Prachi Jain

ESSENCE OF THE PAST

The sense of smell is closely linked with memory, probably more so than any of our other senses. It is likely that much of our emotional response to smell is governed by association, something which is borne out by the fact that different people can have completely different perceptions of the same smell. 

From the products we choose, to the food we eat we usually rely on the sense of smell to make a decision. Since time immemorial, the sense of smell has allowed organisms with receptors to gather sustenance, identify potential mating partners, and even sniff out danger and fear.

Essence of the past is an experiment designed and documented to understand how people from different walks of life can have varied responses when the same smells are introduced to them and how certain smell tend to trigger certain memories.