Despite years of research and technological advancements, there are still some aspects of the human body that remain a mystery to doctors and researchers. Given the complexity of our bodies, this is not surprising.
Recent research has revealed that some people have a sixth sense and can predict things in advance. In addition to this, scientists have discovered that we can also sense when death is approaching. When a person dies, their body immediately begins to break down, and as a result, putrescine, a foul and toxic scent that is produced during decomposition, is released. Humans can subconsciously recognize this putrefying odor, and it causes an immediate response when detected.
Researchers from the University of Kent’s School of Psychology in Canterbury, UK, and the Department of Behavioral Sciences in Arkansas’ Tech University in Russellville, AK, have found that humans, like animals, can sense scents and react accordingly. This is a crucial part of survival across species.
When humans are exposed to the putrescine odor, they show both conscious and subconscious reactions to it. In some experiments conducted by the researchers, individuals exposed to the scent of putrescine moved away, similarly to how animals respond to danger by either fleeing or fighting.
However, the reasons behind why we like or dislike someone’s scent are still unknown. Additionally, we often remain unaware of how scent influences our emotions, preferences, and attitudes, as explained by Wisman and Shira.
Although some researchers argue that it is hard to consider a scent as frightening, the truth is that scents can make people more aware of their surroundings. For instance, sex pheromones, which are produced by males or females and stimulate specific behavioral reactions in the opposite sex with the aim of bringing males and females together for mating, is a perfect example of the impact of scents on humans.
While putrescine, on the other hand, signals a different type of message compared to pheromones, humans tend to respond to it with avoidance and hostility, which is the opposite of their response to many sexual pheromones. Researchers explain that people are not aware of the odor and do not consciously associate it with death or fear.
