Olfactory imagery is the ability to imagine smells—from pleasant scents like coffee or flowers to unpleasant ones—without external stimulation. It can vary independently from visual imagery or auditory imagery; some people have strong olfactory imagery and weak visual, or the reverse. The Imagination Index measures it as one of the six senses and breaks it down into subcategories such as pleasant vs unpleasant odor imagery, which can differ in vividness and even in which brain regions are active.
What to do next
See where you fall on the imagination spectrum—take the free 12-minute assessment and get your Imagery Profile across all six senses.