Olfactory Experiences ** AN INTERESTING QUESTION

[Guest guest]

Great post Butch!

 

I particularly like the horse manure bit.

I love manure, of all kinds.

But in the same vein, I love the smell of chlorine,

because once upon a time it spelled Swimming Pool.

 

Ien in the Kootenays

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" If the brain were so simple we could understand it,

we would be so simple that we couldn't " .

~Lyall Watson

Nourish your brain with whole wild food

aquazon

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[Guest guest]

Hi Jody,

 

> Sorry for the cross post, but I'm seeking as much knowledge and input

> as possible.

> On a Skin Care Forum that I moderate, this question stopped me in my

> tracks:

> If a person has no sense of smell, will aromatherapy still be effective?

 

If a person has lost their sense of smell and they are about to receive

the death sentence .. in the gas chamber .. will it be effective?

 

Aromatherapy is about the inhalation of the volatile molecules of oils

via the olfactory system.

 

The therapeutic properties of essential oils basically fall into the

following categories.

 

Physiological .. Big Bad Bug Butt Kicking time .. works even if one has

no sense of smell. We cannot stop the effects of Carvacrol (Origanum)

even if we can't smell it. Relaxing or exciting or whatever occurs

following the actions of particular chemicals or combinations in the

brain and throughout the body. You would NOT need to have a sense of

smell to gain Physiological therapeutic value from use of an EO.

 

Psychological .. Somewhat tied into Physiological and also into the

following (Emotional). This too is based on chemical effects that we

don't really have control over. In some cases you would need a sense of

smell .. that is .. if its mind over matter .. but if particular

chemical(s) like Linalool and Linalool acetate found in Lavender are

going to relax a person whether they know they are smelling it or not.

 

Emotional .. In fact .. this might be the catch all. There can well be

Physiological change occurring to affect our sense of well being .. and

this change can be a result of effects to one or both of the above .. OR

it can simply be a feeling of euphoria one gets for personal reasons. I

like to use the example of horse manure .. take an ol' Texas boy who was

raised on a ranch .. stick him in New York City .. and odds are he can

get significant Emotional (and Psychological ?) benefit from smelling

macerated horse manure. In the case of Emotional therapeutic value it

would probably be safe to say that under most conditions a person would

have to have a sense of smell to gain some benefit. I can think of some

exceptions to this but won't go into that now.

 

Again .. Aromatherapy is about the inhalation of the volatile molecules

of an essential oil from a distilled or maybe pressed aromatic plant or

plant part. We do NOT need to have a sense of smell to gain benefit in

all cases.

 

Massage therapy (when oils are used) is aromatherapy whether the intent

is there or not because there is no way to avoid inhalation of the

volatile vapors. In fact, the one giving the massage will get more than

the recipient as the vapors rise. And inhalation of those vapors would

be obvious if one was hooked up to a CatScan at the time of inhalation.

 

Absorption is theoretical .. at best. For sure the whole oil does not

absorb .. and those chemicals that are known to absorb past the first

layer or two of the bodies greatest protective system .. the skin .. are

those that are also known to be potential sensitizers. This absorption

business is a subject unto itself .. I bring it up only to point out

that its inhalation of the vapors that classifies it as aromatherapy.

 

As for vibrations and the like .. this originally came out as marketing

hype by Young Living .. there is no valid way to test it nor are there

any valid theories on the therapeutic values of any oil based on such a

premise. When a plant and the yielded oil has been BOILED .. it is not

a living thing .. essential oils are NOT alive.

 

> How would dilute EO applied to the skin work?

 

You have to dilute an EO before applying it to the skin or take the risk

of irritation or worse .. sensitization. That's what Martin Watt's

Safety Manual, " Plant Aromatics " is all about .. it shows the various

oils and the percentages of dilution that have been tested as safe.

 

As for what the dermal application will achieve .. it depends on the EO.

 

> I am no where near technically qualified to answer that question but I

> find it intriguing.

 

Not so intriguing if we remember that use of essential oils is all about

chemicals .. its not about esoteric humma-humma.

 

Because Aromatherapy is not a science .. anybody can write a book on it

and/or come up with some wild claim as to why it works and not be wrong

or be criticized if they don't step all over it from a point of safe use

or make wild claims of this or that being cured by this or that. We

see different folks claiming to get the same results from different oils

and if they are not sellers of EO its safe to assume they are not lying.

They believe it works so it works .. that's how subjective aromatherapy is.

 

But .. if one wants to write about essential oils .. that is a science

and it is easy to check on the data and to criticize them if they can't

back up their writings. Its a risk to write a book on EO .. its wiser

to write a paper on a particular EO.

 

And there is NOT a lot of money in writing about essential oils .. thus,

the subject remains within the domain of the academicians.

 

> Thanking all in advance ...

 

Welcome fer'shur.

 

> Jody

 

Y'all keep smiling. :-) Butch http://www.AV-AT.com

 

Sole Source in North and South America for Martin Watt's Plant Aromatics

http://www.av-at.com/plantaromaticsavnp.html