12 million smell receptors in the nose
Dr. Keltner cited research indicating humans have approximately 12 million scent receptors in the nose that help us navigate and interpret the world.
Snapshot · The Mel Robbins Podcast
Feeling Lost or Behind in Life? The #1 Happiness Expert Explains How to Find Your Purpose
Explore episode
Jul 13, 2026
Where this was said
Live Awe Experiment: Flowers, Scent, Touch, and Memory
At 1:00:01 · chapter starts 56:42
With a bouquet of flowers set up in the studio — tree peonies, anemones, garden roses, snapdragons, Queen Anne's lace, and lisianthus — Dr. Keltner turns the podcast into a live lab. He guides Mel through a three-stage sensory awe practice. First, vision: she moves her gaze from fine petal details to the full explosion of the bouquet, marveling at the improbability of something so intricate growing from a bulb. Second, scent: one rose transports her to weddings; another to her grandmother's hugs; a lisianthus to cut grass and her father mowing the lawn. Third, touch: the texture of petals returns her to childhood summers in western Michigan, lying in the grass and staring at the sky. Dr. Keltner frames the result beautifully — in just a few minutes, the bouquet became a doorway into Mel's bigger life story, connecting her to parents, husband, grandmother, and self. That's what awe always does: it reveals what was already there.
Live Awe Experiment: Using Flowers to Trigger Wonder
In a rare live experiment, Dr. Keltner guided Mel Robbins through a multi-sensory awe experience with a bouquet of flowers — sight, smell, touch — triggering memories of her grandmother, father, and husband. This is exactly what awe does: it connects you to your bigger story.
The Awe Walk: Turning Any Stroll Into a Brain-Health Practice
Adding a simple awe-orientation to your regular walk — noticing small and vast details, seeking childlike wonder — reduced physical pain in adults aged 75+ and is linked to greater brain health six years later. You can start today, anywhere, for free.
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