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it hasn't been debunked at all... but you can find lots of info online, theres a massive form called pherotalk i think and you can get all your answers here...
people might as well just say pua has been debunked if they are going to take that attitude towards it...
As per Hunter's (2011) metanalytic review of current pheromone research:
Table 1: What are the myths and realities of odour psychology?
To our present knowledge there are no
aromatic materials that act as pheromones
on humans. Human pheromones are
considered a myth. Fragrance does not
physiologically sexually arouse people; rather
any effects are from emotional association
and suggestion based on society’s current
set of behaviours.
The most important
sexual aid we have is our imagination.
w Any fragrance creation will not be deemed
novel without reference to the acceptance
of peers and customers. Commercial
success rather than the beauty of the
product itself is the criteria by which any
odour is deemed novel in the fragrance
industry. Therefore fragrance creativity has a
competitive streak through it in
commerciality, taking it further away from
the concept of art. This is contrary to what
the “new age” natural perfumers aspire.
w Odour does stimulate behaviour through our
emotions but in specific situational ways
that may be unique to every individual,
remember the Killgrove example. Due to
olfactory signals going directly to the limbic
cortex which also controls emotions,
fragrance will always have an important
influence on humans that fragrance and
cosmetic companies will continue to try to
exploit. Perfumery will remain a multi-billion
dollar commercially orientated industry.
w Just like any language is limited by its
vocabulary, fragrance novelty is limited
by the fragrance vocabulary and
classification systems of the day.
Novelty only increases its bounds when
perfumers go beyond current
classifications and create the need for
new classifications. In probability with
the commercial orientations of the
industry, breaking the bounds will be a
truly rare occurrence that will happen
only a couple of times each century.
w Aromatherapy efficacy through inhaling
odours depends upon the ability of the
odour to connect with moods and
emotions to be effective.20 As we are
aware, the connection of odours to
emotions is a social construction and
the way aromatherapy through
inhalation works is through the beliefs of
the user. There is nothing wrong with
that because it is what one believes that
is reality, and the correlation between
moods and wellbeing is a strong one.
The relationship between odour and the
hypothalamus is still unexplored territory
at this point of time. Aromatherapy
through infusion and massage has the
ability to push more essential oils into
the body through digestion and skin
absorption respectively.
w Our olfactory receptors cannot distinguish
between natural and synthetic odours
because, to all intents and purposes, the
molecule is exactly the same, except for
some isomer differences. The
appreciation of something natural is a
value rather than being something
physiologically different. There is nothing
wrong with having values about things,
because without values the human
species would not survive.
w Odour is situational to people, places,
and contexts. Due to the influences upon
(air conditions, fatigue, concentrations,
etc.), and architecture of the olfactory
system, different people in different
circumstances will smell an odour
differently. This is also cultural specific,
and contextual to different situations, i.e.,
camphor is medicinal to Australians but
used to embalm corpses in Malaysia,
thus creating different imagery in people.
w Finally, a great perfumer must have
imagination, curiosity, the emotions of
interest and passion, olfactory sensitivity,
a prior knowledge of odourous materials
and their characteristics, knowledge of
outstanding fragrance creations, practical
experience, time, patience and
perseverance, be an artist, psychologist,
and marketing practitioner, all in one.
I can pull out at least a dozen studies which clearly debunk the pheromone myth, but if you choose to remain delusional, by all means do so.
CHAT
