painting, I conjure a smell in my mind(?) that pairs with the artwork. So whenever I think of the painting from that point on, I smell the scent that I came up with. It is not me looking at a picture of a pine tree and then simply smelling pine. Or looking at a picture of flowers and smelling their aroma. I can do that too, but in regards to paintings of people or places, things you don’t necessarily associate with smell right away... that is what I’m talking about.
If it helps, I completed the pinned checklist and can indeed imagine/complete all of the tasks in great detail. Can anyone help me out?
