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Extraordinary Senses: Smelling Things That Don't Exist

Alix Fox says certain emotions and locations elicit phantom smells.

When Alix Fox was 17 years old she had an extreme allergic reaction after finishing her shift at the pub where she worked. She was rushed to hospital, but never experienced another reaction like that again. However, after that, something did change. It's unclear if it was caused by the allergic reaction, but Alix started to smell things that didn't exist when she had certain emotions or was in certain locations. She thinks she has something called olfactory synaesthesia.

Image: Alix Fox
Credit: Joe Plimmer

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