Sniffing out a solution: How emotional body odors can improve mindfulness therapy for social anxiety.
Journal of affective disorders January 15, 2025 Cinzia Cecchetto, Elisa Dal Bò, Emma T Eliasson et al. 5 citations
Exposure to human body odors (BOs) from happiness or fear, compared to clean air, reduced self-reported anxiety during mindfulness practice over two days in women with social anxiety symptoms. However, fear BO exposure also decreased heart rate variability, indicating a less physiologically relaxed state. No differences in skin conductance were found. The findings suggest that emotional BOs create a sense of social presence, potentially enhancing the ecological validity of psychological treatments, and may eventually be used to augment existing therapies.