Aromatherapy is the process of using the natural oils extracted from flowers, stems, bark, leaves, roots or other parts of plants, known as essential oils.

These have antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal properties.

They can enhance well-being by balancing all of our energy bodies (mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual).

I have been using oils as a natural remedy as opposed to standard pharmacological intervention for ailments and sickness for the last six to seven years. Things like headaches, insect stings and cuts, cysts, verrucas, digestive concerns, urinary tract infections, joint and muscle pain, earache, cold sores, to energise, to improve focus, for concentration and memory, and to relax and sleep.

There are still times, however, that I have used prescription drugs. I think there is a place for many approaches to health, and the more tools in our box we have, the more able we may be to tackle the task at hand. It is always important to consult a medical practitioner for any symptoms you are concerned about to get things checked out, and then you have choices as to how you want to treat what is happening in your system.

Dr. David Stewart, author and renowned teacher on scientific and spiritual matters, explores the chemistry of essential oils in his books. He explains how essential oils work in the opposite way to pharmaceutical drugs. Drugs can leave us with toxic side effects as they work by blocking and confusing receptors in our body. In that moment, our own immune system is depressed. Oils will cleanse the receptor sites in our bodies and strengthen the immune system. An example is how when we take antibiotics, they destroy all of our bacteria. However, the body also contains good bacteria that we need. This is why we can often get an outbreak of yeast-based infections after a course of antibiotic treatment.

Essential Oils allow the helpful flora (good bacteria) that we need to continue to exist, to aid digestion and balance in the body. With drugs, when our body starts to manage our condition, the drug continues to work in the same way as when we were not fighting attack to our immunity or resilience. Drugs create scenarios that lead to the body giving up symptoms, but they are not treating the underlying cause, so other symptoms can often manifest once treatment is ceased.

This is why we may have quick relief for one symptom, but we may develop another side effect. Dependence can emerge with drug use, as this is the only way the body learns to relieve symptoms. Oils cleanses the receptor cells to bring the body back to natural balance, by targeting whatever is causing the symptoms. Disease is treated at a cellular level with oils restoring cellular memory of how to be healthy in our DNA. There are not undesirable side effects with oils for this reason. Individuals may be allergic to certain oils as they would be with certain drugs. Oils are also antiviral which many drugs are not.

Essential Oils have been used for thousands of years. Hippocrates believed that there was a remedy for every illness to be found in nature. Indigenous civilisations use plant medicine, and animals seek plants to self-medicate. The Ancient Egyptians had records dating to 4500 BC, which detailed their use of oils. Each God and Goddess had their own fragrance. Blends would be created to increase aggression in wartime and create calmness for meditation. In King Tutankhamun’s tomb (found in 1922), litres of oils were found that were still effective (bioactive).

Eating raw plants is not the same as essential oils. Quality essential oils are 50-70 percent more potent than the herbs obtained from the source plant. It takes 50 lemons to make a 15-ml bottle of essential oil. Oils can be inhaled, applied topically, or ingested (if pure and made for this purpose). When topically applied, the molecules are absorbed into the skin. When inhaled they enter the lungs. The molecules enter the bloodstream and are carried around the body. If they are ingested, they can begin to have a quicker response on symptoms. When ingesting, oils should be placed in a vegetable or gelatin capsule to prevent irritation of the digestive lining. Small amounts of some oils can be placed on the tongue or on the gums.

If you don’t know what is in your bottle of oils, it is important not to ingest it. Even those that claim to be 100 percent pure may not be and could contain other chemicals. I would generally suggest that people seek an expert view before ingesting. Inhalation and topical application are the safest options and I will focus on these modes of use. If your oil bottle does not contain the Latin Name, it is probably synthetic and would not be recommended for use. Oils should be in dark-coloured glass containers. They should be a range of prices from the same seller. For example, Rose Absolute or Sandalwood will be more expensive and Sweet Orange would be cheaper. If you find an expensive oil for a cheap price, it is unlikely to be pure. Also, if it has a use by date, it is likely to contain other chemicals as pure oils have lasted since the times Before Christ! `

How do Oils Operate?

When we inhale an essential oil, the scent is carried by olfactory nerve cells in the nose to the olfactory bulb, which sends the aroma to the limbic system in the brain. This is our emotional centre, housing feelings and memories. This bypasses the cerebral cortex where our higher thinking sits and any negative thought patterns and limiting beliefs can reside.

The skin is the largest organ of the body and it is permeable, meaning the oils will soak in when we apply them topically. Pulse points and thinner skin areas (wrists, temples, back of neck and behind ears) where blood vessels are closest to the skin allows for even quicker absorption, which means you get the impact faster. The palms of the hands, feet, armpits, and scalp also take in molecules faster than the arms, leg, belly, and back.

When we apply the oils topically, we benefit from the high antioxidant properties that they have. Antioxidants are compounds that inhibit oxidation. This is a chemical reaction that can produce free radicals (unstable molecules we produce in response to environmental and internal pressures) and this can damage our cells. Oxidative stress is linked to heart disease, cancer, arthritis, stroke, respiratory disease, immune deficiency, and other inflammatory disorders and ischemic conditions (where blood flow, and thus oxygen, is reduced to a part of the body).

The antioxidant properties of a substance are measured by something known as the Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) test developed by the United States Department of Agriculture and Tufts University. This measures the speed and power that a substance clears up cells.

