How the invisible influences our feelings

By Sherna Hans, May 10, 2025

When we think of memories, we usually imagine pictures – an inner photo album that we leaf through in quiet moments. But some memories lie deeper. They reside hidden, in the half-light of our consciousness. And they are not awakened by what we see or hear – but by what we smell.

The sense of smell is unique. It passes through no filters, no cognitive checks – it goes straight to the heart of our emotions, to the limbic system. That's why often just a single whiff of a familiar scent is enough to transport us back to past moments with such clarity – not just as a memory, but as a complete return of the feeling, the atmosphere, the very soul of that moment.

Uncle Boy and the scent at five

I was five years old when I first understood how powerful a scent can be. At the time, we were renting, and our landlady lived right next door. Every day around five in the afternoon, her boyfriend would arrive—on a motorcycle that sounded like a soft thunderclap from a distance. He wore his shirt tucked in and carried a scent I've never forgotten.

We called him "Uncle Boy".

Even today I can still hear the sound of the engine that lured us children outside like magic. And I can see him embracing us with a smile – warm, sincere, and full of warmth. But what has truly stayed with me is his scent: a deep, sweet aroma like old lipstick – dark cherry, a hint of powder, a shadow of smoke. Gentle. Surprising. Unforgettable.

He's long gone. But his scent remains.
Sometimes a similar smell brushes against me in the air – and for a moment I am a child again, barefoot in the dust of twilight, waiting for Uncle Boy.

The island, the smoke, and the coffee

A second memory – even deeper – takes me to the island of Sulu in the Philippines, my grandfather's homeland. I was there for the first time when his father died. I didn't know him, but the place where he had lived spoke to me.

I awoke in a simple wooden house, built from bamboo and nipa. The morning was filled with the scent of wood smoke and coffee slowly brewed over an open fire. Not a strong espresso, but an earthy, gentle aroma that settled into my soul like home.

The smoke. The rustling of the palm trees. The proximity to nature.
It wasn't a memory in the classical sense – more a feeling of origin, an inner return. Even today, I seek out that scent when I want to ground myself, when I'm lost in the speed of everyday life.

And then there are these modern scent anchors: the sweet coconut fragrance of a sunscreen that reminds me of days by the sea in Jumeirah. The soft, powdery scent of Downy that instantly transports me to childhood memories – white blankets, commercials, a feeling of security.

Fragrances teach us what security feels like. What love feels like. What life can feel like.

Who programs our memory?

But the deeper we think about fragrances, the more urgent a question becomes:
Do these memories truly belong to us – or are they made for us?

The world of commerce has long recognized the powerful effect fragrances can have on us. Baby products smell of powder and innocence. Hotel lobbies exude specially composed fragrance blends. Luxury stores smell of longing, intimacy, or new beginnings.

Sometimes we don't even know where we are – but the air tells us.

The same is true for Rituals: the scent announces the store even before we see it. And what initially seems subtle becomes ingrained – as part of our self, our desires.

But do we even notice it?
Do we have a choice?

In the digital world, we give our consent when data is collected. In the analog world, scent tracking happens silently – it imprints itself on our very being without asking.
We don't choose which scent we'll never forget. It chooses us.

Fragrances as a bridge to inner transformation

But what if we could consciously use this power?

What if we could associate scents with new feelings – joy instead of pain, security instead of fear? What if we could rewrite our memory – not with words, but with scent?

That is precisely ÆR 's vision.

ÆR is not a perfume in the classical sense. It is emotional architecture – precisely composed to transform our inner world.

A fragrance can realign us: from rushed to collected, from absent to present, from lost to connected. We cannot erase the past – but we can reshape our relationship with it.

And consciously breathing in our present moment – ​​one scent after another.

A final breath

At ÆR, we believe in the power of fragrance, not just to remember, but to transform. Every breath is an invitation: back to yourself, into life, deeper, more authentic, more conscious.

What scent has shaped your past?

And who will write your next chapter?