By Lee Kane

I'm addicted to incense. I burn it morning. I burn it evening. I find it triggers something in me, a sense of peace, a sense of coming inside, but also a feeling of connection. Nearly all spiritual paths—secular or not—include incense. Zen Buddhists face the wall, with only incense, and the bell (and occasional whack) for company. In temples all over Asia, India, indeed the world, incense is even right now wafting heavenward, some believe carrying prayers, and always presented as a heartfelt offering. In Catholic Cathedrals, censors waft. In every Hindu ceremony, temple and shrine, incense is a constant.
Above: Incense burns 24 hours a day at Thien Hau Pagoda, Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam.

I recently came across a release from John Hopkins University, that seems to suggest that incense is more than just symbolic in terms of meditation practice. The report said:

"Many religious traditions have contended for that burning incense is good for the soul. Now, biologists have learned that it is good for our brains too. An international team of scientists, including researchers from Johns Hopkins University and the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, describe how burning frankincense (resin from the Boswellia plant) activates poorly understood ion channels in the brain to alleviate anxiety or depression. This suggests that an entirely new class of depression and anxiety drugs might be right under our noses."

So, maybe my addiction theory isn't far off? I'm joking. I don't think it's addictive that way. But there can be no doubt it's soothing. Pleasant smells have always been restorative and health-inducing. Aroma therapy is a very popular form of alternative health care.
The report from John Hopkins adds: “In spite of information stemming from ancient texts, constituents of Bosweilla had not been investigated for psychoactivity,” said Raphael Mechoulam, one of the research study’s co-authors. “We found that incensole acetate, a Boswellia resin constituent, when tested in mice lowers anxiety and causes antidepressive-like behavior. Apparently, most present day worshipers assume that incense burning has only a symbolic meaning.”
Pleasant Odours Have Antidepressive-like Behaviour

Okay, so it isn't just psychological. By extension, once can logically deduce (but not prove) that all pleasant odours would have an antidpressive-like behaviour. It's a reasonable hypothesis, and certainly supported by aroma therapy, and my own experiences.
Back to my practice. I've always believed offerings are one of the most important daily practices. Why? Doesn't it feel overly secular or even, to some, superstitious? My answer would be no. We honour the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, and offer to Buddha as a cure for ego. By bowing to Buddha, and making offerings, we are letting go our ego.
But to me, it's more personal. It really changes my mindspace. Altered consciousness? I don't know. But meditation state is very quickly realized when I burn a quality, not too smokey incense. (It's difficult to be mindful when you're coughing in a too smokey room!). For this reason, I tend not to use charcoal and fresh incense, but prefer instead either Japanese incense sticks without wood cores, or essential oils. Of course, there is something hypnotic and wonderful about the coil of smoke that rises from an incense burner.

My Daily Habit: a Stick a Day...
Personal or not, apparently my daily habit is good for me. Gerald Weissmann, M.D., Editor-in-Chief of The FASEB Journal, said, “Studies of how those psychoactive drugs work have helped us understand modern neurobiology. The discovery of how incensole acetate, purified from frankincense, works on specific targets in the brain should also help us understand diseases of the nervous system. This study also provides a biological explanation for millennia-old spiritual practices that have persisted across time, distance, culture, language, and religion–burning incense really does make you feel warm and tingly all over!”
I know, quoting scientific studies isn't very profound or spiritual. Maybe it's a cheat, quickly altering our consciousness and giving us a boost in meditation. Maybe it's a mind game. But it doesn't matter. I don't intend to break my addiction any time soon.
After all, according to the National Institutes of Health, major depressive disorder is the leading cause of disability in the United States for people ages 15–44, affecting approximately 14.8 million American adults. That said, perhaps a little incense and meditation would work wonders for those so afflicted.