There is merit in just about every practice you can find, the question is simply what merit and if it works for you.

Pretty much any practice such as burning incense, meditating, listening to music, using crystals, or even 'mundane' practices like exercising are just ways of 'tricking' ourselves into the state of mind we're looking for.

If you approach something like burning incense with the mindset that it will calm and relax you, empower you, or whatever else, then it will. If you approach something with a closed mind and the thought it wont work, there's a decent chance it wont.

Theoretically if we could simply 'believe' ourselves straight into whatever we were trying to accomplish then all of these practices would become recreational only. I imagine this is where you get Yogis / Buddhas / other varieties of 'Enlightened' who are able to perform 'miracles' which seem 'impossible' to those who lack the same belief in their own abilities, even though ultimately we are all capable of performing miracles.

It is simply plesent to our olfactory sense. This plesent fragrance puts us in a better mood. More relaxed and at ease, this helps us to be more focused.

Each smell has a quality to it that we tune into. For example if you burn cinnamon and your Grandmother used to make cinnamon flop cake for Martin Luther King day. You will feel a sense of that holiday.

To feel closer to Jesus would be merr, since that was one of the three gifts that the three magi gave to baby Jesus.

Sandal wood has this quality, Nagchumpa is more a Tibetian feel.

Sage is more American Indian. Sage has a clearing away negative quality.

I think an influence on a sense influences the rest of the body and brain.

Airfreshener should do the same. I never tried meditating in a room freshly sprayed by pinesol though.

Yes just as our thoughts create specific vibrations so incense does too. It is widely used in metaphysical work to bring about a change in consciousness.

Here's a link giving the most usual perfumes;

http://www.quintoils.com/pages/miscellaneouspages/magicalincenseindex.html

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I was taught that a pleasing incense carried one's prayers and good intentions further, by attaching to the smoke and diffusing the prayers into the atmosphere (and all the way to heaven)

Back when I had a private meditation room, I used a rose/lavendar combination during my prayer and meditation time. It was so sweet smelling and seemed to make my time very pleasant and relaxing. It would seem to change my mood instantly and it did carry my good intentions all through the room.

Now that the kids are grown and gone, and we are getting older, we have a smaller home and there is no room for a dedicated meditation room, so I just use the corner or my bedroom now. I now use cedar and sweetgrass to cleanse the area before and during my meditation and prayers since the dogs come into my bedroom and my husband wears his shoes in there sometimes. I like the area to feel holy and clean. These scents help with that immensely!

I recommend you experiment with different scents. See if you feel better, and if so, which scents are the most pleasant to you. We are all different, and different scents will give you different results.

Best Wishes!

Evil spirits can be driven out by sage. It is the only herb I know of that does this. In a pinch, sandalwood can also have an effect on evil but sage is the big gun of the Spirit World.

Wade and I have cleared houses with a combination of commands based on James 4:7, sage and faith. I am surprised he did not mention this in his posting, We regularly get calls to clear homes of evil spirits- ghosts, especially.

Burning herbs to create a specific atmosphere comes from the American Indians. The essence of the flower or herb helps create the atmosphere that is needed to heal or help the shaman create the mood necessary to heal. This is not something to be taken lightly. Our olfactory sense is our oldest sense, and has roots that go back millions of years. We could smell before we could see.

Be sure to research what you burn. I, for one, cannot stand the smell of mints burning. I do not know why, but it triggers migraines. I would guess it is an allergy. This is a subject that I could write reams about.

Be careful!

Jai

the merit is only in the intention you put forth. and in conditioning it.

Burning incense creates a different smell. So like any other anchoring technique including meditation, or other tools you use its all about intensity of yoru intention thats going to work. Thats why someone who does not believe and calls it non sense - for them it will be nonsense.

But there are certain tools you want to use to anchor yourself to positive feelings and empowering states.

Just like meditation where you put intention that doing it you are connecting to Higher Self and that guides you and Universe works that way. And believing in it turns out true. Same with incense. When you create a sacred time it helps you ground yourself into that same state. Rituals are important to ground yourself into the same state again and again.

So that when you have a bad day but when you back at home and you light your incense immmediately you take yourself into that empowering state again. By doing it repeatedly you mentally in just a snap of your fingers get into that powerful state whatever you stated for yourself.

try different methods to condition your mind and then REALLY REALLY USE THEM - the ones you liked. They are powerful. They are powerful becuase normally in us there are ebbs and flows of our emotions. Sometimes we feel really inspired and passionate and peaceful. BUt in few days as we get busy in life there is a lull. and your emotion wise you are a little less energetic etc. Rituals established condition you to maintain that kind of empowered state. So it create a constant atmosphere. So even when there is a lull when you do the ritual you snap back to that powerful state again since your body, mind etc has that memory of burning incense (or meditations or whatever ritual you do).

It lifts the mood psychologically and gives the sense of clearing. This is helpful when the person(s) are having trouble holding a positive intention in their mind, so as to create a connection to the heart, where you experience true alignment with God/Higher Self. Eventually rituals, crystals, incense all these will become not needed as the person(s) will be able to hold their own inner peaceful intentions without these training wheels. In the meantime if it helps, do it until you can ride it out on your own. Be well and know that you are safe and loved.

Thanks for the post, ..{now to the feast!!} I was just talking to a couple older guys in my neighborhood. One stated incense will ward off evil...I hummed and pondered.... Then he said, "I light incense then someone will complain that they are having bodily pain." He said he replies to them, "that's incense working on yo ###!! Yea, keep yo ### out my ####." Well the other guy agrees with the first and shares a similar experience.

I hummed again and pondered ;;;;; {thinking to myself} I remember watching National Geographic and the tribes in the woods always dancing and chanting while burning incense. Humming and pondering,? {what is peace} because what these two gentlemen described was obtaining peace in so many words. Everyone has their thing {like a comfort blanket} that they feel safe next to / or with. I believe in the Holy Trinity, but I smoke. If you are living unto God who is to say what is right or wrong..