Aromatherapy
is more than just a means to help induce relaxation. According to
researchers at the University of Miami School of Medicine, USA,
aromatherapy can have a significant affect on our brain (EEG) activity,
our sense of alertness, and our moods.
Forty adults were given just three minutes of
aromatherapy using two aromas, lavender (considered a relaxing odour) or
rosemary (considered a stimulating odour). The participants were given
simple math computations before and after the therapy.
The people in the lavender group showed increased
beta power, suggesting increased drowsiness, they had less depressed
moods, reported feeling more relaxed and performed the math computations
faster and more accurately following aromatherapy.
The rosemary group, on the other hand, showed
decreased frontal alpha and beta power, suggesting increased alertness.
They also had lower state anxiety scores, reported feeling more relaxed
and alert, and they were faster (although not more accurate) at completing
the math computations after the aromatherapy session.
The implications of these findings are far
reaching - suggesting that aromatherapy can be beneficial not just in
clinics and hospitals, but also in schools, colleges, and the workplace.
