Scent

Whenever I find myself in the darkness of a theatre performance or film screening, it always strikes me again: all those different scents around me. The man in front of me, who is wearing a delicious aftershave, the hideous perfume of the woman behind me. Sometimes, it's just a little whiff, that quickly passes your nose and never will return. Other times, it's there, whenever you move or get to close to them. Unfortunately, they're not always pleasant scents. Sometimes, it someones sweat, because he or she had to cycle hard to make it in time, or it's a fragrance that doesn't fit the person.

However, my conclusion is that all those scents will determine your perception of the show. Every time I smell something, my thought wander from the performance and I start wondering if I would experience it differently if the scent would be better or worse. And how would it be? Would I like the performance better? Or worse? Would it make me laugh less loud, so I wouldn't bend forward because I'd want to avoid the scent of that person in front of me?

The next thought that always follows is that I really would like to try it. I would love to make a scent performance, in which the audience get different scents while watching something. Afterwards they'd have to see it again with different scents, to see if there's a difference. I know what you're going to say, I'll say it for you: the experiment stops here. Because you cannot see a performance a second time with the perception of the first time anyway.

And so, my thoughts are brutally stopped, because it's impossible to figure this out. Still, my scent experiment always makes me happy. I realize that there is this extra experience in everything you do, that others might not be aware of, but that, in my opinion, definitely adds to the experience! Try to think of it, next time you're in a dark theatre venue. And don't run to the theatre in a hurry, be considerate to others..