Have you ever caught a whiff of something—like your grandfather’s pipe tobacco or your grandmother’s homemade bread—when no one else was there?
I often experience strong scents from spirit. For me, it’s usually my maternal grandfather’s pipe tobacco or my paternal grandfather’s cigar smoke. These moments aren’t just random; they are a form of intuitive gift called clairolfactance.
The Two-Way Street of Spiritual Scent
If we can smell those in spirit, can they smell us? When I’m simmering my father’s favorite spaghetti sauce, I often wonder if he can smell it too. Many spiritual traditions suggest that this sensory perception is a two-way street.
How the exchange works:
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Spirit to Human: Spirits use familiar scents (perfume, flowers, or food) to make their presence known by impressing those scents upon our psychic senses.
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Human to Spirit: Spirits likely perceive our world through energy patterns and emotional vibrations that translate into sensory impressions.
The Key Difference:
While our sense of smell triggers a memory, for a spirit, the “smell” is the memory.
The Mechanics of Intuitive Smelling
While spirits don’t have biological noses, the connection is deeply energetic:
- Our Experience: We smell spirit through intuition. Their energy impresses upon our psychic senses, and our analytical brain forms a memory so we can identify it.
- Their Experience: Spirit “smells” us through memory and energy. They attune to the vibrations and emotions that were familiar to them during their time in the physical
In short, it’s a form of spiritual scent recognition tied to emotion and soul-connection.
© 2026 Lisa Bousson
