"Smell is a real primordial. You walk by a bakery, and it reminds you of being 5 years old and your grandmother baking bread. It has an incredible capacity to activate old memories," he said.
For Vietnam veterans, he said, the smell of swamps or even the scent of Asian food triggered wartime memories.
It's not quite smell-o-vision, but UCF researchers are kicking off a study that will combine a virtual-reality simulation of wartime scenes along with the "smells" of Middle East combat zones to help veterans overcome post-traumatic stress disorder.
Because smells are so acutely tied to memories, researchers hope that the combination of reliving painful experiences — along with the smells of war — will help Iraq and Afghanistan veterans overcome their anxieties.
Known as exposure therapy, the technique teaches people to face their fears by confronting them gradually. "If you're afraid of a dog, how do you get over it? By being around a dog," said Dr. Deborah Beidel, a University of Central Florida psychology professor who is leading the study.
If results from the UCF study are promising, they may become part of Veterans Affairs treatment programs throughout the country.
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