There is one experience every human will inevitably face: death. Even though it is universal, much of what happens around it remains unclear and surrounded by mystery.
People naturally dislike uncertainty, which is why the idea of death causes fear for many. Yet research suggests that while death itself is still not fully understood, some aspects related to it are becoming easier to explain.
Read on to discover more.
What science cannot yet fully explain is often labeled a “sixth sense.” Interestingly, new studies sometimes confirm things humans have intuitively suspected for a long time.
According to recent findings, the moment a person dies, their body begins to decompose, releasing a chemical called putrescine. This compound has a strong, unpleasant odor, and humans—whether they realize it or not—are able to detect it as the smell of decay. When the brain senses this odor, it reacts immediately.
Researchers Arnaud Wisman from the University of Kent’s School of Psychology in Canterbury, UK, and Ilan Shira from Arkansas Tech University in Russellville, USA, found that humans, much like animals, can detect certain scents and instinctively respond to them. This ability is a survival mechanism observed across many species. When people encounter the smell of putrescine, they instinctively move away—mirroring the behavior of animals escaping danger.
“We don’t truly understand why we enjoy or dislike certain smells, and most of the time we’re unaware of how scent shapes our emotions, choices, and attitudes,” Wisman and Shira explained.
Although it may seem unusual to think of a smell as frightening, research shows that certain odors can heighten our alertness.
Sex pheromones—chemical signals released by males or females—can influence human behavior and often trigger responses related to attraction and mating.
“Putrescine sends a very different message compared to pheromones. People’s reactions to it—avoidance and increased aggression—are essentially the opposite of their responses to many sexual pheromones,” one researcher noted.
Unlike other noticeable odors, humans are usually unaware that they are detecting putrescine, and their reactions are largely subconscious. In other words, our sense of smell may help us sense death—or potential danger—without us even realizing it.