The medicinal properties of traditional incense

The medicinal properties of traditional incense

We use medicinal plants in a variety of ways. We drink them (infusion, decoction, flower essence, alcohol tincture, glycerin tincture, syrup, honey extract, oxymel), eat them (capsule, tablet, homeopathic pills, Elektra, kitchen spices, vegetables, potted herbs), take them on our skin (ointment, lotion, wrap, mask, hydrosol, oil, ointment, balm, cream, Compress, steam rub, essential oils, ear drops, bath, soak, sitz bath), absorb them through our mucous membranes (suppositories, sinus rinse, enema, douche, eye drops) and use them in spiritual ways (talismans, amulets, medicine bundles, patches, incense). We also inhale their medicine through cigarettes, pipes, vapors, essential oil diffusers, nebulizers, and, yes, incense.

The medicinal effects of incense depend on our sense of smell. The process occurs when molecules travel up the sinuses, dissolve in the mucous membrane, and are detected by the olfactory receptors at the tips of the olfactory sensory neurons. How these molecules are perceived is a matter of debate, whether the neurons sense the vibration of the molecules or their shape, with theory switching back and forth between the two ideas over the centuries. In any case, our sense of smell is very weak compared to other animals. For example, humans have 10 cm² of olfactory tissue in their sinuses, while dogs can have up to 170 square centimeters of olfactory tissue with hundreds of times more receptors per square centimeter. Smell is the only sense perceived in the right hemisphere, the side of the brain focused on intuition and imagination, as opposed to the left hemisphere, which is focused on analysis and logic. For this reason, the effects of smell are physical, psychoactive and emotional. Interestingly, scent is considered the spirit of the plant and thus influences our minds. Smell is also processed by the limbic system, which deals with emotions, desire, hunger, memory and imagination. That's why smell can trigger emotions and memories. Smell is also our oldest sense, part of the original “lizard brain” that dates back 450 million years and predates other ancient senses such as vision and balance.

There are records of the use of incense throughout the ancient world. The oldest documented use is in Egypt, although it was also used extensively in other African countries, Arabia, India, America and Europe in ancient times. The ancient incense route transported incense from southern Arabia on camel caravans north to the Mediterranean and Europe and east to Mesopotamia and India. The spice trade of past centuries brought aromatic plants across the Red Sea and the monsoon winds between Europe and the islands of Indonesia. The Silk Road brought the use of incense along with Buddhism from India through China and on to Japan around the first century AD, arranging (ikibana), tea ceremony (sado), and the Japanese lyre (koto). Formal incense schools were founded in Japan's Edo period 1603-1867, although the incense ceremony began in the 19th century. Fortunately, the craft and ceremony of incense was revived in Japan in the 1920s by descendants of the Koh-Do (“incense”) masters, and in the 1960s incense schools began offering courses again.

Synthetic incense has a very different composition than natural incense. Synthetic incense is typically made with a binding agent, usually starch, a bamboo core that produces copious smoke and adds the smell of burning bamboo, and an ignition source such as charcoal, sodium nitrate, paraffin, or a petroleum solvent. The paraffin and petroleum solvents are particularly harmful because they are neurotoxic and inhaling their smoke can cause asthma, skin reactions, nausea, dizziness, sneezing and headaches. The smoke also irritates the eyes, nose and throat. Synthetic incense also typically contains synthetic flavors, 95% of which come from petroleum and cause the same symptoms listed above. These synthetic flavors are preferred by certain manufacturers because they are less expensive and more consistent, can be used to create novel scents that do not occur in nature, and are ethical replacements for ingredients from endangered species such as musk, amber, and civet. However, synthetic aromas are not identical to natural scents in their complexity, so they can smell artificial. In addition, they do not have the same physical, emotional and psychoactive properties as natural scents and have the adverse effects mentioned above. Unfortunately, there are no legal restrictions on the amounts or combinations of synthetic fragrances, the ingredients of these synthetic fragrances are not required to be listed, and only a fraction of them are tested for safety.

