Aromatherapy
Aromatherapy means to treat with aroma through inhalation. Essential oils, because of their fragrance and volatility, have also been reported to help create greater spiritual, physical and emotional harmony when inhaled.
The olfactory, that part of our nose responsible for odor detection, sends impulses created by various odors to the amygdala, which is the memory center of our brain for fear and trauma. It wasn’t until 1989 that it was discovered the amygdala plays a major role in the storing and releasing of emotional trauma, and ONLY odor or fragrance stimulation has a profound affect in triggering a response with this gland. Fragrance is one of man’s greatest enjoyments, bringing back memories of past experiences and creating a feeling of security, grounding, and well-being. Dr. Joseph Ledoux, of New York Medical University, feels that this could be a major break-through in releasing emotional trauma.