Bridges to Happiness by Lauren Archer 

Did you know that strong emotions are triggered by sounds, images, and smells? Most of us have had an experience of hearing a song and suddenly going “back in time” to a memory which the song evokes.  This familiar phenomenon happens because our brain has the ability to regress down a non-linear path, known as an “affect bridge,” which is a bit like a pathway that links or connects our memories. What’s more, our brain remembers the emotional association more vividly than the actual experience, and forms a “bridge” to other times that we felt a similar emotion. 

Because our sense of smell is very primitive, aromas often bypass our conscious awareness and directly affect the limbic system, that part of the brain involved in emotion, motivation, and emotional association with memory.

An interesting study performed at Brown University revealed that when an odor is paired with an emotional event, perception of that odor was altered to fit that association. Participants were placed in a room with a mildly unpleasant smell and invited to play fun video games and watch a humorous film. Compared to a control group, they later judged that smell as pleasing, because their brains associated the scent with the pleasant experience. Conversely, another group of participants were placed in a room with a pleasant scent and invited to play a frustrating video game while being exposed to annoying sounds. As you might expect, they later scored that associated scent as distasteful. In each case, the brain created an association, or a bridge, between an emotional state and a scent.

With a little know-how, we can use this information to our benefit. We can “burn our bridges,” so to speak, and consciously reprogram uncomfortable memories and feelings. And we can build new bridges that elicit pleasant, positive feelings more often. The result is improved health, elevated moods, and an enhanced ability to learn and remember new skills. 

How to create your own “Bridge to Happiness”

Step 1. Gather your materials.

Choose a pleasant scent – a kitchen spice like clove or cinnamon will work just fine. Or you may want to select an herbal oil, like lavender, bergamot, or peppermint, or use Matriarch perfume.

Step 2. Select a pleasant destination.

Close your eyes, relax, and focus on something that warms your heart – a pleasant memory, a person you love or admire, or perhaps a puppy or a kitten. Be patient. When you can feel a pleasant sensation in your body, especially in the area around your heart, you will know that you have activated a positive emotional state.

Step 3. Build your bridge.

While still experiencing the positive feelings, take several deep inhalations of your chosen scent. Allow your mind and body to make the connection. Notice what images and feelings are associated with this positive emotion.

Step 4. Name your bridge and travel it often.

Giving this pleasant emotional state a name or a label will help your brain find it in the future. Take a few moments to repeat this exercise every day for one week. After that, you will be able to elicit good feelings with a simple olfactory journey on your happy bridge.

Lauren Archer is an author, speaker, and Hypnotherapist.

www.PositiveCentral.com

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