Pheromones – some people believe that thanks to them their chosen one will pay attention to them and will ignite great feelings and desire. Is it really enough to spray yourself with some magic potion to achieve this?
There are many myths about pheromones. Some are convinced that it is enough to spray yourself with them, and this smell will make the person who we like, lose his head for us. One thing is for sure – there is no magic here. Nobody will fall in love with us just because we spray ourselves with a mysterious substance. But there is a good chance that they will pay more attention to us. How does it work?
Pheromones are semiochemical substances in which one of them always dominates. These volatile compounds are designed to attract the attention of the opposite sex. Natural pheromones are produced by plants and animals (often to communicate and attract a male or female). When used by humans, they are meant to influence the emotions of the people we come in contact with.
Many people have heard of pheromones and wonder about their scent. An interesting fact – and certainly a surprise to many – is that these compounds are odorless. A delicate scent can be felt only when we are dealing with a high concentration of them, but it is unlikely that we unconsciously smell it.
So how do we sense pheromones and how do they affect us? This mystery was discovered by a Dutch doctor – Federick Ruysch. We sense their presence thanks to an organ called the lemma-nasal organ. At first, it was thought that only animals possessed it, but with time it turned out that also humans have it. However, according to a 2007 study by the Military Medical Institute, the organ that senses pheromones is not present in all humans. Less than half of the population has it, and it appears to be more common in men than in women
There are two groups of pheromones – natural and synthetic. The first are still not very well known and research on them is still ongoing. It is known, however, that the human body produces compounds that send non-verbal signals to others. In turn, the latter are created in laboratories. Synthetic pheromones are distilled from other compounds. Later they are crystallized and filtered
There are still many unknowns about the very action of pheromones, hence the many different myths that have arisen around this substance. The mechanism of their action for many scientists is still a mystery. It is certain, however, that after detecting their presence, or sensing them by the blade-nasal organ, special impulses are sent to the brain.
But what happens afterwards? This is still being meticulously studied and scientists do not yet know the definitive answer to this question. It is known, however, that under the influence of pheromones there is a change in the perception of a person. If we spray ourselves with them, then our interlocutor will consider us as someone more attractive. It should be noted, however, that often a person who sprays himself with pheromones, feels more confident, is convinced of their unusual action, which also has a positive impact on his behavior.
Of course, they will not make someone fall in love with them, but such perfumes will certainly improve their attractiveness. But only if the person who smells them has the aforementioned lemma-nasal organ.
German dermatologist Dr. Yael Adler conducted an experiment. She sprayed chairs with male and female pheromones. Later people entered the room and were supposed to sit on them. It turned out that ladies chose the ones with male pheromones more often, and gentlemen chose the ones with female pheromones
Interestingly, we do not necessarily have to choose pheromones to arouse interest in others. In many perfumes we can find substances that act similarly to pheromones, because they have extracts such as vanilla, jasmine, cinnamon, ginger or sandalwood.
Main photo: Laura Chouette/pexels.com
