Updated: Aug 31
Elevate Your Workspace: Using Taste & Smell for a More Inspiring Environment
Let’s continue our exploration of Denslow Brown’s Processing Modalities. If you need a refresher on this concept, read my previous post Discover Your Unique Modalities and How They Shape Your Perception. Today we look at the modalities of taste & smell which are so interrelated they are presented together. Brown describes this as a response to “odor or taste through the nose, mouth and olfactory center of the brain.”
TASTE & SMELL
Do smells or tastes take you back to childhood? Maybe the taste of a certain dish your grandmother made or the scent of your dad’s aftershave? Many of us can attest to the fact that odor and memory are intricately linked.
Of course, taste and smell also enhance our daily life. When I'm feeling stressed, I often put eucalyptus essential oil in a diffuser to help me relax. The scent of eucalyptus reminds me of walking in the park by my house with its huge eucalyptus trees. The scent of certain essential oils has an immediate calming effect on me. It’s remarkable! This love of certain scents is an example of what Brown calls the Processing Modality Strength Continuum, which can range from weak to tolerant to gifted.
Brown explains that in addition to our modality preferences, we have varying strengths with each modality, ranging from weak to competent to gifted.
We can also be highly sensitive to smells and taste. Some people love the smell of truffles, but others dislike them. Some people love spicy food, but I certainly can’t handle much heat! These are examples of what Brown refers to as the Processing Modality Sensitivity Continuum, which ranges from being hypersensitive (unaware) to competent to hypersensitive (very aware).
We have varying sensitivities across different modalities ranging from hyposensitive (unaware) to tolerant to hypersensitive (very aware).
How do you relate to taste and smell? Are there certain smells that improve your mood or focus? Are their tastes that inspire you? Do you have a ritual, such as having a cup of tea while doing the crossword or lighting a scented candle when doing yoga that involves taste or smell? If not, would intentionally creating a ritual like this bring you more sensory joy?
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