Question:
I was visiting the Canadian Naturopathic College in Toronto acouple months back.. and Aromatherapy is an actual "science" or studyapparently... but then again there might be some placebo involved...I find that lavender works well for me when i can't sleep.. its quiterelaxing.

Answer: the whole aspectof scent and how we (as humans) smell, how it effects us, etc., is a NEWarea of psychological research. I don't know of any studies that say that a certain scent effects 95%or more folks in a certain way all the time. There have been studies onhow we react to scents, what scents are believed to help withconcentration, alertness, etc. Not that you were really looking down this avenue, but I would suggestchecking out the APA (American Psychology Association) athttp://www.apa.org and seeing what journals they have posted in regardsto smells, aromatherapy, the sense of smell and the human body and mind. I can say that smells DO affect us in more then a "pseudo" way. Thereare physical reactions that occur from when a scent goes up ournostrils, is processed by our brain, and the reaction afterwards. And did you know (not that you care, but it is something I rememberfrom taking Psych. in College) that unlike the other senses of our body,like touch, hearing, etc., smell is thought to be directly connected tothe area of our brain that processes long-term memory and emotion.That's why smells can make us think of events, emotions, or memories alot more clearly then any other sensory input to our minds. Maybe the smell of apple pie will calm you down, or Camphor/Mentholointment (like Vicks VapoRub). Some people find the smell of orangesinvigorating. For me, the smell of oranges makes me feel ill. Experiment with what works for you. However, like anything, becautious with concentrated oils, etc. Certain substances can be toxicin concentrated form if accidently rubbed on skin or swallowed.