Just now, in the early morning, I asked Sue if she were cooking something, knowing that, of course, she were not. It was my way of telling her that I was experiencing an episode of phantosmia.
For those who don’t know: “Phantosmia is an olfactory hallucination—the perception of a smell that is not present, often described as foul, burned, or chemical. It is often temporary, lasting a few weeks or months…”
That’s what Google AI says, but I can report that I was hallucinating a pleasant odour in this case: like something pleasant cooking on the stove although I cannot say what. Sue asked if it were like bread baking, but it wasn’t quite that.
My first experience with phnatosmia that I can recall was of gasoline due to the medication that I was taking: medication that I stopped taking promptly, I hasten to add. But occasionally, I sometimes seem to smell other odours. They are not always necessarily pleasant, but it is nice when they are.
These episodes of phantosmia are not frequent, and I do not know what causes them. It’s odd that I would experience something in the early morning, which, of course, has dissipated in the time that is has taken me to type this silly report of something that occurs in my silly little life.
So glad that silly you has such an interesting phenomenon happening! And since you happen to be you, there are those of us who read about such events, ponder how they are unusual, not really silly, but definitely of interest...and wonder why we don't have any such silly things occurring in our lives. So be it.
ReplyDeleteI just find this fascinating. And not so silly!
ReplyDeleteIt is interesting, I'm curious what causes that. I'm off to google more about it.
ReplyDeleteIt is a strange sort of malady.
ReplyDeleteHmmmm! Another unusual experience by Mr Rayner! -Kate
ReplyDeleteSue has the ability to pass gas in your presence (albeit silently) and just blame your phantosmia! I wonder if I can get my wife to believe she has phantosmia.
ReplyDeleteOh wow! You have the opposite of me since I’ve lost my sense of smell completely.
ReplyDeleteWell now, that took me back, because the mind has a funny way of playing tricks like that from time to time. I’m glad to hear yours was a pleasant smell, as it’s far better than those harsh chemical ones you mentioned. Life’s little oddities like this may be puzzling, but they do remind us to slow down and take notice of even the strangest moments.
ReplyDeleteI remember you writing about this. Hope it's not too disturbing!
ReplyDeleteVery pleasant when the smell is nice. Not so much when it smells like gas. Have you seen the series Hinterland? I actually turned the TV on yesterday, went to Tubi and selected this. The lead character resembles you, to me anyway, a lot.
ReplyDeleteOh yes, it's a good one. But nobody smiles in the series -- ever.
DeleteVery interesting.
ReplyDeleteIf it does no harm, I wouldn’t worry about it.
ReplyDeleteCurious stuff. At least I learned a new word. However, I'll never remember it.
ReplyDeleteI also have this and my, first odor was garbage. I mean stinky, horrible garbage. I don't experience this too very often but now I smell smoke. Like cigarette smoke. My ENT doctor told me to make sure I have smoke detectors in every room. Along with this, because smell and taste are related, I don't taste things correctly. Mr. M. has to taste test my cooking. It isn't terrible but it is annoying.
ReplyDeletePhantosmia captures the quiet strangeness of the mind conjuring scent from nothing, where even a fleeting, imagined aroma can momentarily feel as real and grounding as the world itself.
ReplyDeleteI have s similar thing but for hearing. When a fan is running, I would swear that I hear a melody or song playing in the sounds of the fan. Hmmm. I'm glad it's a pleasant smell at least; is it always?
ReplyDeleteI also hear melodies in fans and in the water running in the sink. uite plesant
DeleteAs I posted last Christmas, I have music in my ears at all times as part of my tinnitus. Right now, my brain-ears are playing, Standing on the Promises. It's not quite the same thing as a regular earworm. It feels like if someone were to put their ear close to mine, they could hear it. Of course they couldn't, but it feels like that. I'll write another post someday.
DeleteHow nice if the phantasmic odors are pleasant!
ReplyDeleteI say, what's better than a silly little life?
ReplyDeleteThe joys of what an aging body can do. I remember my mother having the 'scent' problem. Mine is the opposite, as a Covid infection knocked down my receptors and I have to be told about a lot of smells.
ReplyDeleteLooking forward, however, to the rain on the ground, as that scent is a wonder.
You know, the very first thing I thought of is your auditory hallucinations. I know this is a wacky theory, but what if you have a very active mind, one that simply comes up with music and smells to keep itself entertained...a sort of mental 'thumb twiddling'.
ReplyDeleteI am a strange guy, so maybe you're onto something.
DeleteI used to know a woman who had a stroke (or heart attack? I don’t remember) and when she came home from the hospital, she could hear music. She said it was coming from the microwave I think, though it’s been years so I’m not sure. She loved it, said it was orchestral music, and likely it was a medication she was on.
ReplyDeleteI have phantosmia, just short moments in my life. The current imagined odour my brain conjures up can best be described as a mix of dog poo on shoes and ear wax, deep inside my left nostril. I also recently smelled what I thought was something baking but it was actually my husband burning porridge. That was real but it didn't smell real. Do you get that sense of "knowing" an odour is real or not?
ReplyDeleteNot really. I mean the timing and location are a clue, but the smell does seem real.
DeleteI've had that happen to me also but not very often.
ReplyDeletePhantosmia is an interesting phenomenon and maybe pleasing if the scents are attractive.
ReplyDeleteJoe gets this. It was the worst when we lived in my parent's house. He'd smell pine or cleaning products. Mom loved Christmas, and never felt I was good at housework!
ReplyDelete