Natural incense sticks, on the other hand, are usually 100% plant-based. In Japan, natural incense is made based on Makko, also known as Tabu no Ki. This is a water-soluble, adhesive, odorless substance that burns smoothly and evenly. It is the powdered inner bark of Cercidiphyllum japonicum (Katsura tree, Japanese Judas tree), an evergreen plant in the magnolia family, and acts as both a natural binding agent and an ignition source. What is interesting is that the magnolia family is the most primitive of all angiosperms (flowering plants), evergreen but with leaves, and the flowers form cones similar to those of conifers. The fossil record of these plants goes back 100 million years! Other examples of plants in this family include cinnamon, cassia, laurel, champa, nutmeg, mace, star anise, ylang-ylang, camphor, avocado, mountain laurel, rhododendron, and magnolia. In India, the traditional base for incense is halmaddi, the resin of the Tree of Heaven, which has an unusual hygroscopic property (it draws water from the air), making Indian incense feel moist. Hamaddi combined with honey contributes the sweet honey-vanilla note to Champa incense sticks (spice mixture). Ground and powdered herbs such as resins, barks, flowers, seeds, roots, leaves, fruits, twigs, rhizomes, bulbs, woods, lichens, seaweeds and animal ingredients such as ambergris, musk, pangolins, and mussel shells are added to the base of makko and hamaddi.

Frankincense has been used historically for many different reasons, particularly medicinal, environmental and spiritual applications. Medical uses include increasing energy, treating and preventing disease (fumigation), inducing and promoting restful sleep, stimulating libido, increasing positive emotions, and reducing anxiety, stress, anxiety, worry, sadness, or anger. It is also used for ambience, to clarify and/or define a space, to evoke a particular mood in a group, to scent rooms, clothing, hair, or stationery, to mask unpleasant odors, to stimulate creativity, or to learn to sharpen focus. Historically, before mechanical watches, it was even used to track the passage of time during meditation, meetings or in the geisha house. The spiritual uses of incense are varied. For prayer, the incense is seen as a way to attract and please the gods, sweetening your prayers, and the rising smoke is said to carry both prayers and the spirit of the deceased to heaven. Frankincense is also used spiritually to induce meditative states, dreams and visions, and to help focus during prayer. It can even improve acoustics in churches and other large spaces and help accept communications from plants. It purifies and sanctifies space, people and ceremonial objects and drives away evil spirits, insect pests, disease and negative energy. It is used extensively to mark celebrations and rites of passage and is itself burned as a sacrifice. Finally, it is used to mask the smell of cremation and animal sacrifice.

Incense comes from all parts of the plant and has a variety of effects: bark, flower, fruit, leaf, resin, seeds and wood. Cinnamon is a commonly used bark that counteracts fatigue, depression and weakness and tones and calms the nerves. Cloves are an example of a flower used (actually a flower bud) and are considered a mental stimulant. Juniper berry, a fruit, stimulates and strengthens the nerves, strengthens the mind in challenging situations and relieves anxiety, nervous tension and mental fatigue. Eucalyptus leaves clear the mind and improve concentration, while benzoin resin is calming and uplifting, comforting the sad and lonely, and acting as an antidepressant and sedative. A common frankincense seed is fennel, which strengthens courage, determination and strength in the face of adversity. Sandalwood, one of the most common incense bases, has a calming and harmonizing effect, reduces stress and tension, has an antidepressant effect and combats anxiety, stress, nervous exhaustion and anxiety.

Finally, I would like to offer the “Ten Virtues of Koh.” Koh is the Japanese word for incense and this list was created by a 16th century Japanese Buddhist monk. offers a companion in the midst of solitude, in the midst of hustle and bustle it brings a moment of calm, if it is plentiful you will not get tired, if it is little you will be satisfied, age does not change its effectiveness, and used daily it does no harm.