Frankincense you say.......*grins*....what do you know about the Liquidambar orientalis Miller tree.....these trees create "frankincense forests" here (Turkey)....

which is why we are spoilt and prefer liquid styrax and storax bark (frankincense) in our daily aromatherapy rituals...:D

Yes, I really like frankincense.  I like to burn it and then some myrrh.

[quote="tourbi"]Yes, I really like frankincense.  I like to burn it and then some myrrh.
[img]http://www.paganscircles.org/smf/Smileys/pagan/censor.gif[/img][/quote]

I may have experienced Frankincense but do not know for sure :-(

The part of the brain that deals with the sense of smell, they say, is the oldest part of the brain. What this tells me is that smells and smelling goes way back in our evolutional reality and growth (as mankind) to days when we were ruled by instincts more than by reason (the latest Maya or Illusion, by the way! The fact is that most of the crucial decisions made by modern men and women are instinct-based which are soon thereafter rationalized by some kind of reasoning and most of us think that reasons reign supreme!

It is strange also that the memory of smells is not limited in that small area of the brain which is responsible for the sense of smell. A Canadian neurosurgeon Penfield carried out experiements during his surgical procedures in which he touched parts of the brain (cortex) and recorded the responses (many of the brain surgeries are carried out with the patient not anaesthetized (YIKES!). Isn't it strange that the brain which is where we really process and feel the pain of the entire body is ITSELF completely devoid of the sense of pain and so does not need any anesthesia!

Penfield was touching small areas of the brain with an electrode and his patient reported memories including a strong recollection of the smell of burnt toast! This was an area way way away from the brain area that deals with smells!

It makes sense to me! If sense of smell was an ancient trigger for things such as self vs foreign in early times, then nature would make sure that it was represented and copied in different areas of brain (nature is not shy about redundance!). Think of it as making backup copies of important files, just in case a virus hits the computer!

In fact there are tribal instincts that still utilize the sense of smell to distinguish those that are of our kind vs those that are not!

Kewl stuff, eh?

I love frankincense!!!! Its one of my favourite smells. I put some on a cotton ball when I've had a miserable day and need to unload all the goo I've picked up during the day. I'll be going back to work soon so I guess I should buy some more

I've mixed it with geranium oil and used a few drops of that in a tsp of jojoba as a facial massage on myself, daily, for a few weeks before bed. I have that lovely hormonal acne under my chin and it helped make a marked difference in the amount. Of course, the smell on my face was wonderful (well, I thought so, but the DSH can't stand the smell of geranium essential oil ) and breathing it in helped me to sleep faster.

Its also supposed to help joint pain but I haven't used it for that yet.

~Solwynn