Aroma Set • Incense is aromatic biotic material which releases fragrant smoke when burned. • Incense is composed of aromatic plant materials, often combined with essential oil. • Incense can generally be separated into two main types: indirect-burning and direct-burning. • For indirect-burning incense, pieces of the incense are burned by placing them directly on top of a heat source or on a hot metal plate in a censer. • Direct-burning incense or combustible incense is lit directly by a flame or other heat source until the incense begins to turn into ash at the burning end. Flames on the incense are then fanned or blown out, with the incense continuing to burn without a flame on its own. • Direct-burning incense is either a paste formed around a bamboo stick, or a paste that is extruded into a stick or cone shape. • Incense is used for a variety of purposes, including the ceremonies of all the main religions, to overcome bad smells, repel insects, purify or improve the atmosphere, aromatherapy, meditation, and for simple pleasure. • Incense fragrances can be of such great strength that they obscure other, less desirable odors. This utility led to the use of incense in funerary ceremonies because the incense could smother the scent of decay. • Incense made from materials such as citronella can repel mosquitoes and other aggravating, distracting or pestilential insects. This use has been deployed in concert with religious uses by Zen Buddhists who claim that the incense that is part of their meditative practice is designed to keep bothersome insects from distracting the practitioner. • Incense is also used often by people who smoke indoors, and do not want the scent to linger. • Many people burn incense to appreciate its smell, without assigning any other specific significance to it, in the same way that the foregoing items can be produced or consumed solely for the contemplation or enjoyment of the refined sensory experience.
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