Transcript
Here's how to use smells to improve your memory and grades based on real science. We've all had those moments where we get a whiff of some smell and just get transported back in time. It's called the Proust Phenomena. We likely evolved it to help our ancestors navigate and forage, and not repeat poison themselves. But what if you could leverage it to intentionally remember things on tests? Turns out you can, if you do it right. It's called context-dependent memory, like we covered last time. Your brain doesn't just store facts. happening around you, the sensory inputs. And smell is uniquely powerful here because your olfactory system has a direct hotline to your hippocampus. The brain's memory vault. While sights and sounds get filtered through the thalamus, smells go right in, making them the ultimate memory anchors. So here's the protocol I developed by combining protocols from multiple different peer-reviewed studies. See below. Pick a smell you don't normally encounter. This study used peppermint oil, but the more unique the cue, the stronger the anchor. I recommend getting a perfume or cologne sampler pack like these. Two, use that smell only when studying. Researchers had students learn passages printed on peppermint scented paper, and those who smelled it again during recall remembered significantly more. Optional step three. Put the scent in a diffuser and set it to go for the first 90 minutes of your sleep at the night after study. This triggers something called targeted memory reactivation. Your brain literally replays the day's lessons while you're asleep, helping them move from short to long-term memory. while you're out cold. Step four. Right before the exam, apply a little bit to your wrist. Then smell yourself anytime you're having trouble remembering. Bonus, scents work best for episodic memories, especially emotional ones. If you get a little crazy during your study session, linking it to the material, the scent will work even better to transport you back. What other memory tricks have worked for you? Share with the class.
Additional notes
How to BOOST your memory using smells: 1. Step one — pick a smell you DON'T normally encounter. The study used Peppermint oil, but the more unique the cue, the stronger the anchor. I recommend getting a perfume or cologne sampler pack like these.(Or essential oils + a carrier like jojoba) 2. Use that smell ONLY while studying. Researchers had students learn passages on peppermint-scented paper, and those who smelled it again during recall remembered significantly more 3. Optional Step 3: Put this scent in a diffuser and set it to go for the FIRST 90 minutes of sleep the night after studying. This triggers "Targeted Memory Reactivation." Your brain literally replays the day’s lessons, moving them from short-term to long-term storage while you’re out cold. 4. Step 4: RIGHT BEFORE THE EXAM, Apply a little bit of it to your wrist. Then smell yourself any time you’re having trouble remembering something. This WON’T WORK WELL if your study sessions are just “you reading your notes 5 times.” You need to make the smell a CONTEXT TAG attached to an active learning routine (practice questions, free recall, teaching back). The zanier the better. The smell isn’t a trigger for the material, it’s a trigger for the memory of studying that material. NOTE: This is NOT meant to replace other study techniques like using active recall. The effect size here is relatively small, usually in the 10-30% range. But for grades that can be significant! It takes very little added effort, and I’m all about finding ways to leverage scientific research to improve efficiency without adding costs–financial, temporal, or otherwise. What do you want to cover next? A. More details on using smell to enhance memory B. Using Sound to improve memory C. [Insert Topic Here] : ) Studies Referenced ‣ Odor-based context-dependent memory: influence of olfactory cues on declarative and nondeclarative memory indices - doi: 10.1101/lm.053562.121 ‣ Odour and Proustian Memory Reduction of Context dependent Forgetting and Multiple Forms of Memory - DOI: 10.1002/1099-0720(200103/04)15:23.0.CO;2-D ‣ Odor cueing during sleep improves consolidation of a history lesson in a school setting - DOI:10.1038/s41598-022-14588-x ‣ The ability of odours to serve as state-dependent cues for real-world memories: Can Viking smells aid the recall of Viking experiences? - DOI: 10.1348/000712699161170 ‣ Context-dependent Memory: Colour versus Odour – DOI: 10.1093/chemse/23.3.359 #edutok #learnontiktok #tiktoklearningcampaign #science #studytips
References
- Odor-based context-dependent memory: influence of olfactory cues on declarative and nondeclarative memory indices. DOI: 10.1101/lm.053562.121. Source: https://doi.org/10.1101/lm.053562.121
- Odour and Proustian Memory Reduction of Context dependent Forgetting and Multiple Forms of Memory. DOI as stored in workbook: 10.1002/1099-0720(200103/04)15:23.0.CO;2-D.
- Odor cueing during sleep improves consolidation of a history lesson in a school setting. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-14588-x. Source: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-14588-x
- The ability of odours to serve as state-dependent cues for real-world memories: Can Viking smells aid the recall of Viking experiences? DOI: 10.1348/000712699161170. Source: https://doi.org/10.1348/000712699161170
- Context-dependent Memory: Colour versus Odour. DOI: 10.1093/chemse/23.3.359. Source: https://doi.org/10.1093/chemse/23.3.359