Science on Instagram: "Smell and Memory Our sense of smell (olfaction) is closely linked with memory because the olfactory bulb — which processes smells — connects directly to the brain’s limbic system, especially the hippocampus and amygdala. These areas are deeply involved in emotion and memory formation. This is why certain smells can instantly trigger vivid memories and emotions from the past, sometimes even more strongly than sights or sounds. This phenomenon is called the “Proust effect.”