INSIDE: Certain aromas can be called “spiritual scents” as they have the ability to deepen our meditations and improve our subconscious state, enabling us to better progress on our spiritual journey.
Both psychological and physiological reactions are necessary for the brain to process smells, regardless of the emotion it causes, whether that be pleasure, fear, or anything in-between.
Smells are capable of bringing back emotions and memories from long ago, like the calm and comforting feeling of the smell of your grandmother’s house or the joyful playtime memories from the scent of a long-forgotten stuffed animal.
While some still aren’t fully sold on the effectiveness of scents as medicine, Mayo Clinic’s own studies prove it does have benefits, such as easing the feelings of depression, lowering anxiety, and overall improving quality of life for those suffering from chronic illnesses.
This unique ability of smell to to easily and passively affect our feelings and connect to memories can be intentionally and purposely used to invoke moods and mental states that can help us become more fruitful in the spiritual aspects of our lives.
Read on as we dive into what we call “spiritual fragrances” to help you do just that.
Spiritual Scents: The 6 Best Aromas to Soothe Your Mind, Body & Soul
The spiritual scents on this list all have their own unique abilities and advantages, while collectively being useful for the same thing, which is spiritual and mental advancement and improving well-being.
Lavender
This list is in no particular order, but it is fitting that lavender is first, since it is one of the most well-known scents in aromatherapy. Lavender, like most spiritual scents on this list, reduces stress and anxiety by attaching to the receptor cells in the nasal passage and sending signals to calm the brainwaves and relax them.
This amazing physical interaction between the nose and brain can actually be replicated and recorded under lab conditions.
Lavender is a perfect spiritual fragrance for meditation due to its calming effects. It can help put your mind at ease so you can reach mental clarity before, during, and after meditation. Lavender also assists in re-balancing us, so if you’re having difficulty meditating for some reason, it can help you stabilize and re-focus.
Ylang-Ylang
Also known as the cananga tree, ylang-ylang is a tropical tree that is native to Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, and the Philippines, among other places.
It has stress-relieving effects like those of Lavender, but the thing that makes ylang-ylang special is its energy-boosting effects. Initially, increasing your energy may not seem useful when speaking of spiritual scents, but when an excess of positive energy is directed towards meditation, or say, a breathing exercise, it’s easy to see and feel the benefits.
In a 2006 study, participants inhaled ylang ylang essential oil paired with lavender and the next spiritual fragrance on our list, bergamot, everyday for a month. They showed a significant reduction in blood pressure along with lower stress and cortisol levels.
Bergamot
Bergamot is one of most expensive and most versatile spiritual scents on our list. Coming from the fruit of the bergamot tree, its lovely sweet-smelling fragrance is due to its origin as a hybrid of a lemon and orange tree.
Like with other citrusy aromas, such as sweet orange, bergamot is commonly used as a mood regulator and uplifter because of its ability to increase serotonin.
One key to all spiritual improvements is balance, and bergamot is perfect for use at times when you feel like you’re being taken off your path. A few minutes of reset with this spiritual scent can work wonders.
Sandalwood
There are many types of sandalwood out there, but if we’re talking quality, Indian Sandalwood (santalum album) is the best. Hawaiian Sandalwood, like Indian, is a bit expensive in its oil form, but not as effective. Australian Sandalwood is more commercially used but not as credible as far as proven benefits.
Sandalwood has a long list of uses, such as an anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, astringent, disinfectant, and diuretic. The abilities that makes this a spiritual scent are its superpowers as a memory enhancer and sedative. It increases concentration and enhances memory.
Sandalwood is connected to the root chakra. Burning sandalwood chips or wearing the essential oil helps to first open, then clear, and realign this chakra. It is said that the woody, sweet aroma of sandalwood is a favorite of kindhearted spirits.
Frankincense
If frankincense sounds familiar, that could be due to its inclusion in popular Christmas tales. One of the three wise men brought it as a gift to newborn Jesus. Back in those times, its spiritual significance was due to the belief in its ability to purify one’s aura, and the ascending smoke from burning frankincense resin was a perfect representation of prayers rising to heaven.
The fruity, spicy, and woody…
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