The Burning of Frankincense has been part of cultural and religious ceremonies for over a millennium! Frankincense is actually made out of a resin from the Boswellia tree which is made into oils, incense, and is used in everything from helping your soul reach higher spiritual planes to medicinal uses.

Ancient texts such as the new and old testament talk about frankincense as having mystical powers. Many different spiritual practices worldwide still use it to this day.

Johns Hopkins University teamed up with researchers from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem to explore Frankincense to see what kinds of effects it has on the mind.

Mind Soothing Effects

To measure the effects on the mind, researchers used some of the resin from the Boswellia tree known as incensole acetate and gave it to some mice. This test showed them that ‘incensole acetate’ effects the area of the brain where emotions reside.

Incense from Frankincense directly affects a protein in the brain known as TRPV3. While we already knew that this protein affects our ability to feel warm sensations on our skin, it has a different warming effect on the mind. Continue reading →