It’s quite common to hear from family members about the unusual behaviors of a loved one who has recently passed away. You might have encountered stories about people acting in peculiar ways before their departure – things like saying final goodbyes, resolving lingering conflicts, or even giving away treasured items. It makes you wonder if they had sensed something before others did.
Many folks believe these instances are more than mere coincidences. They strongly feel that people somehow know when their time is drawing to an end.
Trying to understand the passing of someone dear to us often involves pondering those last moments. Scientists have studied what happens as life fades, noting that the body starts breaking down immediately after death.
An intriguing aspect of this process is the release of putrescine, a distinct and unpleasant scent resulting from decomposition. It turns out that humans can subconsciously identify this odor, and it triggers a quick, instinctive response.
It’s fascinating to realize that animals have an acute ability to detect such scents, allowing them to act accordingly.
This detection works much like their response to danger, whether it’s from a predator or a more dominant member of their group.
A study by Arnaud Wisman from the University of Kent in Canterbury, UK, alongside Ilan Shira from Arkansas Tech University, reveals that humans and animals share similar scent detection capabilities.
The capacity to perceive chemical smells is a critical survival tool for various species. To humans, a whiff of putrescine indicates an impending threat, warning them of possible danger nearby.
Putrescine, a compound released when a body decays, also serves as a cautionary signal. When people are exposed to this scent, it elicits both conscious and subconscious reactions.
Researchers conducted four different experiments using putrescine, ammonia, and water to explore how people respond to these smells.
In one experiment, when putrescine was released into an area, individuals instinctively moved away.
This behavior mirrors what’s known as the fight-or-flight response.
When animals face a real danger, they either battle the threat or flee from it. The study observed that humans exhibit a similar reaction.
Interestingly, humans respond to other scents as well, such as sweat.
Separate research demonstrated that sweat collected from individuals experiencing fear, when smelled by others, triggers an automatic startle reflex.
“We often aren’t aware of why we like or dislike certain smells, or how these scents affect our emotions and attitudes,” note Wisman and Shira.
“Thinking of a scent as frightening may seem odd,” they add. However, these odors heighten people’s awareness and vigilance.
When faced with danger, humans tend to avoid confrontations, whether verbal or physical.
Generally, individuals prefer withdrawing from a threat until fighting is their only option.
Despite differing reactions, putrescine and sex pheromones are both rooted in scent.
While sex pheromones attract mates, putrescine serves as a warning signal. “Putrescine conveys a distinct message compared to pheromones, as responses to it (avoidance and hostility) contrast with reactions to many sexual pheromones,” the researchers explain.
Participants in the study weren’t aware they had a negative reaction to the scent of putrescine.
“Most people aren’t familiar with putrescine and don’t consciously link it with death or fear,” Wisman and Shira acknowledge.
