Why Smelling an Essential Oil Can Make You Cry
Have you ever smelled an essential oil and had an emotional response that caught you off guard? Maybe you smelled a new blend and you immediately started crying. This reaction is more common than you would think.
On the day my husband and I were married, we exchanged a perfume and cologne as our wedding gifts to each other. Neither one of us had smelled the fragrances before and we wore it that day knowing we knew would forever associate the aromatics with our wedding. We have now been married 14 years and I love when he wears that cologne on special occasions as it brings back so many memories.
A few months ago, I decided to open up the perfume he gave me and smell it. I don’t wear it often as synthetic fragrances tend to give me strong headaches, so it had been over a year since I last smelled it. Within a second of opening the bottle, my eyes swelled up with tears. The tears were so instant that they completely caught me off guard. I hadn’t really even processed the aroma yet or connected any memories, yet my brain immediately recognized the aroma and facilitated an emotional response. Wow. Our sense of smell is profound.
So why the tears? Let’s dive into the science behind this.
First, we know aromas can play a huge role in emotions. It has been estimated that 75% of the emotions we generate on a daily basis are impacted by the aromas around us. This has to do with the anatomy of our olfactory system being directly connected to our limbic system (a part of brain responsible for emotions, behaviors and motivations). No other sense has such a direct connection.
When we see, hear, touch and taste something it first goes to the thalamus in the brain which processes it and then sends it to the cerebral cortex for interpretation. Due to the anatomy of the brain, our sense of smell first goes through the limbic system which contains both the amygdala (responsible for emotions) and hippocampus (memory storage), then it is coded and sent to higher conscious levels of brain for coding.
Dr. Rachel Herz, Psychologist and Cognitive Neuroscientist states that “Our primitive ofactory cortex was the first fabric of our brain and from this neural tissue grew the amydala where emotions are processed...in other words our ability to experience and express emotion grew direct out of our brain's ability to process smells.” (1) Our sense of smell is literally one synapse away from the amygdala. It is no wonder there is such a strong connection there.
The way we view and experience the world around us exists through our senses; in what we see, hear, smell, touch and taste. We interpret these perceptions based upon how they make us FEEL. Due to their direct connections with the emotional part of the brain, it is no surprise that aromatherapy can impact our cognition, moods and memory.
Aromas have been shown to evoke psychological states of mind (both positive and negative) and trigger instantaneous responses! Odoriferous molecules around us can influence thoughts and emotions without us even being consciously aware of the scents in our environment. In addition, studies have shown aromatherapy can have an effect on brainwaves and can alter behavior. (2) Aromas evoke emotion and autonomic states through that direct pathway to the amygdala.
Why do some essential oils make us cry?
There are several reasons why we have the emotional response of crying after smelling an essential oil.
1) You could have a memory connected with the aroma or a similar aroma that resembles it.
This could be a positive memory. For example, the essential oil reminds you of your grandma or you remember that aroma from your wedding day. Our olfactory system is closely connected with the hippocampus, a part of the brain important for storing memories. The sense of smell has the ability to recall the most emotionally vivid memories. An aroma can bring us to tears remembering happy memories of the past. This is the reason we cling to deceased loved one’s clothes and smell them.
A memory scent association could also be negative. For example, you pass by a guy at the gym who is wearing a cologne identical to one worn by someone you were in a past abusive relationship with. You are immediately flooded with memories you haven’t thought about in years and break down in tears.
Scent has the ability to unlock stored memories.
Sometimes we are not able to consciously recall past memories connected with a scent... but our brain and body have retained this link through a lock and key association. We may negatively respond to an aroma and not really understand why.
2) Smelling an essential oil can cause us to cry as a release.
Some researchers say that crying arousal from a stimulus such as olfaction is a physiological response of the parasympathetic nervous system accompanying relief of tension. (3) One of the best ways to release stress, anxiety, and frustration is to cry. Crying allows us to process emotions and move through the stress cycle. It is a self-soothing mechanism designed to help us release bottled up emotions.
Emotional tears are good thing!
Did you know there are three kinds of tears? There are reflex tears, continuous tears and emotional tears. Reflex and continuous tears exist to remove debris such as smoke, dirt and dust. Their primary job is prevent infection. They are 98% water-based content. Emotional tears, on the other hand, are different. Researchers have found that they contain more protein-based hormones than the other two categories of tears. They contain prolactin, adrenocorticotrophic hormone and leu encephalins which help regulate the body back to homeostasis. When we cry, we are releasing those stress hormones. Not to mention when we cry, our body releases oxytocin which is our love and bonding hormone as well as endorphins which are our feel-good chemicals. (4)
Crying is a good thing, never hold in a cry! There is a reason we feel better after a good cry.
I've heard multiple stories from people who have had a stressful day at work, came home and started their diffuser and immediately began to cry. A scent can tell us if there is danger, but it can also allow us to feel safe. It can allow us to release any emotions we have been bottling up. When struggling with trauma or grief, smelling an essential oil can help the mind process and release those deeply stored emotions.
Essential oils allow us to feel safe.
They allow us to release what we are holding on to.
Due to the complex chemical constituents, essential oils can play a role in allowing us to process and transform unpleasant emotions, induce relaxation and potentially reduce the damaging effects of stress on the mind and body. “Most studies, as well as clinically applied experience, have indicated that various essential oils, such as lavender, lemon and bergamot can help to relieve stress, anxiety, depression and other mood disorders. Most notably, inhalation of essential oils can communicate signals to the olfactory system and stimulate the brain to exert neurotransmitters (e.g. serotonin and dopamine) thereby further regulating mood.” (5)
In summary, a psychological response to an essential oil may be telling of a past memory with that aroma or something that closely resembles it. Both positive and negative. A crying response can be positive and may mean that the aroma makes you feel safe and allows you to release stored emotional tension.
Want to learn more about using essential oils? Check out my latest book Science of Essentials: The Essential Guide for Using Aromatherapy to Promote Health and Healing here.
Looking for more education on using essential oils for emotional health? See my blog article, The Best Essential Oils for Stress and Anxiety and 5 Tips for Using Aromatherapy for Stress Relief.
Disclaimer: This blog is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of medicine, nursing or other professional health care services, including the giving of medical advice. The use of information on this blog or materials linked from this blog is at the user's own risk. The content of this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Users should not disregard, or delay in obtaining, medical advice for any medical condition they may have, and should seek the assistance of their health care professionals for any such conditions.
References:
Herz, Rachel. The Scent of Desire. (2007). Harper Collins Publishers: New York.
Kadohisa M. Effects of odor on emotion, with implications. Front Syst Neurosci. 2013 Oct 10;7:66.
Pelowski M. Tears and transformation: feeling like crying as an indicator of insightful or "aesthetic" experience with art. Front Psychol. 2015 Jul 23;6:1006.
Bylsma LM, Gračanin A, Vingerhoets AJJM. The neurobiology of human crying. Clin Auton Res. 2019 Feb;29(1):63-73.
Lv XN, Liu ZJ, Zhang HJ, Tzeng CM. Aromatherapy and the central nerve system (CNS): therapeutic mechanism and its associated genes. Curr Drug Targets. 2013 Jul;14(8):872-9.