Essential oils have high antioxidant properties. In the 40s, a researcher called Straehli (Tisserand and Young, 1995) found that when oils were applied topically they could be detected when a person exhaled. This tells us they diffuse around the body and into the lungs. When in the system the oils go to areas of high blood flow such as skeletal muscle, the liver, and kidneys. The oils are readily metabolised by the body and are usually in the system for around 90 minutes.

All smells have their own frequency; if they did not have separate vibrations, we could not differentiate them. Frequency is the number of oscillations (movements) of an energy wave per second. One Hertz (HZ) is one oscillation. Kilo Hertz (KH) is a thousand oscillations per second and 1 Mega Hertz (MHZ) is a million oscillations per second. As humans, we have an electromagnetic field that if measured in a healthy human is usually vibrating at a range between 62-70 MHZ.

Blockages of life force energy in the system lead to inflammation and illness. If our vibration drops below the 62 MHZ illnesses develop. Disturbances in our energetic bodies have been found to precede the development of diseases. If we have a cold or flu, we vibrate around 58 MHZ. Cancer can appear at 42 MHZ. Death can occur around 20 MHZ.

This is why we often use phrases of “I’m not feeling the vibe.” As humans, we are aware of energy. Einstein has been attributed to saying “Everything is energy and that’s all there is to it. Match the frequency of the reality you want and you cannot help but get that reality. It can be no other way,” although it’s not sure if he really did.  Nikola Tesla said, “If you want to find the secrets of the universe think in terms of energy, frequency and vibration.” So these are not new or outlandish concepts.

Dr. Rife, MD (1888-1971) conducted research with a frequency generator where specific frequencies were applied to the body and it was found that every disease has a specific frequency. He found if he could place the vibrational frequency of a healthy liver into a diseased liver he could reverse the disease that was found. Nordenström, a radiologist in Sweden, discovered in 1980 that he could use electromagnetic frequencies to dissolve a cancer tumour.

If we look at the vibration of foods, dead flesh and animal discharge (dairy produce) have a frequency of below 0 MHZ. Food from the earth such as potatoes, kale, and pumpkin are 5 MHZ. Food from the trees such as apples, coconut, bananas, that are eaten raw, vibrate at 15 MHZ. There are also what is known as “superfoods” such as cacao, lemon, limes, and goji berries; these vibrate between 52-320 MHZ.

Essential oils can be higher than this, or within this range. For example, Rose is 320 MHZ, Frankincense 147 MHZ, Lavender 118 MHZ, Myrrh 105 MHZ, Juniper 98 MHZ, Sandalwood 96 MHZ, and Peppermint 78 MHZ.

So essential oils resonate with your bodily tissues at the frequency of their own molecular structure, which increases our vibration, creating wellness through improved immunity and balance. This process is called “entrainment.” We train the body to raise its frequency. If we are exposed to these vibrations, our system raises our frequency to attempt to reach the frequencies we are exposed to. This also happens with Sound Healing. Think of how others can impact our mood. If they are flat, we can become flat; if they are high, we can become high. This is particularly important if you are working caring for others as we can be impacted by their difficulties.

When something vibrates at a lower frequency, it feels heavier and denser, which is more susceptible to disease than a lighter and higher frequency may feel, bringing with it increased immunity. This is where the mind-body connection becomes important. What we think and feel has impact upon our physical bodies.

Abraham Hicks originally developed an Emotional Guidance Scale in terms of frequency of vibration. The frequency of each emotion was found to be as follows: Enlightenment (700-1000HZ), Peace (600 HZ), Joy (540 HZ), Serenity (500 HZ), Love (500 HZ), Reason (400 HZ), Acceptance (350 HZ), Willingness (310 HZ), Neutrality (250 HZ), Courage (200 HZ), Pride (175 HZ), Anger (150 HZ), Desire (125 HZ), Fear (100 HZ), Grief (75 HZ), Apathy 50 HZ), Guilt (30 HZ) and Shame (20 HZ).  When we vibrate below 200 HZ, we enter destructive energy zones of contraction, and above this, we are in a creative zone of expansion. There are no bad emotions; we need to feel. It’s good to feel what we feel and then move to a higher frequency when ready rather than remain in the dense lower vibration emotions. In a quick reference guide for using essential oils, Higley & Higley (2014) note that negative thoughts lower the measured frequency by 10 MHZ. Prayer and meditation increased vibration by 15 MHZ.

The Essential Oils Desk Reference Book (7th Edition), Life Science Publishing (www.DiscoverLSP.com) explains a study looking at frequency fluctuations in the human body as different substances were introduced. Two males in their 20s were vibrating at 66 MHZ each. The first held a cup of coffee without drinking any and his frequency dropped to 52 MHZ in 3 seconds. He then removed it and inhaled essential oils. Within 21 seconds his frequency returned to 66 MHZ. The other man took a sip and his frequency dropped to 52 MHZ in the same 3 seconds. He had no essential oils and it took three days for his vibration to return to 66 MHZ.

Despite all the anecdotal evidence and case studies regarding essential oils, governments have yet to regulate their use, perhaps also because no two batches are the same, given that soil changes, time of picking may be different, and climates vary. This, however, hinders more robust scientific research. For me, they are without doubt a great complement to any other standard medical treatment that you may be having and have been shown to be excellent to treat infectious diseases caused by multidrug resistant microorganisms (Sienkiewicz et al. 2012).

The true evidence for their effectiveness exists in your experiential use. Experiment with what works for you and know there are many oils that operate on the same symptom if one does not fit. The best way to encourage further research is for more open disclosure of personal evidence and reports of how oils have helped us.

So it really is time to smell and tell!

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