Despite years of research and advancements in technology, some aspects of the human body remain shrouded in mystery for doctors and scientists. Given the complexity of our biology, this isn’t surprising.
While some individuals claim to have a “sixth sense” that allows them to foresee events, recent studies suggest that humans might also subconsciously detect the approach of death. Scientists have discovered that when someone passes away, the body immediately begins to break down, releasing **putrescine**, a foul-smelling compound associated with decomposition. Remarkably, humans can subconsciously recognize this scent, which triggers a natural response.
Researchers Arnaud Wisman from the University of Kent’s School of Psychology and Ilan Shira from Arkansas Tech University’s Department of Behavioral Sciences explored this phenomenon. Their findings reveal that much like animals, humans can sense certain odors and react accordingly as part of a survival instinct.
When exposed to the odor of **putrescine**, people exhibit both conscious and subconscious reactions. Experiments conducted by Wisman and Shira demonstrated that individuals exposed to this scent tend to instinctively move away, mimicking animals’ fight-or-flight response when faced with danger.
“We do not know why we like (or dislike) someone’s smell, and we’re usually not aware of how scent influences our emotions, preferences, and attitudes,” Wisman and Shira explained. While it’s challenging to think of a scent as “frightening,” researchers noted that certain smells, like putrescine, heighten vigilance and awareness of one’s surroundings.
For example, **sex pheromones**—odors emitted by males or females to attract the opposite sex for mating—are another instance of scent’s profound influence on human behavior. However, the response to putrescine is markedly different. Unlike the attraction triggered by pheromones, putrescine evokes avoidance and even hostility. Interestingly, people aren’t consciously aware of the scent or its association with death and fear, yet it still prompts a defensive reaction.
This fascinating research sheds light on how deeply connected humans are to their environment, often reacting to subtle signals we don’t consciously perceive. It emphasizes the importance of scent in shaping behaviors and instincts, which may stem from our evolutionary past.
