The Science Behind the Law of Attraction Magazine February, 2016 | Page 20

ESSENTI AL OI LS FOR BRAI N HEALTH & I NJURI ES
Did you know that our sense of smell is the only
sense directly tied to the limbic area of the brain,
which is considered the emotional control center?

In studies performed at Vienna and Berlin
Universities, researchers discovered that
sesquiterpenes, a natural compound found in
essential oils of Vetiver, Patchouli,
Cedarwood, Sandalwood and Frankincense,
can increase levels of oxygen in the brain by
up to 28 percent (Nasel, 1992). Such an
increase in brain oxygen may lead to a
heightened level of activity in the
hypothalamus and limbic
systems of the brain, which can
have dramatic effects on not
only emotions but on learning,
attitude, and many physical
processes of the body such as:
immune function, hormone
balance, and energy levels. High
levels of sesquiterpenes also
occur in Melissa, Myrrh,
Cedarwood, and Clove essential
oils.

This means that when essential oils are inhaled,
they go directly to the brain. Our other four senses
? taste, sight, touch and hearing ? are first routed
through the thalamus before reaching designated
areas of the brain. Because the limbic system is
directly connected to the parts of the brain that
control heart rate, blood
pressure, breathing, memory,
stress levels, and hormone
balance, therapeutic-grade
essential oils can have
unbelievable physiological and
psychological effects. Each of
the essential oils has
therapeutic stimulating, calming,
sedative, balancing properties.
When we inhale an essential oil
molecule, it travels through the
nasal passage to a receptor
In 1989, Dr. Joseph Ledoux , at
neuron that transports it up to
New York Medical University,
the limbic brain, especially the
discovered that the amygdala
hypothalamus. The limbic
plays a major role in storing
center in your brain is
There are many essential oil diffusers
and releasing emotional
responsible for controlling all
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trauma. From the studies of
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Dr. Hirsch and Dr. Ledoux we
drops of essential oils with water which can conclude that aromas may
and emotional responses that
with auto shut off after the water has
your body performs based on
exert a profound effect in
been evaporated. This one is by
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triggering a response.
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outside. Thus, the ability of
Essential oils can provide
essential oils to target your
many benefits to the human body without
limbic center, make them a powerful tool in
side effects, whether it is through diffusing or
treating many health ailments.
simply inhaling the aroma straight from the
When essential oils are inhaled through the nose,
bottle. Proper stimulation of the olfactory
tiny nerves send an immediate signal to the brain
nerves may offer a powerful and entirely new
and go straight to work on the systems that
form of therapy that could be used as an
moderate our minds and bodies. Inhalation can be
adjunct against many forms of illness.
the most direct delivery method of these
Therapeutic essential oils, through inhalation,
incredibly nurturing components in essential oils,
may occupy a key position in this relatively
since the chemical messengers in the nasal cavity
unexplored frontier in medicine.
have direct access to the brain.
The ability of essential oils and its molecular
Page 20 - February, 2016