Body & Behavior

The Scent-Time Machine: Why Smells Can Pull You Back Into the Past

A familiar smell can be a little rude with its timing. You are walking through an ordinary day, thinking about errands or emails or what to make for dinner, and then suddenly the scent of rain on warm pavement, old books, sunscreen, laundry soap, or someone’s perfume opens a door you did not even know was unlocked. One second you are in the present. The next, you are back in your grandmother’s kitchen, a school hallway, a summer vacation, or a version of yourself you have not visited in years.