AROMA-CHOLOGY® AND
AROMATHERAPY
AROMA-CHOLOGY® is the term coined by the Olfactory
Research Fund (now known as the Sense of Smell Institute) in 1989 to describe
the concept which is developed to scientifically study the interrelationship
of psychology and fragrance technology. Studies sponsored by the Fund at colleges
and universities around the world are designed to investigate a variety of specific
feelings (such as relaxation, exhilaration, sensuality, happiness and self-confidence)
which are elicited through odors via stimulation of the olfactory pathways to
the limbic system or "pleasure center" of the brain. Before the Fund
developed the concept of Aroma-Chology®, the findings of which have
been acknowledged by the scientific community and embraced and utilized by mainstream
society, the effects of fragrance on behavior were generally included under
the misnomer of AROMATHERAPY.
The following chart is meant to finally clarify the distinction
between Aroma-Chology® and Aromatherapy and to become a standard
point of reference.
DEFINITIONS
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AROMA-CHOLOGY® |
AROMATHERAPY |
|
Aroma-Chology
is a concept based on systematic, scientific data collected under
controlled conditions. It was developed in 1989 under the leadership of
the Olfactory Research Fund (now known as the Sense of Smell Institute).
Aroma-Chology is dedicated to the study of the inter-relationship of
psychology and the latest in fragrance technology to transmit through odor
a variety of specific feelings (such as relaxation, exhilaration,
sensuality, happiness and achievement) directly to the brain. |
Aromatherapy
is a concept based largely on anecdotal individual case studies and
folklore. It prescribes the use of natural essential oils and herbs for
the treatment of various mental and physical disorders. It is generally
used in combination with body massage, the result of which is described by
advocates to heal, beautify and soothe the body and mind. |
From the olfactory
fund research
Comments
from AbdesSalaam Attar, Composer Perfumer
The small ® that follows AROMA-CHOLOGY
clearly indicates the kind of commercial mentality that runs the organization.
The most diminutive definition given in this page of the Aromatherapy,
a science rooted in all traditional medicine that is becoming a real World trend
and a huge expending field of research, is a pathetic tentative to deter potential
customers (companies interested in olfactory marketing) from opting for the
real thing. In fact my experience with people is that anybody who tried the
natural essences will never go back to the chemical ones and will develop a
strong aversion towards them.
There is a tentative going on to develop confusion between
the two terms in order to shift the aromatherapy trend towards aroma-chology
but the small ® makes it difficult for the fund and eventually
people could keep to Aromatherapy calling it Aroma-chology. Nevertheless the
customers that the fund is trying to win are not the people (us), for whose
health and well-being it has no interest at all, but the multinational companies
to whom it proposes to sell new coercive instruments of marketing. There
is a real danger that our life could become filled with chemical fragrances
as a result of the fund's research, with a heavy toll to pay in mental, physical
and emotional health, but people will fight against that as they are now fighting
against transgeny or pollution, and this fight is just in the nature of things.
It is not, as they will say, fight of science against ignorance but rather fight
of man's avidity of against the generosity of nature, as the small ®
clearly shows.
For more on the subject see Profumi
rischiosi (in italian)
For an ocean of
informations on sinthetic perfumes and on perfumes allergies see:
http://www.ameliaww.com/fpin/fpin.htm
La Via del Profumo
- Via Valbruna in Conca 28 - 47854 Montecolombo (RN)
- Italy
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