Home Categories About
argument top image
How does memory work in the brain? How does memory work in the brain?
Our brain cements memories in by encoding Our brain cements memories in by encoding
Memories are stored in multiple levels Memories are stored in multiple levels
One of the most complicated memory processes is retrieval One of the most complicated memory processes is retrieval
Emotions and memory have an intricate connection Emotions and memory have an intricate connection
Memory is strongly effected by our senses Memory is strongly effected by our senses
We remember through Processing We remember through Processing
We remember through Visual Encoding We remember through Visual Encoding
We remember through Acoustic Encoding We remember through Acoustic Encoding
We remember through Semantic encoding We remember through Semantic encoding
We store memory in our sensory memory We store memory in our sensory memory
We store memory in our working memory We store memory in our working memory
We store memory in our long term memory We store memory in our long term memory
The memory process of Retrieval The memory process of Retrieval
Forgetting as a memory process Forgetting as a memory process
Improving memory Improving memory
Flashbulb memories Flashbulb memories
Smell and memory Smell and memory
Debate Mini Map

How does memory work in the brain?
Back to question

Memory is strongly effected by our senses

< (5 of 5)

Smell and memory

Our sense of smell is intimately linked with the memory mechanisms in our brains.
Rachel S. Herz
< (1 of 1)

The Argument

An evolutionary, strong memory of sense of smell gave an advantage to our ancestors. In the wild, smells can advertise a dangerous food item or predator, and identify safe foods, or a potential mate. Due to the advantage of remembering the experiences associated with smell, we evolved a connection between our memory systems and our olfactory system.[1] The locations of smell, memory, and emotional processing in our brain can explain this link. The olfactory bulb, where our brain processes smell, is located at the bottom of the brain and connects to the nose. Significantly, this bulb has direct connections to the amygdala and the hippocampus, the areas responsible for emotion and memory processing. These connections create a link between smell, emotions, and memory in our brain.[2]

Counter arguments

Smell and memory being linked is simply a coincidence. Smell simply helps stimulate memory, but there is nothing extra special about this connection. Auditory and visual cues help recall memories too, and our sense of smell is no different than these. In fact, we use our sense of smell for information encoding less than vision or hearing, so it is even less important than our other senses in regards to memory.

Proponents

Premises

[P1] Evolutionarily, a connection between memory and smell benefited humans. [P2] Our brain contains links between our memory and olfactory processing centers. [P3] Memory and smell have a strong interplay in our brains.

Rejecting the premises

[Rejecting P3] The interplay between smell and memory is no different than the interplay between our other senses and memory.

References

  1. https://bokcenter.harvard.edu/how-memory-works#:~:text=There%20are%20three%20main%20processes,through%20which%20information%20is%20learned.
  2. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/brain-babble/201501/smells-ring-bells-how-smell-triggers-memories-and-emotions#:~:text=The%20answer%20is%20likely%20due,memory%3A%20the%20amygdala%20and%20hippocampus.
This page was last edited on Saturday, 15 Aug 2020 at 01:11 UTC