Everyone knows the abstract word “mind.” It cannot be seen or touched, but it does exist in our bodies. They collect external information for us, process, store them and accumulate energy to have a healthy body and a sound mind.
The information comes from our senses. Theses sensories collect information from our eyes, ears, nose, tongue, and body through external stimuli. They form visual (images), auditory (sounds), kinesthetic (touch & internal feelings), gustatory (tastes) and olfactory (smells).
These five senses of the human body have improved a lot of convenience for our lives. Today, I will share how to use them skillfully to make our brains have an oasis and make life more abundant. Let’s start with one of the oldest beings: smell.
The smell is older than human existence, and it is one of the most perceptions. When we smell a known scent, the limbic system that governs our emotions in our brain immediately evokes the corresponding sensations again. Sometimes, even subconsciously assessing whether the danger is imminent, this is the olfactory anchor in NLP.
The anchor is a program installed in the brain nerve. Our brain connects an odor or multiple odors with our own emotions at that time, forming a neural network. The moment we smell this known smell, it activates its’ neural network.
Therefore, if people can use the anchor skillfully in a context such as learning, it will make them easily remember what they learnt. For example, if you want to travel abroad, you would like to learn some simple vocabulary. Then you may wish to let the aroma machine emit a smell that you like when you are studying. When you go abroad and drop two drops of this fragrant essential oil on your hand, your brain activates your memory of these words, which will make these words emerge and even pronounce.
Some scents have similar effects for everyone, such as lemon, bergamot, lavender and citrus. They make us calm, relax, drive away anxiety, and improve sleep quality. Mint and cinnamon promote positivity and motivation, resist frustration, and infuse a weary mind with vitality and energy. People who love essential oils, you can consciously use them to decorate your home, let the aroma spread in the room, that is, can purify to make refreshing air, meanwhile let our subconscious switch to the feeling of “relaxation and vitality”.
The smell is only one of the anchors. The sound can have the same effect. For example, research by the University of Hamburg has found that making the volume of music perceived by the subconscious mind can promote our absorption and memory of new information. Scientists recommend Bach or Mozart’s slow pieces. E.g. for Mozart’s double piano piece in D Major, to improve the learning effect.
In addition, the colour can also affect people. For example, although red increases blood pressure, it can promote metabolism. The light blue colour is bright and eye-catching in nature, which is pleasant. Green relaxes and improves creativity and is the perfect colour for the study. If you want to write to a friend, it’s best to use a pale green to accentuate the blue font. Orange makes people feel good to promote appetite; purple suppresses appetite. If someone wants to lose weight, it is better to use purple tableware.
Once you understand your five senses, you can use the NLP ” Anchor” technique to create any anchor connecting them with some emotional states. For example, if you are in a difficult situation and feel very stressed, you can activate those anchors to make you quickly transform into the resourceful state feel “relaxed” immediately.
