Phantom smells

[etherealfionna]

There are only two ways, in my opinion, that I differ from most people

Comments

[etherealfionna]

I think of my senses as being pretty well balanced as well, especially as ozarque described sense-dominance - "what's it like?" answers should cover all senses to satisfy me. But I thought I would mention it anyway, as a possibility.

[anonymous]

*Very* interesting! It can be turned into interesting sayings, like "May God shield you from smelling oranges"...

[etherealfionna]

:D

"Curse you to citrus-scented hell, you cur"

[greyarea]

That is interesting. It's not an area I know much about, but ISTR that citrus is quite a common olfactory hallucination?

I can "make" myself smell things that aren't there - watching cookery shows etc, if I want to I can smell the frying onions etc, which is kind of weird. But that's just a runaway imagination rather than as symptom of anything deeper I think.

[etherealfionna]

Off I go to Google again - and find that this entry is already number 11 hit with search terms "olfactory hallucination citrus", yay me - and it looks like citrus fruit smell is linked to migraines...?

But there were also some medical papers hit, which were locked behind subscription only, so maybe there is more to it, and it is more common.

[greyarea]

Ah, could be. I know I've seen it before; it chimed with because IIRC in the Shining, the chap who has a psychic connection with the boy always has his "events" accompanied by the smell of oranges. I thought that was just Stephen King's writing, but I'm sure I read it in other places later; it only stuck in my head because of the "Oh, so he didn't just make it up".

[etherealfionna]

Holy crap - I'd completely forgotten that part of The Shining! Wouldn't it be sad if I smelt oranges because of a subconscious memory of a Stephen King book?

[fionna_g]

That's interesting. Was there a particular point in time when you suddenly became aware of the fact that you were smelling things that other people weren't?

[etherealfionna]

Actually, no, I don't think there was. When I was young and impressionable, I was much more concerned / delighted with the sounds that weren't there, and since my mother in particular has a terrible sense of smell, I just assumed that the smells were real and she couldn't smell them.

I've only realised the link between oranges and my depression in, say, the last four or five years, and with the other things that I smell I am usually so upset that I *can't* think about what it all means.

phantom smells response

[sisteroftheone]

A topic of interest to me. I assume you have seen a neurologist? Scan to check for tumour? I think unless you cancel out brain tumour, there is no point talking or thinking about this further. If it helps any I don't think you are crazy and I believe you. Do you ever smell honey in the hot water? Perhaps it is a general chemical smell at odd places that you try to put a smell too but know that perhaps it is not real. Even if psychological, if you can rationalise to yourself that it is not real then you have a really good level of control and sanity.