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Scent-memory
The phenomenon where a smell triggers memories or emotions related to past experiences.
Examples:
- The scent-memory of freshly baked cookies took her back to her grandmother's kitchen.
- Certain perfumes can evoke strong scent-memories of first loves.
Anamnesis
A recollection or remembrance of things from the past often triggered by sensory experiences, particularly smells.
Examples:
- The anamnesis of old books reminded him of the days spent in the library as a child.
- Her childhood memories surfaced in a vivid anamnesis when she caught the whiff of pine trees.
Hiraeth
A deep, nostalgic yearning for a home that is now lost or a past that is irretrievable, often linked to specific sensory experiences.
Examples:
- His hiraeth was palpable every time he inhaled the smell of rain on dry earth.
- She felt a wave of hiraeth when the scent of sea salt permeated the air.
Olfactory nostalgia
A specific type of nostalgia induced by olfactory stimuli that evoke fond memories from childhood.
Examples:
- Olfactory nostalgia swept over him as he entered the old candy store.
- She experienced olfactory nostalgia each time she smelled the familiar roses in her mother's garden.
Proustian moment
A term derived from Marcel Proust's writing, describing an experience where a specific taste or smell prompts a vivid memory of the past.
Examples:
- Sipping the tea brought on a Proustian moment, flooding her mind with memories of summer afternoons spent at her aunt's house.
- He had a Proustian moment when he encountered the smell of the lavender fields from his childhood.