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June 23, 2011

The smell of Love

Fragrance of fresh flowers or ripening fruits, aroma of delicious food or hot coffee, scent of soil after first shower or burning incense sticks…all alluring and mesmerizing. Their unique smell draws our attention towards them in no time, even if we can’t see, touch or taste those things immediately. We can instantly judge quality, freshness and even taste by just smelling them.

It's quite unclear to understand for an average individual but we all follow our noses very well almost all the way throughout our lives, right from birth till death. Smell is so special for our sensory experience that it unconsciously regulates and detects our mood. More surprisingly, it rules over our love lives too. Wondering why?

Each one of us has unique smell even though we can’t whiff it easily. As like finger print, you may also call it as smell print. More specifically, it is called as pheromone. Pheromones work by two ways in our intimate life i. e. first for connecting with persons that are close to us and other for finding marital and romantic partners and reproduction.

Body smell has stronger links with our genetic profiles and heredity. In very close blood relationship, body smell of one person is almost identical with the other. This amazing natural gift creates an enduring bond among family members which starts with birth itself.

Newborn baby feels easy and comfortable in presence of her mother around. You experience warmth and closeness when you give hug to your parents. Your affection soars when you cuddle your child in arms. It’s very common experience for most of us.

Someone passes by and you suddenly feel a strange pull towards the person without any clear and apparent clues. A random person belonging to the opposite gender you meet and interact with casually, one day knocks right on your heart and you wonder what happened all sudden.

On the other hand, two persons belonging to opposite genders can’t think about shifting their informal relation into a romantic stir even when they are seemingly attracted towards each other and observing strong solicitation, smiles and signaling. Beyond physical look, does body smell control our love life?

Body smell attracts opposite genders towards each other but conditionally. Courtship and company is vital in everybody’s life so equally crucial is the match between both partners best possible. Breeding between members of close blood relation leads to deformations and disorders in child. Male and female of dissimilar genes can give birth to more healthy children.

That’s why body smell of a person belonging to a dissimilar genetic profile appeals the most at the deeper level. Most people would confess that he/she didn’t smell right or not at all to them. The marital or romantic partners with dissimilar MHC (Major Histocompatibility Complex) profiles are most likely to stay together longer.

Unfortunately, most of us mistake natural body smell as an odor and try to suppress it every way possible. Body smell represents overall health, physiological equilibrium, reproductive potential and vitality. It might alter with passing age, hormonal change, fat gain or loss, medication, diseases, diet and other habits.

Today, we are spoiling this natural gift by moving into an ultra-hygienic state. Soaps with strong (hazardous) chemicals, shampoos, bleaches, deodorants, artificial perfumes, body sprays, synthetic fabrics and hot showers diminish natural smell of body thus misguiding our minds on way of finding and retaining true love.

The body smell or odor is one of least written over subjects in the body language. So I thought to give you a brief idea about the subject through this small article.

Related Articles:
1) Courtship and Dance 2) Primary Attraction 3) Man’s Courtship Body Language 4) Woman’s Courtship Body Language (Part 1) 5) Woman’s Courtship Body Language (Part 2) 6) Secondary Attraction

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