influential herbs

Will You Use Lavender for Good or Evil?

Photo: Corbis

According to a new study from the Netherlands, published in Frontiers journal, the relaxing scent of lavender (which smells both like gardens and the living rooms of various grandmothers) can entice people to trust you.

Researchers found that pumping a room with the smell of lavender increased the sense of trust felt between participants in a study. The study asked participants to play a game that required lending money; people in a room with a lavender diffuser were more likely to trust others with their funds than people in peppermint-scented one.

The study’s co-author and cognitive psychologist Lorenza Colzato suggests that this information could be helpful for negotiations, bargaining, or building trust within groups of people. So, will you use this herbal information for good or evil? Will you use it at all? Personally, I will.

Will You Use Lavender for Good or Evil?