Mackintosh scent

From Carmen

Pleasant, satisfying near-addictive response

Lorraine, I have recently noticed your footnote comments on why some persons are really attracted by mackintosh, others not, and you feel it may arise from some scent, perhaps a pheromone not noticed consciously.

Latex is of plant origin and many plants secrete pleasant odours which bring back powerful memories from childhood, like roses or lilies.

Also, an article recently in The Times mentioned that the writer (female) remembered her PVC mac from her childhood aged about 3 whenever she smelled a certain type of PVC today, years later. Smell seems to be the major trigger.

As a scientist, I am sure this is the case. The attraction from the smell of rubber may be strong enough to set up a sort of pleasant, satisfying near-addictive response, similar to nicotine or alcohol. What do you think? Keep up the good work!

Dear C

I was thrilled to get your note about smell! Thank you so much.

The thing is, I keep saying it must be smell, but nobody takes the least bit of notice! And I'm sure there's something in it. I talk to quite a few people visiting the site and if rubber or rubberised materials are their thing they always say how important smell is.

I've looked at some diagrams of key substances in rubber but haven't managed to get hold of human sex scent molecules yet.

But of course it may not be that simple. There could be much more complicated relationships involved, I realize.

I don't know what's wrong with me, I'm peculiar, but women generally say they are actively repelled by the smell of rubberised materials. Do you think this is connected? Are they hating it for the very same reason that the addicts like it? Is it the smell of somebody else??

Anyway, many thanks for writing. It helps a lot.

Best wishes

Lorraine

From Carmen

Dear Lorraine,

Many thanks for your letter. This is of great interest to me as one with an interest in rubber. Most women seem, as you so correctly say, to have an active disinterest to the point of repulsion-strange isn't it?

It may be that like certain natural body odours the smell may be slightly repulsive to some but very exciting to others, or even sensed subconsciously by either sex.

I believe also that so-called "love at first sight" is connected by each involved person subconsciously scenting some emitted human sex attractant (pheromone) from the other which triggers the primitive parts of the brain in a similar way to a pleasant odour or sensation and is very difficult to resist.

Many women like to smother their own personal body odour, which when clean is in itself pleasant to most men, with perfume and literally wash all their natural odours off.

Rubberised material or latex leaves a distinctive smell on the skin of the wearer where it has come into contact with bare skin. I find that when I come across a certain type of rubber smell, like that of rubber in the sun, it immediately reminds me of being a youngster and playing in the mud in our garden. It was wet and I expect I was wearing my school uniform - I was about 6 I guess. From photos of that time, we all were wearing school uniforms and some kids had gabardine macs and others what looked like rubber-proofed cloth from its folds. Plastics had not been invented then. Another little thought-the antioxidants and other additives put in rubber when it is spread or squeezed into shape or pressed into cloth to stop it perishing quickly-have these an unusual smell?

C.

Thanks to Goodyear

"There is probably no other inert substance which so excites the mind."

Charles Goodyear, 1834

Dear Lorraine,

I have just finished a weird book - rather horrid actually - called "Perfume" by the German writer Patrick Süskind (Penguin Books, 1987).

What is interesting is the writer's research on the effect of scent, and how the nasty little "hero" (I can't think of another name!) is compelled by his exceptional sense of smell to commit ghastly acts without any conscience or feeling of guilt. The power of scent to work on the mind subconsciously, and most powerfully, is explored through the novel.

The topic is that of horror fiction but throws an interesting light on the intense power of odour to work at the deepest, perhaps quite primitive, levels of the human mind, and thus by-passing the normal 'censorship' of the conscious mind.

I think such a process may lie at the root of the attractiveness of the odour of rubber to many people which perhaps somehow mimics a primitive odour recognised by the brain which then produces an overpowering even irrational response, over-riding the norms of modern human thought and behaviour. This could generate guilt feelings in some and aggressive negative feelings in others. What do you think?

Yours etc,

Carmen

Dear Carmen

Sorry to be so long in thanking you for your very interesting latter prompted by 'Perfume'.

I've actually read it! And thought it was a terrific tour de force.

Yes, I think it's fact that the bit of the brain which deals with odour is really ancient biologically, which thrills me I have to say! The thought that when we smell something we could be back in the frame of mind of some very distant ancestors indeed...

I agree the big processing power of the cerebral hemispheres comes after, and that this brings a whole new raft of controls over behaviour you can call 'rationality'. But I'm not sure this makes life less cruel or more 'considerate'. I think social animals love each other and care for each other probably better than humans do - ? Higher processing power I think tells you how best to achieve your goals, but it doesn't give you better goals!

Anyway - very interesting.

Best

Lorraine

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