The Power of Incense

Written by Laura Peto

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Posted on September 24 2019

The Power of Incense

Our sense of smell is strongly connected to the areas of the brain that processes memory, meaning that even the smallest smell of a scent can bring you to a certain place or bring on a certain feeling in mere moments.  Our sense of smell is directly wired to your brain, unlike the other senses, which means that the link between aromas and brain response is rapid and quite ancient and primordial in nature.

The magical scent of incense can lift the spirit and transform the energetic vibrations of a room. Since ancient times, incense has been used in rituals and religious practices. Whether to appease the gods or enhance magic spells, it has remained a powerful tool for spiritual use.

Perhaps the most common use of incense in the past was to create a space for ritual and ceremonial work.  From the Buddhist temples of Japan, China and Tibet to the churches of the Catholic and Greek Orthodox church, one will still almost always find some form of incense being burned in order to create a powerful and purified ritual space.  The smoke of the incense rising up to heaven is a universal symbol of prayer and offerings rising up to the deities.  There is nothing quite as powerful as walking in to a holy space and being hit by the smell of incense, which immediately transports you into a more reverent frame of mind.

You can easily create this type of sacred space of your own by incorporating incense into your daily yoga, meditation or prayer practice.