It is worth wondering why incense has regularly been used for centuries across various religions and faiths be it Hindu, Buddhist, Catholic, Jewish or most others?
One of the most important reasons why incense is used that it purifies the air and has an extraordinary soothing effect on the mind. Just like candle brightens up a darkened room, the aromatic effect of incense offers tranquility to the senses.
Incense is said to have several medicinal effects too. Many earlier civilizations used incense as a herbal medicine for treating health disorders. This in fact forms the basis of aromatherapy. Many incense ingredients are used as medicines all over the world. Incense during meditation is said to dissipate the negative energy. Burning of incense helps to create a positive state of mind and helps condition the mind to associate the typical fragrance with a positive and calm mind. Successful meditation depends completely on the mental state of the meditator. Incense and candles facilitate meditation. While a candle creates a positive visual impact, certain fragrances in the incense impart positive impulses to the brain. More importantly these positive impulses, over time, become a natural response to that particular incense. The mind becomes "conditioned" to respond in a particular way when that incense is used. Just as your personal belongings, the incense to be used during meditation should be of a special type to be used only during meditation.