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Since prehistorical times, the scent of burning objects has conveyed a sense of the mystical to people around the world. The sweet or musky smell of certain plants or types of wood have been associated with ritual, and the rising of smoke has seemed to convey a way to send messages to the gods or other realms. Frankincense from Arabia was traded throughout the Middle East and beyond for 1,500 years, at times being more precious than gold. While Native Americans still use the burning of bundles of herbs in a process known as 'smudging'. And religions such as the Roman Catholic Church, Buddhism, and Wiccans all use various forms of incense in their ritual practices.
Incense was to lead to Aromatherapy, which uses the scent of oils and/or incense to stimulate and heal. The olfactory center is one of the oldest and most direct routes into the brain. A sudden whiff of a smell can be instantly recognized decades after the last experience with it. It can take you back through the years and return you, however briefly, to a particular memory of childhood. No wonder then, that the sweet aroma of incense can be such a profound and pleasurable experience.
