Pipe Smoke VS Incense

[indianafrank]

I have encountered people who despise tobacco of every kind, and yet they burn incense.
That smoke gives me a headache. I don't get a headache from pipe tobacco smoke.
I wonder what the negatives are when inhaling incense smoke.

 

[mso489]

Burning anything produces benzo-a-pyrene and particulates, which are not good to inhale. So whatever fragrance and taste you enjoy from burning things, the less of those you intake the better. Incense doesn't give me a headache, but it does make me slightly queasy if I'm overexposed. At church services, like visiting a cathedral, it's dilute enough as not to be a problem, but when people burn it to create atmosphere, it is sometimes too thick. It diminishes the smell and flavor of food and drink and/or can contrast in a really unappealing way. In low concentration, it can act as a room deodorizer, but unfortunately, the smell has become associated with seedy student parties, so the association isn't necessarily good ... unless really good things happened for you at sleazy student parties, in which case it might impart a glow. It might make you grin.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

About ten years back, I remember an article saying that incense was carcinogenic. So, like anything, in lies a hypocracy for those that think incense is healthier. But, it could just also be that some folks have a repulsion to tobacco in general. When I was first quitting cigarettes, any tobacco smoke repulsed me. But, I know/knew it was just in my brain, because of the fight going on in there.
My wife was a tobacco Nazi when I first met her, and I was fighting my own addiction. Her father died of lung cancer. She would gag at any tobacco smell, so it kept me on my toes when lying about whether so had cheated. But, with years of bringing her into my world of pipes, and encouraging her in listening to the PM radio show, pipe shows, goon to the Briary with me, she came over to the dark side. She doesn't smoke, but she no longer bawks at any tobacco smells. Well, except for cigars and cigarettes. She still doesn't like it when I fire up a stogie.
But, I think it's just psychosomatic.

 

[madox07]

indianafrank I burn incense myself. Not because I don't like the smell of my own pipe tobacco, or anything, but it has a deeper purifying significance for me. I particularly get a calm feeling from burning sage incense. I can understand the head ache issue you have with incense, especially if you use the very common incense that you find in your regular Wal Mart or souvenir shop. There is a lot, and when i say a lot I do mean A LOT, of artificially made coated incense sticks out there. That stuff can be made to smell like anything and is dirt cheap. The down side of it is that it creates a thick and heavy chemical smoke that one can choke on. Try 100% natural incense, yes it is more expensive but you will notice a huge difference. You can find stuff like that in asian shops, some shops import natural incense stick from India, or better yet you can use raw incense from Levant. It comes in small pieces, like little pebbles. Usually your christian catholic or orthodox shops carry them for ritualistic purposes, but you can buy it and burn it at home using a hoocah charcoal. I have actually read that scientific studies have proven that incense burning can reduce forms of depression. Not sure how valid that statement is, but it sure gives me a sense of calm and comfort at home ...

 

[frozenchurchwarden]

Ironically, if someone doesn't inhale and only smokes in a well ventilated area, it would be reasonable to say that Incense is worse than smoking.

It's easy to smoke a pipe and not get smoke in your lungs, but if someone is intentionally filling the room with smoke you're guaranteed to be inhaling more from the Incense, and if it's a room you spend any significant time in then the effects would be heavily multiplied.

 

[tinsel]

That smoke gives me a headache. I don't get a headache from pipe tobacco smoke.

I agree. I used to have a band mate who always wanted to burn incense in out rehearsal studio, we almost came to blows over it on many occasions.
I also get headaches from some air fresheners and scented candles. Stragely, anything "vanilla" scented seems to hurt me the most ... but vanilla tobaccos don't bother me. Go figure ...

 

[p4ttythep3rf3ct]

That all said, are there any incense-like tobacco blends out there?

 

[madox07]

p4ttythep3rf3ct now that's a question ... what would qualify as a incense-like tobacco, a lavender blend? I like my incense, but that would be a tad too much even for me :lol: